Super Rugby: Team of the Season

Now that the dust has settled on five months of competition, we highlight the players that stood out from the crowd in the Super Rugby season.

Now that the dust has settled on five months of competition, we highlight the players that stood out from the crowd in 2011.

The greatest danger in selecting a team at the end of a mammoth season that featured no less than 125 matches, is a short memory.

So, we've taken a scientific approach in selecting our XV of the season. Rather than rely on our selective memories (no pun intended) which would inevitably reward those who shone in the latter stages of the tournament, we went back through all 20 'Teams of the Week' and let the numbers do the talking: The players with the most number of selections made the final cut.

The Crusaders have the most representatives as the runners-up contribute five players, including the core of the backline.

The newly-crowned champs get three players, though it could very easily have been four each for the finalists if Quade Cooper had managed to edge Dan Carter at 10.

No other team has more one player in the final breakdown which is probably a reflection of just how dominant the two teams in red were in the end.

So without further ado, here we go…

15 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) The 'Tahs 22-year-old backdoor man was a relatively easy pick after remarkable season. Crusaders full-back Israel Dagg was the only other serious contender. What a shame he got injured when he did.

14 Kade Poki (Highlanders) The first of a few tough calls as the Highlanders' flyer ended on a dead heat with Lelia Masaga. But we gave Poki the nod for his part in the Highlanders' outstanding early season charge. Honourable mentions must also go to Sean Maitland, Rod Davies, Rene Ranger, Henry Speight and JP Pietersen.

13 Robbie Freuan (Crusaders) Graham Henry doesn't reckon he's good enough for the All Blacks (at least not yet) but Freuan has been a constant figure in our selections since early March. Some say Sonny Bill Williams makes him look better than he really is…time will tell if he's the real deal. The Stormers' Jaques Fourie was next best.

12 Sonny Bill Williams (Crusaders) A clear winner here. SBW has set a new benchmark for what is possible on attack, leading the offload stats by quite some distance. The All Blacks are spoilt for choice at 12 because Ma'a Nonu had a strong finish to the season and Luke McAlister also got regular mentions.

11 Digby Ioane (Reds) Ok, ok, we'll admit that Queensland's newest breakdancing sensation was picked as a centre in Round Seven. Zac Guildford and Drew Mitchell both made the weekly selection three times but the latter didn't finish the season and neither can boast Ioane's versatility nor his way-cool dance moves…so we bent the rules a little. Go on Digby, get down with your bad self.

10 Dan Carter (Crusaders) As we expected at the start of the year, this was a close run thing and Quade Cooper can justifiably feel a little unlucky since he was the tournament's top points scorer. But when Cooperman went head-to-head with DC in Round Fifteen, he came off second best, which ultimately tipped the count in the Crusaders pivot's favour. All hail king Carter.

9 Will Genia (Reds) We don't expect too many arguments here, especially after that try in the final. Charl McLeod and try-machine Sarel Pretorious deserve a mention.

8 Kieran Read (Crusaders) Another clear choice from the losing finalists. Read revelled in the responsibility of leading the travelling Crusaders for much of the season in the absence of Richie McCaw. Quite possibly the best 8 in the world at the moment.

7 Ashley Johnson (Cheetahs) Eh? What about Matt Todd? Every team deserves a surprise package. Johnson got the nod at 7 for three consecutive weeks between Rounds Thirteen and Fifteen and once at number eight in Round Two. Johnson scored four tries for the Cheetahs, including one in their upset win over the Crusaders (when Todd was on the bench).

6 Scott Higginbotham (Reds) Our Man of the Match in the final, Higginbotham was a key element in the Reds' winning formula. A mention must also go to Highlanders captain Adam Thomson, who scored six tries, the most for any forward in the competition.

5 Victor Matfield (Bulls) So much is expected of Matfield that when his name isn't in lights every weekend the naysayers immediately claim he's past it. But over the course of the season his name cropped up enough to remind us all of his class. Andries Bekker wasn't far behind but went missing in the Stormers' biggest game of the year.

4 Nathan Sharpe (Western Force) Yes, we know Sharpe was wearing a '5' on his back for most of the season but he was the standout second rower of the tournament and can't be left out. Workhorse Brad Thorn kept on grafting in the trenches while Rynhardt Elstadt was one of finds of the season.

3 John Afoa (Blues) A dead heat with WP Nel (Cheetahs) and Owen Franks (Crusaders) but we'll go with Afoa, who produced arguably his best season for the Blues – his last before heading to Ulster.

2 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks) The Sharks charger finished level with Keven Mealamu thanks partly to the Blues playing two extra games and the Du Plessis-Smit situation at the Sharks.

1 Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders) Crocket's game has come on in leaps and bounds all around the field this year but his scrummaging has been phenomenal. The Crusaders' demolition of the Stormers' set-piece in Cape Town will go down as one of the highlights of the season. A mention too for the Highlanders' Jamie Mackintosh.

Team of Round One: 15 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), 14 Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs), 13 Rob Horne (Waratahs), 12 Robbie Coleman (Brumbies), 11 Drew Mitchell (Waratahs), 10 James O'Connor (Force), 9 Jano Vermaak (Lions), 8 Kieran Read (Crusaders), 7 Phil Waugh (Waratahs), 6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Lions), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), 2 Keven Mealamu (Blues), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls).

Team of Round Two: 15 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Rob Horne (Waratahs), 12 Julian Huxley (Rebels), 11 Drew Mitchell (Waratahs), 10 Danny Cipriani (Rebels), 9 Charl McLeod (Sharks), 8 Ashley Johnson (Cheetahs), 7 Josh Strauss (Lions), 6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies), 3 WP Nel (Cheetahs), 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs), 1 Jamie Mackintosh (Highlanders).

Team of Round Three: 15 Pat McCabe (Brumbies), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 13 Robbie Fruean (Crusaders), 12 Shaun Treeby (Highlanders), 11 Kade Poki (Highlanders), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 9 Will Genia (Reds), 8 Keegan Daniel (Sharks), 7 Matt Todd (Crusaders), 6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Josh Bekhuis (Highlanders), 4 Isaac Ross (Chiefs), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), 1 Wyatt Crocket (Crusaders).

Team of Round Four: 15 Israel Dagg (Crusaders), 14