Fans take to Twitter to pick the best Super Rugby player from each Kiwi team this season
Fans have taken to Twitter to take part in a voting campaign organised by the Super Rugby NZ account to determine who the best player from each Kiwi franchise has been this season.
Although only seven rounds of the competition were played before the tournament came to a standstill due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there have been plenty of standout performers from each club in 2020.
The Blues in particular surged into a vein of form rarely seen by the Auckland side since their last play-offs appearance in 2011, and currently sit in fourth place on the table while Super Rugby remains suspended.
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Leading their charge was rookie wing Mark Telea, who sits top the defenders beaten charts, and second in the try-scoring, clean breaks and metres carried tallies.
His efforts proved to be too much for skipper Patrick Tuipulotu, dependable midfielder TJ Faiane and impressive No. 8 Hoskins Sotutu, who were all unsuccessful nominees for Blues MVP in the voting polls.
Racking up 40 percent of the votes, Telea topped the podium with Tuipulotu finishing in second with 28 percent, while Sotutu came in at third with 23 percent, leaving Faiane in last spot with only nine percent of the count.
Lagging just behind the Blues on the standings are the Chiefs, whose 27-24 defeat to the Hurricanes in the last round of action has left them stuck in fifth spot for the time being.
Coached by new boss Warren Gatland, the Hamilton side had been in sparkling form before Super Rugby came to a halt, with the likes of flanker Lachlan Boshier, returning pivot Aaron Cruden, and All Blacks duo Brad Weber and Anton Lienert-Brown all shining in their respective positions.
All four players received nominations to be crowned Chiefs MVP for this season, but it was All Blacks prospect Boshier who ran away with the title, finishing in first place with a whopping 48 percent of the votes.
Halves duo Cruden and Weber earned a joint-second finish with 20 percent of the count, while Lienert-Brown's efforts won him 12 percent of the public's hearts.
Just behind the Chiefs lie the Hurricanes, whose win over their North Island neighbours in Hamilton two weeks ago leaves them in sixth spot from as many matches.
That last-gasp win at FMG Stadium Waikato can be attributed to the boot of star fullback Jordie Barrett, who had proven to be one of the key players not just in that match, but throughout the entirety of the Hurricanes' season.
The 17-test All Black subsequently won 44 percent of the public's vote in a landslide victory for the Hurricanes MVP award, leading fellow nominees Ngani Laumape (26 percent), Ben Lam (16 percent) and Du'Plessis Kirifi (14 percent).
Further south are the New Zealand conference-leading Crusaders, who sit in third place overall and trail the first-placed Sharks by a solitary point.
With five wins from six matches, there have been a plethora of MVP candidates to choose from Scott Robertson's side, but few, if any, have impressed more than three-cap All Blacks fullback David Havili.
The 25-year-old had been in scintillating form for the reigning back-to-back-to-back champions until he needed emergency surgery to fix a bowel infection, sparking numerous calls for an international re-call.
Havili's exploits earned him 34 percent of the fan vote, seven percent ahead of the second-placed Jack Goodhue, who edged out tireless rookie flanker Tom Christie by two percent, while new captain Scott Barrett came in at last place with 14 percent.
Things haven't been so rosy for the Highlanders in 2020, as the Dunedin club sit in 11th place with just one to their name.
The raft of key departures has certainly taken its toll for the southern men this season, but the retention of 92-test All Black Aaron Smith last year was much-needed, as has been reflected in the fans' votes.
The 31-year-old accrued a whopping 47 percent of the tally to outshine fellow Highlanders MVP nominees Jona Nareki (26 percent), Marino Mikaele-Tu'u (15 percent) and Jesse Parete (12 percent).
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Excellent points Mz. Because of other commitments I have just watched the game.
Interesting watching it after reading all the news reports especially in the English media. I was expecting to see a game that the ABs were very lucky to win. What I saw was a game that England showed their tactical incompetence and their inability to construct any try scoring opportunities.
They can go on deluding themselves that they were unlucky to lose ( as Borthwick said post match ) but until they stop relying on rush defence and goal kicking to win I feel they're doomed to be ranked 4 or 5 in the world.
Can't wait until the weekend to see how the Wallabies go against them
Though I dare say Walter will be hoping for an England win.
Go to commentsIF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.
As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.
Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).
This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.
If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.
Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.
After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.
Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.
Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)
Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.
Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.
Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.
Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:
Seeding Band 1
IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG
Seeding Band 2
SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: FIJI
1/8 final opponent GEORGIA
Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA
1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND
Prognosis: You know the prognosis
I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?
Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.
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