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Wed 19 Nov 2014 | 02:34
The Five Nominations for the IRPA Try of the Year 2014

38
Comments

It's coming to the end of the year so the Player of the Year 2014 nominees were announced recently, and today the International Rugby Players' Association (IRPA) Try of the Year 2014 shortlist of five has been revealed with this great video.

The five contenders are South Africa's Francois Hougaard and Cornal Hendricks, Welshman Jamie Roberts, Canada's IRB Women's Player of the Year 2014 Magali Harvey and England's Jonny May.

They are all worthy candidates, and with just five to choose, there are sure to be a whole lot of tries that weren't able to make the list. It's strange, for example, to not see an All Black entry, especially with the likes of Julian Savea scoring some stunning tries in recent times.

Interestingly, a few years back they chose fifteen candidates, and one year it was just four.

That said, they've chosen to include a women's rugby candidate too, which is great to see and it's fair to say that it's chosen entirely on merit, as it was indeed a wonderful try.

The five tries were selected by the IRPA Try of Year panel of former players in Samoa's Seilala Mapusua, All Black Jeff Wilson, Ireland's Alan Quinlan and Dan Parks of Scotland.

The public are able to vote via social media, with the results of which being taken into account when the selection panel make their final decision come the end of the year.

Previous winners:
2013 – Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
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

Which try do you think should be chosen as Try of the Year 2014?

Posted By: Grant Constable

38 Comments

  • hendogo
    4:30 AM 22/11/2014

    Maggie's try should win. It took the most effort from one player of all the trys.

  • flanker2712
    8:34 PM 21/11/2014

    Every day's a school day! Thanks for enlightening me/us.

  • eddie-g
    8:19 PM 21/11/2014

    To be a little bit fair - and not taking anything away from your most excellent wit - I think he meant a length of the field try after a tighthead... i.e. scrum turnover ball, which us oldtimers sometimes call a tighthead.

  • drg
    6:35 PM 21/11/2014

    ...yeh falls in line with the rest of his comment...

  • flanker2712
    6:34 PM 21/11/2014

    Yes, in women's rugby, tight heads wear 14 and stand out on the right wing when there is a scrum.

  • friedrich
    12:42 AM 21/11/2014

    I call public humiliation on the supervisor passing this video as done. I can't watch this. The unnecessary effects distract my brain. Just give us HD and no silly effects or vignettes. Got it ?

  • katman
    9:45 PM 20/11/2014

    This one? Great try. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN3VFItS7dY

  • vladimir
    9:22 PM 20/11/2014

    I miss Nagusa's try against France. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW6tVfchwUY

  • stroudos
    9:08 PM 20/11/2014

    Tight head??

  • stroudos
    9:01 PM 20/11/2014

    No way mate, beautiful pass.

  • benny
    8:33 PM 20/11/2014

    The least impressive one was May. He gassed Conrad Smith which I could probably do and then Dagg misjudged his timing. Not really any more than that, pure individual effort (although is was two on four so have to give some credit).

    The Boks ones were both really impressive but probably the one vs NZ was more special because they went on to win for the first time in several years. In fact, both were better than the Habana one that won it a couple in recent years.

    But I'm tempted to give it to the Canadians just based on the knot in my stomach as she broke away! Length of the field try from a tight head, not often you see that. Plus Canada beating France in the WC. She'd be the only women's rugby player most people were talking about this year and not just because she's cute!

  • reality
    4:21 PM 20/11/2014

    Am I the only one not convinced by the Canadian try? I mean, off first-phase ball, there's a 3-on-1? That just shouldn't happen. The quality of the play surely has to be taken into account for this award, and if you can easily work a 3-on-1 straight off a scrum without any intricate passing or offloading, then scoring a length-of-the-field try isn't exactly rocket science.

    Then, Harvey's run kind of reminds me of the Chris Ashton try against Australia, where he just ran in a straight line for ages, then cut back inside to beat the defender and then scored. I didn't think that one required too much skill or timing, and this one seems to be essentially the same thing.

    Hougaard's on the other hand had everything: good stepping to get over the gain line, good rucking, a chip kick and gather (always look well when they work), offload in the tackle, another offload and then a mazy run to beat the last defenders.

  • jimmy23
    3:42 PM 20/11/2014

    Yes that's true, and the handling of the back-line to put her in the position to actually go on her run.
    Maybe it could be defined by the amount of people the actual try-scorer themselves beat to actually get to the line? Both the 'individual tries' have the scorer beating multiple players so I guess if you beat 2 or more players it then constitutes as an individual effort? But then I guess you'd have to take into account of how they beat them. Whether they stepped them, outgassed them, bumped them etc... Could get a bit complicated.
    But yes, I agree that there should be more to choose from overall.

  • katman
    3:22 PM 20/11/2014

    So much goodness. You guys decide.

  • eddie-g
    2:54 PM 20/11/2014

    Or you delay the rebrand until the start of next year.

    Anyway, can't believe in this day and age the WR/IRB whatever video producing gang couldn't or wouldn't redo their graphics.

  • eddie-g
    2:48 PM 20/11/2014

    No, not bollocks at all.

    Individual versus team tries are quite different animals. The issue with having two categories though is where you draw the line - if the Harvey score is an individual try, that perhaps means you aren't giving credit to the front row which started the whole thing by destroying the opposition scrum.

    Anyway, I'd argue for a longer short-list, so enough of both types of tries should be covered. And then by some scientific method the best can be chosen.

  • eddie-g
    2:29 PM 20/11/2014

    Miles Harrison, is that you?

  • drg
    2:00 PM 20/11/2014

    No I'm with you. I mean Jamie Roberts 'try' was a very good try, but he didn't particularly participate in a huge amount of getting the ball up the field - Same with Hougaards.

    So to lump either of them with an award seems a bit off when clearly May and Harvey put in a far greater effort (with Harvey running the entire length of the field!).

    Out of the above it would have to be Harvey 1st followed by May. The team tries were brilliant to see, but I couldn't personally give one person an award for a team try, over an individual award for an individual try...

  • jimmy23
    1:23 PM 20/11/2014

    Does anyone else think that perhaps there should be an individual and a team category for this? May's and Harvey's tries are great because it showcases an individual's abilities whereas the other tries are great because it showcases multiple players working off each other. I don't know if you can really compare the two.

    Or am I talking bollocks?

  • jeri
    10:38 AM 20/11/2014

    Both Springboks tries were magical displays of team awareness and support play. I feel Hendrick's try edged it

  • foxtrot
    10:09 AM 20/11/2014

    Yeah, I would of thought they would have had that one instead of the one against Wales. Brilliant example of a great set piece try.

  • whiteafrican
    9:56 AM 20/11/2014

    I like the Hougaard one too, but every time I look at the pass to 13 (at 2:06 in the video above) I can't help thinking that it's gone forward. Not a perfect camera angle, but there is no backward movement in the hands at all...

  • alasdairduncan3
    8:51 AM 20/11/2014

    Harvey's try was a joy to watch and Hougaard's was sensational, especially with the dive to finish, but Johnny May's pace and vision was spine tingling. I'm rooting for Johnny May.

  • corrie
    7:38 AM 20/11/2014

    I thought the Hendriks try in NZ was also particularly good.

  • danknapp
    7:19 AM 20/11/2014

    I find most tries really arousing. I've been banned from most of the pubs around me.

  • stroudos
    12:36 AM 20/11/2014

    However, I will be the first to lower the tone and say that, in addition to the quality of the rugby, I find that Harvey try rather arousing. Especially when she throws those steps around the halfway line...

  • stroudos
    12:33 AM 20/11/2014

    Harvey / Canada for me. And I thought I was going to be the first to say that, but it seems there's an overwhelming consensus on here at least.

  • themull
    11:27 PM 19/11/2014

    Why not wait the week until all international games have been played? Seems bit ridiculous to me...

  • eddie-g
    9:28 PM 19/11/2014

    The Hougaard try had to be in there, it was definitely one of the best this year even with the swallow dive.

    It would probably get my vote too, it's one of my favourite Bok tries of all time, but the Canadian women's try was pretty sensational too.

  • eddie-g
    9:21 PM 19/11/2014

    You're right, then Thomas's try should be in imo. (I think the Player of the year cut-off is pre-autumn internationals, so that's why I got confused. Plus I'm an idiot a lot of the time, as my wife will attest.)

  • flanker2712
    8:29 PM 19/11/2014

    I hate to be stickler, but should the IRB Awards (flashed across the screen at the beginning and the end) not now be the World Rugby awards. I mean, if you are going to pay marketing executives buckets of cash for a flashy rebranding, may as well do it right. Otherwise those poor boys and girls in far-flung lands will just get confused.

    Aside from that, the Canada try gets my vote. How she keeps that pace up all the way to the try line is something else.

  • 10stonenumber10
    8:25 PM 19/11/2014

    I'm also backing the Canadian try.

    It will do wonders for the game, I have said it before, the home of "Rugby on Ice with 6ft sticks", "Rugby with fishing nets" (lacrosse) and Canadian Football, it will give the sport huge exposure. The potential talent pool is astronomical, and on a wet windy day just outside Richmond during the World Cup (to paraphrase football), they will be a force to be reckoned with.

  • jimmy23
    7:52 PM 19/11/2014

    Love the Canadian try, just remember my jaw dropping further and further as it played out.

  • i_bleed_green_and_gold
    7:36 PM 19/11/2014

    a case could be made either way. Still give it to canada.... It was a "world cup" match.
    I know it is a "team" award but the finisher gets the glory.
    Glad to see the boks have two tries up here as the result of expansive ball in hand rugby.
    maybe a top 10 would is just too subjective a list to pick from but would have liked to see a longer list.

  • hedderball
    7:35 PM 19/11/2014

    I'd go for the Canadian girl - in the context of the game and the tournament itself it was an amazing try to win Canada the semi-final against the hosts France. Canada were massive underdogs and the fact that Harvey also won player of the tournament shows what a star she was. (BTW am not Canadian but Irish)

  • flanker2712
    6:57 PM 19/11/2014

    I think you have discounted May's effort for the wrong reason. Surely it's the hysterical commentary that ruins it?

  • eddie-g
    6:05 PM 19/11/2014

    I don't think autumn international tries are eligible for this year's selection. Hopefully no-one will have forgotten Teddy's try when the selection happens for next year...

  • i_bleed_green_and_gold
    4:26 PM 19/11/2014

    Thought there would maybe be one of new Zealand's tries up there:
    I had a feeling the first Bok try would be up there which was an amazing try but Wales were down a player So I think it looses something.
    The second Bok try was amazing but it was finished by that horrible epileptic fit of a swan dive- so rule that one out.
    Wales' try was against Scotland...... eh.. not really the stuff of legends
    May's try was brilliant but irrelevant given that England Lost the match.
    So by default.... give it to the girls.

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