Hodgo makes SuperSports' Super XV for 2014
It's a Wrap, and a Super one at that
by SuperWrap 23 July 2014
"Only one side in a six-team playoff series and the rest of our teams comfortably in the bottom half of the log. That is the sad story of South Africa’s participation in this year’s Super Rugby tournament.
It’s the end of the season, meaning it’s time for the SuperWrap to reveal its teams of the year.
The Super XV, for those new to this game, is a team selected on a weekly basis by our selection panel and in answer to only this question: who was the best in a particular position this past weekend?
Then, once a year, we add up instances of selection and the players with the most ticks behind their names get in our team for the year. It is a time-honoured Wrap tradition and, theoretically, it should give us a list of players who held their form the longest in this marathon season that is now winding down.
This year we ended up with only three South Africans in the Super XV and one of them is not even a Springbok.
This number will hardly be a shock for anyone who has watched this year’s edition. It should, however, be a worry for Springbok fans as we prepare to face the might of the Southern Hemisphere in this year’s Rugby Championship.
New Zealand, in contrast, contributes more than half the team. This seems fair enough as the also contributed half of this year’s playoff contenders. They had four teams in the running right until the final week of league action, and they may very well had all four in the playoffs if it wasn’t for the fact that they had to play each other so often.
Australia is not so lucky. They have only four players in the Super XV and their biggest star, Israel Folau, didn’t even make it. You’d have expected better representation given that they have two teams in this weekend’s semifinals and are undoubtedly title favourites.
Super XV for 2014:
15. Ben Smith (Highlanders),14. Henry Speight (Brumbies), 13. Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders), 12. Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), 11. Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders), 10. Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes), 9. TJ Perenara (Hurricanes), 8. Warren Whiteley (Lions), 7. Steven Luatua (Blues), 6. Matt Hodgson (Force), 5. Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), 4. Will Skelton (Waratahs), 3. Ben Tameifuna (Chiefs), 2. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), 1. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)."
Would like to watch the Back Row of Luatua, Hodgson and Whitely in action!!
Very fair assessment by the Super Sports Wrap team with only 3 South Africans.
Check the link if you want to see their South African side.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/supe...er_one_at_that
