Super Rugby Team of the Year (News Ltd version)
THE Super Rugby season has been run and won with the Waratahs taking out a maiden title in a gripping decider on Saturday night.
The victory ended 19 years of heartache for the NSW fans and capped off a wonderful season for Michael Cheika’s side who finished with nine straight victories.
But how many Waratahs players deserve to be in our team of the season? And who impressed across the other Australian franchises?
We named a team of the week after each round of the regular season with the help of Fox Sports Stats, and now that the dust has settled on Saturday night’s final it’s time to select the standout performers from 2014.
1. James Slipper (Reds) made the most metres (380) and the equal most linebreaks (4) by a prop this season. The Reds frontrower also averaged the fourth most tackles by a loosehead prop in 2014 (7.3 per game).
2. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks) was involved in the equal most tighthead scrum wins this season (5) and helped the Sharks to an 86.3% winning percentage on their own lineouts while never straying on his own throw. The Sharks skipper made the second most pilfers by a hooker (6) and scored three tries in the last six games of the season.
3. Owen Franks (Crusaders) gave away just five penalties during the regular season, the fewest of any starting prop this season. He also made the fifth most tackles by a prop this season.
4. Sam Carter (Brumbies) made the third most tackles by a lock during the regular season (154) and made the second most lineout wins for the Brumbies (41).
Notable: Luke Jones made the second most runs by any player in 2014 (159) and the second most metres by a forward during the regular season (775).
5. Sam Whitelock (Crusaders) made the sixth most lineout wins (57) and the equal second most lineout steals (9) this season. He also made the most tackles by a lock in 2014 (177) to be the standout tight forward in the competition.
6. Marcell Coetzee (Sharks) made the equal third most pilfers (8) and third most forced ruck and maul penalties (9) this season, despite missing three games. He led the Sharks for runs (114), and made the most metres by a forward in his team (625). He also made the third most tackles for the Sharks in 2014 (123).
7. Michael Hooper (Waratahs) was the competition’s “everywhere man” with the sixth most runs (147) and sixth most tackles (181) by any player this season. The Waratahs No.7 made easily the most metres (929) and tackle busts by a forward (41), and was one of just four forwards this season to make at least seven linebreaks. At the breakdown he forced the equal fourth most ruck and maul penalties (8) and made four pilfers.
Notable: Matt Hodgson was the leading try-scoring forward with six tries, and led the competition for tackles (257) and pilfers (12).
8. Warren Whiteley (Lions) made the second most tackles (212) in the regular season (212), missing just six all year. He also made the equal fifth most lineout wins (53), the equal most lineout steals (8), and the equal most linebreaks assists (6) by a forward during the regular season.
Notable: Ben McCalman made the most runs by any player in the regular season (160), and made the most tackle busts (23) and linebreaks (6) by a forward for Western Force.
9. Nic White (Brumbies) made the equal most try assists in the competition (9) and the fourth most linebreak assists (13). He also made the fourth most offloads of any player in 2014 (25).
10. Bernard Foley (Waratahs) became the second highest point-scorer in a single Super Rugby season (252pts) and scored the most points ever in a Super Rugby Final (23). He made the fifth most run metres (1291) and the equal third most linebreaks (14) in the competition, as well as 11 linebreak assists and 6 try assists in 2014.
11. Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders) scored the equal most tries in the competition (12) in his first season of Super Rugby. He made easily the most linebreaks in the competition (22) and was equal top for tackle busts (68).
Notable: Julian Savea made the most run metres (1332) and third most tackle busts (57) in the regular season.
12. Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) led the competition for the equal most try assists (9) and made the second most linebreak assists (17). He also scored the equal third most tries (8) and made the equal fifth most offloads (23).
13. Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders) made a major impact in his debut season of Super Rugby. The Highlanders powerhouse made the most tackle busts (64) and second most metres (1324) during the regular season.
Notable: Adam Ashley-Cooper finished the 2014 season with the second most linebreaks (17), and the fourth most run metres (1323) and tackle busts (61).
14. Henry Speight (Brumbies) despite playing just 11 games, Speight made 10 linebreaks and led the Brumbies for run metres (873) and tackle busts (44).
15. Israel Folau (Waratahs) was the equal leading try-scorer this season (12), scoring eight tries in his first four games of the year. He averaged over 100 run metres per game and led the competition for offloads (49).
Notable: Willie le Roux led the competition for linebreak assists (18) and made the most try assists (6) and offloads (23) for the Cheetahs.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/f...-1227014074132
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