Watch: Top 10 steps of the Super Rugby season
Every year uncovers new exceptional attacking talent, and it’s the sidesteps that end up on most highlight reels. The players with the hot feet have instantly become stars in the past, with Nehe Milner-Skudder in 2015 being the prime example. A number of players young and old showed their dance moves this season, so we thought we would count down the best of them.
Here are the top 10 steps of the Super Rugby season.
10. Tate McDermott (Reds)
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The young Reds halfback mainly spent his debut season coming off the bench. Often the smallest man on the field, that didn’t stop McDermott providing the Reds some attacking spark.
In their first clash of the season against the Rebels in Melbourne, McDermott picked up a loose lineout ball and had a dart, throwing this dirty hop step that left Rebels prop Sam Talakai diving into a swimming pool. Unfortunately for Talakai, he didn’t take McDermott with him. The young halfback kept his balance and popped a pass away to Alex Mafi to open up the Rebels.
9. Curwin Bosch (Sharks)
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The Sharks fullback Curwin Bosch had a breakout year in 2018, igniting the Sharks attack with speed from the back.
His dangerous running had most teams on high alert everytime he touched the ball on counter-attack, and this was certainly the case on this kick return against the Hurricanes.
Bosch pulled down the kick, escaping the first tackle before bouncing off the left foot to beat centre Vince Aso on the inside and then doing the reverse to fullback Jordie Barrett off the right. Jordie was left wondering where he was like a 5am feed in a strangers house.
Bosch’s double whammy was one of the best of season. Unfortunately, he didn’t score but the Sharks scored a couple of phases later to capitalise on the explosive break.
8. Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves)
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The fleet-footed ex-Force winger ended up heading to Japan to join the Sunwolves after his Australian franchise got cut.
In Round 8 at home against the Waratahs, Masirewa finished this movement off from a Waratahs turnover by putting the Tokyo drift on Wallaby Kurtley Beale. Masirewa escapes an ankle tap from Naiyavoro and races away to score under the posts with a massive swan dive.
7. Stephen Perofeta (Blues)
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The Blues young flyhalf Stephen Perofeta came off the bench twice on the tour of South Africa and returned as the starting 10 for the rest of the season. His flair on attack sparked two Blues second-half comebacks, earning the trust of Tana Umaga and the Blues coaching staff.
Against the Stormers in Cape Town, Perofeta gave Siya Kolisi a taste of the Newlands turf with this ankle breaker. The Stormers captain will think twice about rushing the young playmaker after being nonchalantly discarded with a big left foot step.
One grass-fed steak minus the steak for Mr. Kolisi.
6. Waisake Naholo (Highlanders)
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The Fijian-born All Blacks winger was damaging all year down the right-hand side for the Highlanders but nothing illustrated his worth more than this move he worked in a tight five-metre channel against the Stormers.
Naholo puts the left-foot shimmy on his opposite number before shedding a further two tacklers down the sideline. He unselfishly provides inside to Aaron Smith despite being able to score himself in the corner, just so the Highlanders can score closer to the posts.
Admittedly, Stormers winger Raymond Rhule is not renowned for his defensive work which prevents this piece of play from ranking higher. All things considered, it was still one of the best steps of the year.
5. Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders)
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The Crusaders first five keeps himself out of trouble with some of the smartest footwork in the competition.
Against the Stormers early in the season, Mo’unga scored this magic try stepping back off the right foot twice to leave three defenders stuck in concrete. The massive hole left by an overcommitted defensive line gave him an easy stroll over the line, but the explosiveness off the right foot and sharp change of the direction puts this play right up there.
He would, unfortunately, break his jaw late in this match which saw him miss four weeks of action but he returned to keep the Crusaders machine rolling to a first place regular season finish.
4. Curwin Bosch (Sharks)
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Bosch’s second appearance on the list comes from this electric kick return against the Highlanders.
The Sharks speedster scored extra points for turning this opportunity into five points by linking with flyhalf Robert Du Preez who finished the movement. Bosch sizes up Naholo perfectly and gets him with the big left foot step before ripping through the rest of the Highlanders forward pack.
3. Filipo Daugunu (Reds)
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The ex-Fijian goalkeeper made his debut for the Reds in 2018 after impressing in club rugby last year. He struggled at times in defence but there is no questioning his attacking firepower after this 95-metre try in the dying stages against the Stormers.
Daugunu basically took Raymond Rhule’s soul with this deadly right foot step at full speed.
If this was a match-winning try right on full time it would be straight to number one on this list. Even though it was a special moment, the game was already out of reach for the Reds.
2. Akihito Yamada (Sunwolves)
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Not many players skin Wallbies fullback Israel Folau down a five-metre corridor, which is why this goose step gets the number two spot on this list.
Japanese winger Akihito Yamada is a known speedster in the Japanese Top League, scoring tries by the bucketloads for the Panasonic Wild Knights. Yamada was a standout of the Sunwolves first Super Rugby season, finishing as the competition’s top try scorer but he wasn’t included in the squad for the next season.
He was used sparingly this season but this moment of pure class shows why they need him.
1. Damian Willemse (Stormers)
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There was one player who consistently showed outstanding footwork all season long, and that was whiz kid Damian Willemse.
The Stormers young flyhalf’s running game is his clear strength, using his explosive footwork to open up teams and fire late offloads. It was hard to separate just one moment, but this break against the Lions was right up there. He straightens to cut through the defence before putting on a trademark right step against the fullback. Seemingly stuck in traffic, Willemse finds a way to keep running, only to be brought down just short of the line.
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At just 20 years of age, there will be plenty more dazzling runs from the young South African. After just two seasons of Super Rugby, he takes the crown as RugbyPass‘s best stepper in Super Rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
This just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
16 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
16 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
16 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
16 Go to commentsThe 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….
84 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
16 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
14 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.
16 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.
16 Go to comments