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Smith takes home Eales gong
October 23, 2008 World-class flanker George Smith has become the first Australia player to win the John Eales Medal twice following a lavish award's night in Sydney.
Smith was the inaugural winner of Australian rugby's best Test player award in 2002 and took the prize again ahead of back-row partner Wycliff Palu and star playmaker Matt Giteau.
With Wallabies players awarding 3-2-1 votes after each of their 14 Tests since the kick-off of the 2007 World Cup, Smith polled 205 votes, Palu 184 and Giteau 183.
Rocky Elsom, who won the new Australia's Choice - Wallaby of the Year award, which was voted upon by fans - finished fourth overall (153) in the Eales Medal while skipper Stirling Mortlock (108) was fifth.
It's the second time in two seasons No.8 Palu has finished as runner-up after losing out to lock Nathan Sharpe last year.
“I'm very fortunate to get this again,” Smith said.
“I really didn't expect this. I thought Wycliff Palu played very well this year and so too Matt Giteau.”
Smith's award takes the number of forwards to have won the medal to six in seven years, four of which have been back-rowers.
“There's always been good competition in the back-row and that's the way we like it. Playing alongside these guys is wonderful,” he said of Palu, Elsom and perennial positional rival Waugh.
Smith highlighted the important role his family has played in his career.
“It's about the sacrifices that family has to make and you have to appreciate that,” he said.
Smith's consistent season was best summed up by the distance he put between himself and Waugh. Both openside flankers went to last year's World Cup locked in an intense battle for the No.7 jersey.
But Waugh was hardly given an opportunity to impress in the position this year, and his only start at openside came when the Brumbies captain was rested on the bench in the 53-8 loss to South Africa in Johannesburg.
In the Tri-Nations decider against New Zealand in Brisbane last month, Smith played all 80 minutes as Waugh remained on the bench the entire Test for the first time.
Late-blooming Queenslander Peter Hynes won the rookie of the year award for his stunning form on the wing.
Hynes' surprise selection was criticised in some quarters but man-of-the-match awards in his first two Tests against Ireland and France showed he belonged in the international arena.
The 26-year-old and Giteau were the only two backs to start in all nine Tests in 2008 and he heads to Hong Kong and Europe as one of the first players picked in the starting XV.
Giteau did come away from the awards night with one gong, the try of the year.
The five-eighth didn't score the try but his eye-popping work to set up lock James Horwill's first-half five-pointer with a tackle-breaking swivel then audacious flick pass against France in Brisbane was rewarded.
In other awards, Brother Bob Wallace won the Joe French Award for his contribution to schoolboys rugby for more than 30 years, while volunteer of the year was Glen Brynes from the Northern Territory for his work in clearing 15 acres of bush to develop new grounds.
AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
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