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England and South Africa head five-strong shortlist for team of the year award
World Cup finalists England and South Africa are among the five-strong shortlist of nominees for the World Rugby team of the year 2019 accolade.
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The shortlist was selected by a panel comprising former international players Maggie Alphonsi, Brian O’Driscoll and Agustín Pichot, alongside former coaches Nick Mallett and Clive Woodward, the World Rugby coach of the year in 2003.
The winner will be announced at the World Rugby awards in Tokyo next Sunday.
World Rugby team of the year shortlist
ENGLAND
A first World Cup final for 12 years has been secured the hard way after overcoming Australia and New Zealand in impressive fashion in consecutive matches, only the second team to beat both in the same tournament.
England were runners-up in the Six Nations with Wales the only nation to beat them – twice – in 14 Test matches this year, a run of results that has helped take them back to the top of the World Rugby rankings for the first time since June 2004.
(Continue reading below…)
JAPAN
The Brave Blossoms captured the hearts and imagination of a nation with their up-tempo style of play and incredible heart helping them reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time at Japan 2019.
Victories over Ireland and Scotland saw them briefly rise to a new high of sixth in the World Rugby rankings in a year that also saw them win the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup title and lose only twice – to South Africa – in nine Test games.
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NEW ZEALAND
A ten-time recipient of this award, New Zealand extended their record-breaking winning run to 18 matches on the World Cup stage with impressive victories over South Africa and Ireland before England ended their hopes of a third successive title.
The All Blacks have won seven of their 10 Tests in 2019, relinquishing the Rugby Championship title and their No1 ranking but retaining the Bledisloe Cup for a 17th successive year.
Potential @AllBlacks head coaches are bringing in assistants from left, right and centre to bolster their case. https://t.co/PdtinkKx6i#AllBlacks
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 31, 2019
SOUTH AFRICA
The Rugby Championship winners are bidding to create World Cup history by becoming the first team to lift the Webb Ellis Cup after losing a match at the finals – their Pool B opener against New Zealand.
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That loss, 23-13, is their only one of the year, having won nine and drawn the other of their 11 Tests. The Springboks have risen to No2 in the World Rugby rankings for the first time in more than four years after reaching a first RWC final since 2007.
WALES
Warren Gatland’s final year in charge of Wales has been one to remember with the Six Nations Grand Slam secured, a first World Cup victory over Australia since 1987 and a rise to No1 in the World Rugby rankings for the first time in history.
A first RWC final may have eluded Wales, but they can still match their best-ever finish of third and end the year with 12 victories in 16 Tests.
“I just can’t wait for Friday. That is Owen’s meeting."
Another story emerges of the massive influence Farrell wields behind the scenes in England camp #RWCFinal ?#englandrugby #ENGvRSA https://t.co/LuePPi2c5i
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 30, 2019
Previous World Rugby team of the year award winners:
2018 – Ireland
2017 – New Zealand Women’s 15s
2016 – New Zealand
2015 – New Zealand
2014 – New Zealand
2013 – New Zealand
2012 – New Zealand
2011 – New Zealand
2010 – New Zealand
2009 – South Africa
2008 – New Zealand
2007 – South Africa
2006 – New Zealand
2005 – New Zealand
2004 – South Africa
2003 – England
2002 – France
2001 – Australia
WATCH: Cheslin Kolbe on the state of his ankle injury and the probable high ball tactics in Saturday’s World Cup final
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
69 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments