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Just one Australian included in 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team
Only one Australian has been voted into a fan-selected Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team conducted by RugbyPass.
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Home to the best players on offer in New Zealand, Australia and the wider Pacific region, the RugbyPass Super Rugby Dream Team offers fans the chance to have their say as to who the best players in the competition are on a week-by-week basis.
With the regular season done and dusted as we prepare for the competition’s playoffs, fans have used their voice to collectively decide who they believe to be the best players from the round-robin.
That decision has been made via week-by-week voting, with each round in the Super Rugby Pacific season having its own Dream Team.
Votes from throughout the course of the season accumulate to create an overall Dream Team, a composite side comprised of the highest-voted players from throughout the year.
As things stand, Reds prop Taniela Tupou is the only non-Kiwi to feature in the overall RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team.
A star for the Reds and Wallabies, Tupou has featured regularly for the Queenslanders this season, but the 26-year-old will be absent as the Reds aim to keep their campaign alive in their quarter-final against the Crusaders on Friday.
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Joining Tupou in the RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team front row is injured Crusaders prop Joe Moody and Chiefs hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho.
All three front rowers hold healthy leads over the second-highest voted for players in their respective positions, although – as things stand – Moody is only 20 votes clear of Highlanders behemoth Ethan de Groot.
Crusaders captain Scott Barrett and Chiefs star Brodie Retallick, a recent injury returnee for the Hamilton-based franchise, hold down the two lock spots and are both well clear of the chasing pack.
The same can be said for Hurricanes skipper Ardie Savea, who has been voted into the No 8 role and is more than 200 votes ahead of Chiefs powerhouse Pita Gus Sowakula.
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However, things are bit more tightly-contested in the two flanker roles, with Crusaders blindside Ethan Blackadder holding a slender 27-vote lead over teammate and Los Pumas star Pablo Matera in the No 6 jersey.
Likewise, inspirational Blues captain Dalton Papalii leads the charge at openside flanker, but is less than 40 votes clear of Chiefs stalwart and All Blacks skipper Sam Cane.
In the backline, Highlanders captain Aaron Smith holds a dominant lead of nearly 150 votes over Finlay Christie and Brad Weber to earn the public’s vote at halfback.
Smith’s inclusion at N0 9 means he resumes his All Blacks halves partnership with Blues first-five Beauden Barrett, who is comfortably ahead of Reds playmaker James O’Connor in the race for the No 10 jersey.
The public have seen enough from Blues pair Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Rieko Ioane to anoint them the RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team midfield duo.
That could change during the playoffs, though, as Crusaders utility back David Havili trails Tuivasa-Sheck by less than 30 votes at second-five.
Blues speedster Caleb Clarke and Crusaders flyer Sevu Reece have been voted as the RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team wings.
Neither player is likely to lose their spots, unless Crusaders wing Leicester Fainga’anuku impresses enough in the post-season to overcome the 60-vote deficit he currently concedes to Clarke on the left wing.
Rounding out the RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team at fullback is Crusaders star Will Jordan, whose form for the Christchurch-based outfit has earned him a 135-vote lead over his Hurricanes counterpart Jordie Barrett.
The door remains open for other players to be voted into the RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team during the playoffs, so register now to have your say and be in with a chance to win a guest appearance on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
RugbyPass Super Rugby Pacific Dream Team at the end of the regular season
1. Joe Moody (Crusaders)
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs)
3. Taniela Tupou (Reds)
4. Scott Barrett (Crusaders)
5. Brodie Retallick (Chiefs)
6. Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders)
7. Dalton Papalii (Blues)
8. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders)
10. Beauden Barrett (Blues)
11. Caleb Clarke (Blues)
12. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Blues)
13. Rieko Ioane (Blues)
14. Sevu Reece (Crusaders)
15. Will Jordan (Crusaders)
Comments on RugbyPass
The game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
12 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
12 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
37 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
37 Go to comments