Happy New Year! Here's a quick look at a list of the Top Ten Tries of 2011, as chosen by French broadcaster Canal+. You can view a few of them in the related posts with more replays and in the original language.
Please get in touch if you have anything you'd like to see featured on Rugbydump over the next week or so. Enjoy, and feel free to say if you agree with the list or not?
Gethin Jenkins's effort should be #1. Had everything, hand-off, dummy, speed, sidestep, breaking tackles and sheer power to beat the last two defenders. Sure, it's against Namibia but, I don't know, there's something about a prop scoring a try like that that just makes it extra-special.
To be honest, I don't really get why the Radike Samo try was voted IRB try of the year. I mean it's great, but really it's a good hand-off on Thorn (who should have hit lower) and a nice turn of pace and that's it.
Conspicuous by its absence - Scarlets' amazing team try against Perpignan, finished off by Rhys Priestland. Absolutely awesome try in terms of speed, handling, error-free, angles of running, offloads and cohesiveness, everyone on the same page as his team-mates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1pE8t41TTk
To be fair I thought this list was much more unbiased than anything the rugby club puts out when you are likely to see the hit of the year come from an Ozzie flag rugby game.
Sextons was on the list for drama and it was deserved.check out lawes slicing cut down tackle just before the try, it's textbook. Rugby is not about winning, it's about competing.
Also agree with this, and I'm a Leinster fan. Maybe they were counting the importance of the match towards the quality of the try. There were a lot of better tries though.
Agreed.
Sky Sports has an English bias... RTE has an Irish bias... BBC has an English bias... it's the way it goes.
I think Sexton's and Mirande's tries don't deserve to be on the list, there were tons of better tries in the year...
Nice post Mr Omar!
Top 14 is great to watch at, close to Xvaout rugby level ;-)
Atmosphere is awesome.
Regarding Toulon, Botha is now in the loop for the biggest pleasure of it's fans
cheers
a bias "french" selection made by a french tv? shocker!)
you would have the same slight chauvinism with a sky and fox selection
there's not english and celtic leagues tries as it isn't broadcasted on France
in fact, despite 2 or 3 tries, this selection is pretty accurate. furthermore, canal plus always favorize "long distance" tries
perso, i would have say N'Gwenya try as number 1
It's simpler AND seems more exciting*
Rich_W, I have to agree, I only understand half of what they are saying, but their enthusiasm is intoxicating. I like that, same as I like that welsh comentator in a Lee Byrne try (I think) shouting, as if his life depended on it "DID HE GET THE BALL DOWN!?!?". Its way better than the dull comentators you get in England or in my country, Portugal. I think for the huddled masses, it's easier to like football because of this. It's simpler seems more exciting (if you never stepped on a rugby field, that is). In football there's this huge party, and excitement, and everyone is very passionate about it (not talking about hooligans, they should all be banned for life). Rugby sometimes feels rather dull for outsiders, and it lacks the "ambiance", like the french have in their stadiums. I wish we would see more of Toulon's "Pilou Pilou", or Ireland's Fields of Athenry and Flower of Scotland, Englands Swing Low, Sweet Chariot or Scotland's Flower of Scotland.
Sorry for the long post, just my two cents
The Ngwenya and Jauzion tries were the best in my opinion.French bias or not...amazing tries all round.
no6 and no5 easily my favourites here ;)
Even though I only understand about 1% of it, French commentary is superb.
Wow #1 really deserves it, awesome team try