Super 14: Team of the Tournament
With the 2008 Super 14 done and dusted, the Crusaders may have dominated the championship by taking home the silverware for an unprecedented seventh time – and deservedly so – but that's not to say they can dominate Planet Rugby's team of the tournament. Far from it!
With the 2008 Super 14 done and dusted, the Crusaders may have dominated the championship by taking home the silverware for an unprecedented seventh time – and deservedly so – but that's not to say they can dominate Planet Rugby's team of the tournament. Far from it!
In fact, only two winners of this year's Super 14 trophy get the nod in a mixed and colourful line-up that features two Stormers, two Sharks, two Hurricanes, two Blues, two Chiefs, two Waratahs (it seems three is a crowd!) and one player from the Force.
We would also like to take this opportunity to announce that due to public demand, we will be bringing back the Super 14 team of the week in 2009!
But let's stay in the present for now shall we?
Super 14 team of the tournament:
15 – Conrad Jantjes (Stormers): Tight call with the likes of Leon MacDonald having a blinder of a season with the Crusaders, but Jantjes just edges his full-back counterpart by a single vote. Jantjes revived his career with a move to Cape Town and Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus certainly got his money's worth from the former Lions player. Injury and selection idiosyncrasies cut into Jantjes career but he has rebounded with the sort of silky running, counter-attack and strong kicking game for the Stormers which brought him Test recognition about a decade ago. Jantjes has a prodigious boot and is solid under the high ball. He also has a penchant for attacking rugby, and often comes into the line with good effect. His form this season has brought him back into the Bok mix, so don't be surprised if you see Jantjes run out in the number fifteen jersey against Wales this weekend, while World Cup winner Percy Montgomery watches from the bench.
14 – Lelia Masaga (Chiefs): Almost an unanimous choice by our resident experts. Blessed with great speed and skills, Masaga is a young player with huge potential. It was a mystery how this guy missed the All Blacks squad for the upcoming Tests against Ireland and England. Fantastic finishing, rocket acceleration and loads of courage. Okay, he is a bit dicey on defence – but name a winger who isn't? To say he was still too fresh to crack the nod for All Black honours ignores how novices like Adam Thomson made it.
13 – Casey Laulala (Crusaders): Without a doubt, 2008 has been Casey Laulala's most consistent season by far. The outside centre remains one of the hardest players to contain in broken-field play in the Crusaders game. He may have the number thirteen on his back, but there's nothing unlucky about this dynamic ball-runner. Laulala has a low error-rate, is a strong defender who can also carry the ball and link strongly with his outside backs. Stretchered off the field following a big clash of heads with the Chiefs' Dwayne Sweeney in Round Ten, Laulala showed his tough-as-nails character and was back in full flight against the Sharks two weeks later. Capped just twice by the All Blacks, Laulala is set to add to those two Tests after being recognised and included by coach Graham Henry in the New Zealand squad.
12 – Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes): He had been a constant threat on the wing for most of the Hurricanes' campaign and looked even more dangerous when shifted to inside centre in Round Nine against the bumbling Bulls. Defenders didn't want to know him when he charged 35m for the first try and a spectacular one-handed intercept gave him a second. The explosive, some would say flamboyant, Nonu has built a reputation as one of the toughest players in world rugby: able to break the line, off-load the ball and set up or score scintillating tries. It's no wonder that All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith is one of Nonu's biggest fans.
11 – Lote Tuqiri (Waratahs): The dread-locked Wallaby star did nothing but enhance his standing as one of the game's leading wingers during another strong season in the Super 14. Tuqiri played a leading role in helping his team to their second Super 14 final appearance this year and has been a pillar of strength in a young, but talented Waratahs' back-line. Tuqiri shouldered much of the ball carrying burden during the Waratahs' 2008 campaign, making more metres than any other player. A lethal finisher whose workrate has been a huge part of the Waratahs' resurgence. Tuqiri has also shown immense maturity in guiding his younger team-mates along in their first year of Super Rugby.
10 – Matt Giteau (Western Force): A cool head together with calm decisions and an eye for the gap make the Western Force's multi-million dollar man worth every penny after Giteau ended this year's Super 14 campaign as one of the most creative fly-halves in the competition. “Kid Dynamite” has a short fuse when it comes to perfection and most of the Force's attacking moments stemmed from his explosive speed, inventiveness and vision. The centre cum fly-half enjoyed a stable role in the number ten jersey during the tournament, only interrupted by injury after being knocked out during the clash against the Waratahs in Round Nine. Giteau was responsible for booting over the match-winning kick on two occasions for the Force – both in injury time. Shades both Carter and Donald, whose kicking has been too erratic.
9 – Brendon Leonard (Chiefs): Beating off stiff competition from Ricky Januarie, Rory Kockott and Andy Ellis, the Chiefs hard-working number nine gets our number one vote. Leonard's deceptive pace, crisp passing and tactical kicking were strong assets behind the scrum for the Chiefs this season. He wastes little time in getting to the breakdowns and clears the ball quickly. Feisty, scrappy, niggly – Leonard is a constant thorn in opposition's backsides. Showed he can deal with bad ball if his pack is out of sorts and can vary his running, passing and kicking skills to make the most of his back-line. A slow start to finding his feet, Leonard's breakthrough performance came in Round Six when he played himself to a virtual standstill against the Bulls, scoring two of his team's six tries in a 43-27 Super 14 win. This was followed up with more high-tempo performances that put him back at the head of the queue for the All Blacks' number nine jersey this season.
8 – Ryan Kankowski (Sharks): The Sharks' trump card has arguably been the competition's in-form number eight from start to finish – well, not quite – he was shut out by the Waratahs in a very one-sided semi-final. A product of the Sevens game, Kankowski set the 2008 Super 14 alight with his pace, vision and sublime handling skills. He was a menace on attack, always looked dangerous with ball in hand and has been one of the few players in the Sharks side to make a big impact this season. His primary threat has been in general play where he broke the line on numerous occasions and that's something that's been a rarity for the Sharks. His intercept try against the Highlanders in Round Nine shifted momentum in his side's favour and