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Thu 20 Feb 2014 | 09:11
Beauden Barrett wins IRPA Try of the Year 2013 for try against France

21
Comments

New Zealand's brilliant try in their second Test win over France in June last year has been named the International Rugby Player's Association (IRPA) Try of the Year for 2013. Tryscorer Beauden Barrett becomes the first New Zealander to win the award.

The panel of judges comprised of Andrew Mehrtens, Tony Diprose, Paul Wallace and Thinus Delport. They chose Barrett's try from the shortlist of nominations, which included great tries by Ben Smith, Stuart Hogg, Jean De Villiers and Zane Kirchner.

"It was a great feeling to deliver this try for the team," said Barrett upon receiving the award.

"Like all tries, the ground work is done on the training field and by your team mates, and the buzz when any of the guys manages to dot down is why we play for each other. I am glad that others enjoyed watching it all unfold," added the 22-year-old.

The award capped off an amazing 2013 for the All Blacks, which included 14 wins out of 14 matches, and the Coach and Player of the Year awards, to name a few.

"With so many great international tries during 2013, involving both individual brilliance and collective effort, it is never an easy process to settle on one try," said Mehrtens. "However, when it came down to it, Barrett's try stood out for the judges due to the high level of skills involved by different players, and, most importantly, the teamwork required to make it happen."

Previous winners:
2012 – Bryan Habana (South Africa) – South Africa v New Zealand
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

Posted By: Grant Constable

21 Comments

  • facepalm
    4:26 PM 23/02/2014

    If North's try were a 79th minute winner in a World Cup final, this would still be better.

  • drg
    2:58 AM 22/02/2014

    Whether or not the pass was forward or not, the judging cannot be carried out by using the pitch markings due to the whole 'passing backwards but ball travelling forwards' thing end of story.

  • rememberthemer
    12:24 AM 22/02/2014

    The test is to sprint and casually lob the ball back over your head. You will have passed the ball backward and the ball will have landed behind. Yet relative to the field it will have travelled forward.

    Better yet, play cricket on the Eurostar going at 300 km/h. Bowl back down the aisle and you will be faster than Mitchell Johnson - in the opposite direction.

  • guy
    7:34 PM 21/02/2014

    Danny is right indeed. But there is really no need for him to start calling people names. This is not youtube.

  • eddie-g
    7:03 PM 21/02/2014

    @armchairref

    Afraid I don't agree. And I would argue there are as many of these types of "forward passes" now as before, it's really that the IRB have had to beef up the rule-book recently to help TMOs.

    Basically if you think the IRB have it wrong now, rugby has had it wrong from the start.

  • rich_w
    6:37 PM 21/02/2014

    Completely agree with Eddie G.

    Quick and easy experiment for anyone who wants forward passes to be judged relative to the field. Next time you are training, run at full tilt from your 22, when you cross the half way line, pass the ball backwards as if you had a support runner maybe 2 metres deeper than you. See where the ball lands.

    Unless you're not very quick you might be surprised

  • armchairref
    6:08 PM 21/02/2014

    There are too many forward passes in the game nowadays, in my opinion. If a bloke passes the ball and it moves towards the try line, it's a forward pass. Doesn't matter how fast he's running. It might even be behind the player who threw the pass, but it's still forward, relative to the try line. And that should be all that counts. The IRB can always change the rule. They got it wrong so they can put it right.

  • eddie-g
    4:58 PM 21/02/2014

    "all this guff about direction of the hands is complete cobblers"

    It isn't complete cobblers, the issue has been around and accepted for ages (League has been ahead of Union in handling the so-called momentum rule), but IRB directives have made this a more difficult issue for referees and TMOs.

    To get a little bit sciency, if rugby moved to judging absolute rather than relative velocity on passes, attacking play would be hugely compromised. It would be nearly impossible to complete passes when running at full pace. Personally, I think the question should be - does the pass start off forwards? If yes, forward pass, if not, play on. And most times, it is a pretty easy call.

    Ps. I do think with this Barrett try, there was was a forward pass early on.

  • mouillette
    3:09 PM 21/02/2014

    Actually Danny is right, you can't use the field as a reference, but the player who makes the pass. Since he is advancing, his pass can be backwards yet the ball still advance in the field perspective.
    Only the directions of the hands count now.

  • armchairref
    1:33 PM 21/02/2014

    Danny is a rude and offensive and his childish comments should not be allowed in a grown up forum such as this one. He doesn't make sense either.

  • flyingpepper
    9:39 AM 21/02/2014

    Awesome try... slightly OC ref straightening the pad after lol

  • jeri
    1:59 AM 21/02/2014

    Perfect example of why we love rugby

  • 11:43 PM 20/02/2014

    That's perfect rugby.

  • 11:42 PM 20/02/2014

    Wasn't coach of the year Gatland?

  • drg
    5:36 PM 20/02/2014

    ....Yeh, not too shabby...

  • welshosprey
    4:02 PM 20/02/2014

    Norths try in the first lions test was better and the late winner NZ had against Ireland.
    This try didn't really mean a lot in the whole context of the game when you're 23-0 ahead with minutes to go.

  • armchairref
    3:10 PM 20/02/2014

    great offload by Cruden though, shame the pass at the beginning of the move looked a metre forward, at least. why don't the powers that be use the technology used in football to determine offside? Just draw a line across the pitch from the point of release, and another one half way up the pitch where the bloke catches it, and bob's yer uncle. all this guff about direction of the hands is complete cobblers. what's important is that the ball should not go forward in the direction of the opponents try line. Simple. Way too many forward passes lead to tries nowadays. grrrr.

  • perfectthirteen
    2:00 PM 20/02/2014

    i suppose they felt they had to pick an all black try cos i can think of so many better ones....sh bias i feel

  • guy
    12:18 PM 20/02/2014

    I can totally live with this decision.

  • 10:28 AM 20/02/2014

    Spectacular contributions from Ranger and Smith, well deserved award!

    That's some year for the all blacks, 100% win record over the calendar year, coach of the year, team of the year, player of the year, try of the year....what can you say?

  • whiteafrican
    10:26 AM 20/02/2014

    Great try, but how was Crotty's try against Ireland not even considered? That try had EVERYTHING - in the red zone; no room for error; brilliant attack; committed defence; great handling from forwards and backs; the All Blacks' whole season AND the ABs/Ireland undefeated record in the balance...

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