RuckedOver's End of Year Awards - 2013

2014 is upon us, and I’m sure that you’re preparing yourself for an evening of well-mannered frivolity, no matter where you are in the world.  Either that or you’re sensibly necking cartons of milk in anticipation of seeing in the New Year with the customary combination of a beer-based centurion challenge, a tie around the head and an inevitable 2 am chunder.  Yes, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2014 in rugby terms as well – immediately, what is going to happen in the transfer circus with Leicester’s Toby Flood allegedly off to Toulouse – but, for now, let’s take the chance to reflect on an unbelievable year of rugby in 2013.

 

Player of the Year:  Kieran Read.  The Kiwi number 8 finished 2012 on a low, throwing an interception pass to Manu Tuilagi during New Zealand’s only defeat since the World Cup.  It appears that the All Black spent the entire off-season building himself into a relentless rage because Read has played like a man possessed throughout 2014.  His display in the match away against South Africa was one of the best displays by a forward I’ve ever seen and summed up his year – omnipresent, powerful in defence and on the carry, and with delightfully deft touches and vision to unlock the most stingy of defences. 

Runners up:  Leigh Halfpenny, for his outstanding performances for Wales and the Lions, and Francois Louw, for spearheading a resurgent South African side and carrying his clubside Bath on more than one occasion.

 

Team of the Year:  New Zealand.  Yawn.  It must be so boring, winning all the time.  They should try playing like clueless muppets half of the time, like England do – it makes it far more exciting.  However, with a 100% winning record in 2013, and doing it playing some bum-slappingly good rugby against the world’s best teams, it’s hard to argue with them receiving our Team of the Year award.

Runners Up:  The British and Irish Lions, for a first series victory since 1997, and the Chiefs, for completing the remarkable feat of retaining their Super Rugby title.

 

Dream Team of the Year:  1. Alex Corbisiero 2. Tom Youngs 3. Adam Jones 4. Eben Etzebeth 5. Alun Wynn Jones 6. Willem Alberts 7. Fracois Louw 8.  Kieran Read 9. Aaron Smith 10. Quade Cooper 11. George North 12. Ma’a Nonu 13. Jonathan Davies 14. Ben Smith 15.  Leigh Halfpenny

 

Try of the Year:  Beauden Barrett v France.  An absolutely bonkers try that saw Beauden Barrett start an attack on his own line and coast in after mesmeric offloads from Rene Ranger and Aaron Cruden.  All Blacks rugby at its best.

Runners up:  Israel Folau v Lions, 1^st Test.  Owing much to the genius of Will Genia, Folau introduced himself to Test rugby on the biggest stage.  George North v Australia, 2^nd Test.  Big George matched Folau with a try of his own, showcasing his freakish speed and power.

 

Match of the Year:  South Africa v New Zealand.   The two best sides in the world slugged it out for the Rugby Championship in what must go down as one of the greatest games played.  That even the referee, Nigel Owens, was being congratulated by both sides after the game, shows that this was something special.

Runners up:  Australia v Lions, 1^st Test.  A game that went down to the wire and ensured that shares in new underwear boomed on both sides of the planet.  Ireland v New Zealand:  The game that secured the perfect season was snatched at the death in a sensational comeback by the world’s number 1 side. 

 

Comeback of the Year:  Quade Cooper.  Poor old Quade.  Discarded by Robbie Deans and forced to watch as hapless Belieber James O’Connor failed to ignite an Australian backline against the Lions, Cooper came back into the reckoning halfway through the rugby championship and started to finally help the Wallabies find their feet once again.  A sensational display against Wales was a just reward for a player who has really knuckled down this year. 

Runners up:  Danny Cipriani.  The Sale fly-half has finally removed his head from his dark regions and is back playing rugby at Sale that has pundits clamouring for him to be reinstated in the England set up.  Mathew Tait.  Once the prodigy of English rugby, the utility back has returned from effectively 2 seasons out of the game to establish himself as the first choice full back at Leicester and once again throw his name into the international reckoning.

 

The Danny Care Sh*t Lid Award:  Goes to Danny Care.  Of course.  Luke Cowan Dickie was pushing him close but saw the light and cut off the monstrosity that was being cultivated in his noggin.  The same goes for Joe Marler.

Villain of the Year:  Warren Gatland.  The Kiwi coach of the Lions ensured he will never be welcome in Ireland again and brought Keith Woods to tears – apparently not hard to do – by dropping the Irish legend for the 3^rd and final test against the Wallabies, and selecting 10 players from Wales for the same game. 

Runners up:  Jerome Filliol.  The Stade Francais scrum half was banned for 14 weeks for spitting at Peter Stringer in a match against Bath.  In my opinion, this was one of rugby’s low points and, if I was being serious on this blog, he would take the top award.  Richard Cockerill, for being his usual ‘colourful’ self by arguing with officials and then, more recently, accusing Sale of cheating in the scrum.  Dylan Hartley.  For effectively costing his side the chance of their first Premiership title by calling Wayne Barnes ‘a f*cking cheat’.  And then lying about it afterwards.  Great captain material.

 

Hero of the Year:  Warren Gatland.  For making the correct rugby decision and dropping Brian O’Driscoll after the centre endured a mare of a 2^nd Test.  His other selections may have been questionable – Hibbard for Youngs was a head-scratcher – but you cannot question the end result of leading the Lions to a first series win in 16 years.

Runners up:  Aaron Cruden.  For nads of solid steel when slotting a tricky conversion in the last play of the game – at the second attempt – to seal the All Blacks’ perfect season.  Leigh Halfpenny.  For a near-flawless display with the ball in hand and off the tee that helped see the Lions across the line against the Wallabies.

Quotes of the Year: 
 

• “Boomfah” – Justin Marshall.  The ex-All Black scrum half runs out of human words to describe a hit.

• “Everyone hates Edinburgh! I don’t even watch them on telly.” – Stuart Hogg.  The Glasgow fullback rules himself out of contention of a vacant post at Edinburgh’s tourism board in the build up to the Scottish derby.

• “Do I resent him?  Yeah, there’s resentment there of course.  Is he on the Christmas card list?  Unlikely.” – Brian O’Driscoll.  The Irish centre reflects on the money he will save on stamps this festive season in the aftermath of being dropped for the final Lions test by Warren Gatland. 

 

Legend of the Year:  Joost van der Westhuizen.  No question.  Any sadness at seeing arguably the greatest scrum half of all time slowly succumbing to the terrible effects of motor-neurone disease is quickly replaced by the admiration of the courage he is showing throughout.  Using his time to not only promote awareness of the disease, but also to preach the values he has learned the hardest way – that of the importance of family and loved ones – he embodies all that is great amongst the rugby community.  Thoughts and prayers are with him and loved ones going into the new year.