Potent Bryan scoops top prize
30 Nov 2012
Bryan Habana’s score against New Zealand in Dunedin has been recognised as the International Rugby Players’ Association’s Try of the Year.
Habana became the second Springbok to win the award after Jaque Fourie earned the honour in 2009 for his try in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
Habana’s Dunedin score was also named as South Africa’s Try of the Year to add to his winning of the title of Saru’s Player of the Year for 2012. Habana took his total of Springbok tries to 47 in 2012, before a knee injury cut short his season before the end of year tour.
Former teammate Fourie, All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina, former IRB Player of the Year Shane Williams and Japan’s Daisuke Ohata, the leading try scorer in Test Rugby, formed the panel of judges who opted for Habana’s effort ahead of the three other shortlisted tries scored by New Zealand duo Hosea Gear and Julian Savea, and Frenchman Julien Malzieu.
Consideration was also given to votes cast by rugby fans from all around the world via the IRB’s interactive platforms.
Habana, the IRB Player of the Year in 2007, stunned the All Blacks when he burst onto a pass from Francois Louw at full speed, chipped ahead and gathered to score a try that briefly handed the Springboks the lead seven minutes into the second half of the contest in Dunedin. New Zealand went on to win 21-11.
‘Scoring a try against the All Blacks is always special, but scoring against them in New Zealand, is even more special,’ said Habana.
‘I really enjoyed getting across the try-line in Dunedin – contributing to the success of the team and also lifting the spirits of my teammates. Winning this award is very special and hopefully I can continue scoring tries for the Springboks for a very long time.”
Previous winners:
2011 – Radike Samo (Australia) – Australia v New Zealand
2010 – Chris Ashton (England) – England v Australia
2009 – Jaque Fourie (South Africa) – South Africa v British & Irish Lions
2008 – Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) – Australia v Ireland
34 Comments
30 Nov 2012, 05:03 am
Try scoring Dragon
30 Nov 2012, 05:27 am
RT @keocoza: Potent Bryan scoops top prize: Bryan Habana’s score against New Zealand in Dunedin has been recognised as the… http://t.c …
30 Nov 2012, 05:52 am
Congratulations. You have proven the wise men with their keo team sheets wrong,
Keep it up. Maybe the ball goes further than crash ball inside centre next year and you score many happy tries for the begging bok supporters.
30 Nov 2012, 06:34 am
Well done Brian.
30 Nov 2012, 06:39 am
IMO he should have been an IRB player of the year candidate. Much better option than bloody Ferrel.
30 Nov 2012, 06:50 am
I see the “Hore set for hefty ban” Thread got to 4334 overnight.
Wow……
30 Nov 2012, 07:34 am
Sorely missing this EOYT…
Now about those palooka’s masquerading as test cricket players here in Aus… embarrassing… only in RSA!
30 Nov 2012, 07:36 am
Could someone please explain how habana beat jp for sa player of the year. I suppose looking at the irb candidates, there’s not much sanity in rugby these days
30 Nov 2012, 07:40 am
@7
JP missed a big chunk of rugby this year through injury, entire RC in fact
30 Nov 2012, 07:47 am
Still out played habana. Only thing about Habana I can rem is that try and him still shooting off his line
30 Nov 2012, 07:50 am
@8 makes no sense to have the awards mid season, half the problem
30 Nov 2012, 08:07 am
@cane-5:
I assume the debates moved away from the headline story toward other important issues like vegan recipes and the best lawn seed for dry climates.
30 Nov 2012, 08:11 am
Strange that all the WP Tik koppe are calling for Morne to be dropped…. after 3 – 4 years of great performances, he has one off year …. same with Banana .. he had 2 very kak years – he was aweful – Boo’ed everywhere in SA – and look at his comeback …. same can happen with morne …
30 Nov 2012, 08:32 am
That try was a gem, without doubt.
It sits comfortably with the best individual effort leading to a try I have seen.
30 Nov 2012, 09:14 am
@12 beg to differ, never enjoyed more at 10, extremely limited, just a great goal kicker in the past. 10 is too crucial a position to have such a limited player in the jersey. In the past i would have left pienaar there and found a full back that could kick above 80%. Habana should have been dropped years ago, I guarantee he would have found form a lot quicker. Although I think his season was overrated, people were just happy to not see him awful
30 Nov 2012, 09:20 am
Fair enough…………..Anyone who can score against the MIGHTY ABs deserves an award. We’ll give you that Bryan.
30 Nov 2012, 10:17 am
@Bok fan-7:
All subjective. Based on votes. There was a panel. Suppose one with most votes got top honours.
I loved that trie, Bryan came a long way from where he was two seasons ago. IMO a good choice. And I really like JPP. Even when everyone was castagating JPP for being lazy.
30 Nov 2012, 10:23 am
@cuntlyn-16: I agree with you.
Anyone who gets the “Players’ Player Of The Year” has done it in my book.
30 Nov 2012, 10:58 am
I found this very insightful about ‘player management’ and talent development for the ABs.
“Everything we do is about four key skills: catch, pass, run and evade,” I was told by Buck Anderson, former All Black, rugby teacher and coach, and now head of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s community programmes.
Between the ages of five and seven, kids’ rugby involves no set pieces, tackling or kicking. Defence skills are introduced aged eight – “We teach them to watch the hips, not the ball or the feet”; the pitch is small and the ball is no bigger than a size three.
Only from 11 do kids take part in 15-a-side games. Even then, penalties result in possession being handed over, rather than kicks at goal.
I wonder what the 4 key skills SARU teaches the SA kids? “kick, chase, run over, tackle” ….
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20545427
30 Nov 2012, 11:27 am
@Brads-13:
Yes Brads, but some determined Souls want a 5000 Thread.
30 Nov 2012, 11:28 am
Clearly Paddy got to somebody.
30 Nov 2012, 12:05 pm
Habana gets a lot of acclaim without really doing anything – a bit like Richard Dawkins. JPP had a much better season and scored a ridiculously good try against England in the first test.
30 Nov 2012, 12:08 pm
The greatest Bok winger of all time.He probably is the greatest Bok backline player of all time.
30 Nov 2012, 12:12 pm
@wnbb-22: I 2nd that. Now please stop wasting posts in these other threads…..we are marching to 5000 on the Hore’s thread.
30 Nov 2012, 12:25 pm
@wnbb-22: One of the greatest wingers – yes. But I must disagree on backline player. Danie Gerber, Naas Botha, Joost, Carel DuP even Doc Craven would compete for that
30 Nov 2012, 12:28 pm
@catchlightuk.com-21: Since 2008 I agree with you on this.
@suffer_guy-12: Many of us “tik koppe” called for Bryan to be dropped during his bad run.
Personally, I was even skeptical of him going to RWC2011.
I dont believe it helps a player to keep on getting picked when they are struggling. Bryan couldve chilled for a bit on the bench, played some Vodacom Cup and got his mojo back
30 Nov 2012, 12:30 pm
@bokfan1-25: Mean to add – and the same for Morne.
If he starts kicking 90+ % again and getting the backline going like in 2009, I will be the first to call fir his inclusion. But if there are better options, then the Boks must explore those.
Do we not ALL want players picked on form?
30 Nov 2012, 12:42 pm
@bokfan1-24: I have to disagree with you.Top try scorer for the Boks and world wide acknowledge as one of the greats of the game.
30 Nov 2012, 12:46 pm
I don’t recognise the pre-unification era of Bok rugby,so for me Habana is with out a doubt the greatest Bok that this country had produced.
30 Nov 2012, 12:50 pm
Not sure this was the best try of the year, although judging by the other nominations, it’s more about individual brilliance than team tries. But congrats to Habana. He deserves some recognition for his performance this year. The number of times he just took things into his own hands when it was needed and scored was great. My favourite moment was when he saw Pienaar 1m from the try line, about to slow the ball down again. He grabs it almost from Ruan’s hands and dives over for a simple but effective try. Impressive that he and JPP have been in such great form when the back line strategy doesn’t involve passing to the wings at all.
30 Nov 2012, 16:09 pm
Bryan can thank Aaron Smith for this award. Only reason he got the try is because Smith fell off a straight forward tackle on Mr Superstar. Bryan then collected a miscued chip ahead and scored. Class. NOT!
30 Nov 2012, 16:40 pm
@kwas-30:
Beautiful description. Mouth watering stuff. That’s why it ended up trie of the year!!
Sounds he really confused and disorganised the opposition with his instinct, peripheral vision, speed, agility and ball skills.
Should give him te reward for two years!
30 Nov 2012, 22:28 pm
The top prize is Player of the Year, not Try of the Year.
30 Nov 2012, 22:43 pm
@suffer_guy-12: Habs was once the greatest winger in the world, possibly the best ever to play the game. I’m not sure Morne Steyn is the best in his country, province or union for that matter. Hes never had anything more than an accurate boot and the tenacious support of the biased Blue Bull brigade.
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