Rugby wizards: The IRB panel of judges pulled off the biggest trick
We feared this would happen. Just like clockwork, the International Rugby Board pulls a rabbit from the hat by announcing Richie McCaw as 2009's Player of the Year. Say what?
Well, you have to hand it to the IRB Awards independent panel of judges: at least they consistent by pulling the wool (no pun intended Richie) over our eyes.
But while McCaw was bleating on about "how proud" and what a "huge honour" it was to win, even he must have been wondering at the back of his mind how rugby's much sought-after individual prize ended up with his name engraved on it - again.
We all know how good a player he is. But with the likes of Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll and South Africa scrum-half Fourie du Preez having a far better stellar season than the New Zealand flanker, the IRB should - but won't - feel very sheepish indeed for making yet another blunder.
Personally, I would have been happy if either one of BOD or Du Preez had won it. But instead the decision, perhaps influenced over a juicy lamb chop dinner on the IRB's expense, will now go down as a historic achievement for McCaw, who really should have been awarded this gong last year. Heaven knows he deserved it more then than he does now!
Perhaps that was the bone that the IRB were left fighting over by making the wrongs of last year right. No offence Shane Williams, but even a Welsh Wizard of your class couldn't conjure up a spell on how to make the two favourites for rugby's top award disappear. It really was some piece of magic that has left plenty of supporters gobsmacked.
And sadly for us, a magician never reveals his tricks. But luckily we have IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset heading the Harry Potter panel of experts and he had this to say: "There is no doubt that this was a particularly closely-fought year with each of the shortlisted players producing outstanding performances. Richie is an inspirational figure, a fine leader and one of the greats of the game in recent years, and a deserving recipient of the IRB Player of the Year Award for the second time."
Ok, let's try and carve this down and shed a wee bit of light on what went on at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...er, I mean the IRB offices!
Besides BOD and Du Preez - the rest of the nominees were like lambs to the slaughter compared to the duo's feats in 2009. O'Driscoll was responsible for leading his team to their first Six Nations Grand Slam since 1948, helping Leinster to their first ever Heineken Cup title, featured prominently in the British & Irish Lions back-line and captained Ireland to a draw and a win over southern hemisphere heavyweights (leaving them unbeaten in eleven outings). He was also voted as Ireland's best player this year.
Du Preez played a big part in guiding the Bulls to their second Super 14 title, played a key role beating the Lions, was a standout in South Africa's third Tri-Nations title, lifted the Currie Cup trophy and shone for all the right reasons in South Africa's disastrous end-of-year tour. He was also voted as South Africa's best player this year.
McCaw missed half of the Super 14, but upon his return he captained the Crusaders to a semi-final defeat. During that match, he got injured again and missed New Zealand's June internationals against France and Italy but made a return to the Tri-Nations where he led his troops towards three defeats to South Africa and a Bledisloe Cup whitewash over Australia.
Granted, McCaw played well but he never got the better of someone like Heinrich Brussow in the side's three meetings. And John Smit was by far the better leader between the two.
The grass was perhaps a bit greener on the Northern Hemisphere side and it's fair to say he saved his best for last on the All Blacks' successful European trip. Sadly it seems that is what stuck the most in Tana Umaga's head, I mean the IRB panel of judges' heads casting their ridiculous vote.
Inspirational figure, fine leader and one of the greats of the game McCaw may be, but best player of the year 2009 he is not.
By Dave Morris
Comments
luti5884_1032 says...
shame abt the winner but the bigger shame has to be that Francois Steyn got nominted.
Posted 12:57 04th December 2009
Phill_Moore says...
LeedsNick is right on the money, and the author of the "article" Dave Morris is right on the moaning...
Seriously PR, do you guys read your own news? It was a panel of respected international players who chose McCaw, not the IRB. How can you accept to publish such a pathetic article...
Posted 00:50 04th December 2009
brianjar says...
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Posted 00:49 04th December 2009
Rhino says...
My vote: du Preez, the man is pure class. Very honourable mentions to BOD he is a legend as well, as is McCaw (though this one eyed aussie regards him as a cheat and remembers well a test over in NZ were Phil Waugh and Rocky Elsom spent the whole game hunting him down at every ruck and cleaning him out with venom, funny the Wallabies had fast clean ball all game...).
If I was either of the two (real) runner ups I would simply say, back to it next year, take my game up a notch and repeat my personal, professional and team successes.
I would also agree with some of the comments from various people about those who run the IRB. It seems to me that whoever and wherever they are those who run rugby are often woeful inept administrators.
Posted 22:50 03rd December 2009
reado15 says...
@LeedsNick - Well said say no more.
@P7P8 - The reason we dont watch Northern Hemisphere rugby is because it is bloody boring 10 man kick and clap!
@Boajangle - Perhaps you should start a protest outside every house of the "rugby greats" (that being about 10 of them) that picked the POY award! They all watched more hours of International rugby this year than the rest of us do in 2 years so i think they are in a much better position to comment.
Lastly Ireland had a great year and deserve the kudos they have received. But we all know that hell would have frozen over before the Irish back line would have scored against the AB's. To be honest apart form BOD the rest of the backs couldnt knock the skin of a rice pudding! Not one mention of the AB's defensive effort this November in which NO team ever looked like scoring. Something tells me that this whole website is geared to the NH. Sour grapes perhaps?
Posted 19:58 03rd December 2009
Brett says...
I quote"Richie is an inspirational figure,a fine leader" if those where grounds given by a selector then why didnt John Smit get it? Ludicrous
Posted 19:34 03rd December 2009
dear_mud says...
O'Driscoll this season (internationals only!):
6 nations: scored try in every game except scotland. All were crucial tries except against Italy. Scored drop goal (and try) against England when O'Gara was having a nightmare (despite being nearly concussed due to late hits). Made try-saving tackle against Scotland. Was pretty much the difference in all the main games.
One of the stand-out players against the lions.
Du Preez would also have been a very worthy winner. McCaw, as amazing a player as he is, was not the best player this year (indeed Brussow was the stand out number 7 this year).
Posted 19:17 03rd December 2009
rugbymad27 says...
Richie Mccaw you are the king whether you deserve it or not and so you should be proud and honoured for receiving this.award.
This decision shows clearly that he is the best in the world at this great game. For years he has owned the number 7 position which you could say is the most gruelling of all positions to play in the game of rugby. Consistently putting his body on the line like no other player today.
He is the captain, the soul and the driving force of the best team in world rugby. What every other team in world rugby would do to have him in their number 7 jersey.
Congratulations richie, king of them all!
Posted 19:05 03rd December 2009
bluelion says...
ABenzed: you comment that JdV is better centre than BOD. Did you see the Leinster Munster game in October. Leinster won 30-0. BOD cruised past JdV for a try.
In the Lions tour, first andsecond test, Jamie Roberts and BOD cut the SA midfield apart. Break after break. BOD presented 2 tries to Tom Croft n the first test.
JdV is a quality professional. Head to head BOD is better. End of.
Posted 18:42 03rd December 2009
Hurricane01 says...
O'Driscoll has never beaten the All Blacks!! And he carried on like a school girl when injured in 2005. That's why few Kiwis respect him.
Posted 18:03 03rd December 2009
robm says...
Abenzed, O'Driscoll walked all over De Villiers when Munster played Leinster a few months ago. I'm a Munster fan so that's not easy for me to say! I can understand the Mortlock argument but not De Villiers.
To be honest, the SH people who say O'Driscoll is overrated blatantly didn't watch the 6 nations. I've spent time in New Zealand and nobody there cares for the 6 nations or the Heineken cup.
Posted 17:05 03rd December 2009
P7P8 says...
Anyone else get the feeling that the southern hemisphere BOD bashers don't watch very much northern hemisphere rugby???
Posted 15:56 03rd December 2009
leebok says...
Total farce, and just proves what a bunch of old farts the IRB are. McCaw is for sure a world class player, but not this year. Brussouw outplayed him on every meeting this year while Du Preez & BOD were MOM or featured prominantly every time they put ajersey on. I already had no respect for the IRB and this backs up my beliefs. I know ex-players vote, but they dont hold much sway againsth the IRB old codjers. What is needed is ex-players of this era in charge of the IRB and get the old men out. The supporters in the rugby world all clearly agree DuPreez & BOD are the only 2 real candidates and as a Bok supporter I would have been happy if BOD won as that would have been fair and he did more than enough to have won ( I will forget the deliberate shoulder charge against Danie Roussow) but McCaw, really??? IRB, please axplain your decision. One day the Rugby Unions or SANZAR will create a breakaway Board if the IRB are not careful.
Posted 15:16 03rd December 2009
Deano says...
All this talk about BOD not being rated in NZ - remember one thing, when he led a Lions tour there in his prime, your players did a fine job trying to break his neck. The man is the finest 13 to play the game.
Comparing him to the likes of de Villiers just displays your total ignorance and narrow-mindedness.
b69, if you're concerned with anti-AB bias, consider the utter nonesense and arrogance that is regularly churned out by your supporters on message boards like this.
Bojangle, choking on your cornflakes is infinitely better than choking in RWCs...given the attitude I've seen here, I'm going to enjoy the next AB episode!!
Posted 12:47 03rd December 2009
Apefarmer says...
Clearly McCaw. Don't see where all the confusion is coming from. Right, he missed a few test matches due to injury, but since when has this been an issue when deciding best player? What, you mean the guy who plays the most games is more eligible? Ridiculous. Further testament to McCaw's deserving the award is his fronting up for this final autumn match against the Baa-baas.. This surely wouldn't have been the AB management's desire. The man personifies as close as possible the ultimate rugby individual at this present time. Those of you who cannot recognise this are lost at this point here, and trying to convince you is pointless - Watch more rugby. Live more rugby.
Posted 12:35 03rd December 2009
charlobojangle says...
without losing a game that is
Posted 11:59 03rd December 2009
The_Tripod says...
There's no point dismissing the greatness of one player to enhance the credentials of another.
The 3 realistic candidates for this award in 2009 are superstars of the game. McCaw is possibly the best forward of the professional era, O'Driscoll probably the best back (alongside Carter) and du Preez is the best scrum half in the world.
McCaw should have won this award more than once by now. The dominance of New Zealand over the last few years has almost been overlooked and taken as the norm and it seems that the IRB has been content to look beyond the obvious for it's Player of the Year. McCaw not being even nominated last year when a player like Mike Blair was is a bit of a joke. However he didn't deserve the award in 2009.
The IRB Player of the Year should go to the best player in the world in that calendar year. In 2009 that was either du Preez or BOD
Du Preez has been outstanding this year winning every competition his team was a part of and triumphing in the Lions series. The best player in South Africa this year, he's been pivoital to the success of his teams and won every personal duel he played.
BOD has been out of this world this year winning the 6 nations and Heineken Cup. Leading Ireland to their first Grand Slam since 1948 should not be overlooked. He made inspirational plays in all the big games (club & country) and has completely remodelled his game over the past few years yet remains the best centre in the world by a distance. South Africa couldn't handle him on the Lions Tour.
As for the other awards - IRB team of the year South Africa is hugely deserved. The Irish must have gotten a mention also but in the grand scheme of things it was a remarkable year for the Boks. Coach of the Year for Declan Kidney acknowledges how well the Irish did and what a talented coach he is.
Posted 11:36 03rd December 2009
Akrael says...
@ charlobojangle:
ABs went undefeated in 1997.
Posted 11:34 03rd December 2009
b4dawn says...
Are you all choosing to ignore LeedsNick's comment?
I thought he explained it fairly well. Bit of a non-argument this one.
Posted 11:26 03rd December 2009
b4dawn says...
Has anyone else read NickLeeds
Posted 11:25 03rd December 2009