Shortlist announced for IRB Player of Year

[Scarfman]

McCaw saves two or three tries a game by flopping on the ball in the red zone.

We want a McCaw cheat thread!!!

 

[dobduff11]

Well to be honest tries dont mean everything about attacking play. Pocock is a good passer and a strong runner, he is the wallabies go-to runner along with Sharpey, NZ have thorn kaino read mealamu.

Richie doesn't do that much carrying in and around the rucks thats why he can follow up the half breaks.

With TPN and Palu back next year I would imagine that Pocock will play more of the traditional 7's role in attack and carry less.

 

[whatty]

If you were looking for confirmation this weekend between Pocock's and McCaw in this past weekends game I would definitely give it to Pocock. Both good players but Pocock star is still rising and will become even better. McCaw has peaked.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Harinordoquy may win this, his heroics playing really well wounded

and being the only NH player may help in the voting

If not Mils & McCaw

Hairy Donkey is likely to get a recall to Tricolours given Frog capitulation at SDF earlier today.

 

[dwats002]

If you were looking for confirmation this weekend between Pocock's and McCaw in this past weekends game I would definitely give it to Pocock. Both good players but Pocock star is still rising and will become even better. McCaw has peaked.

na dont think so, McCaws still the benchmark and should win pretty easily considering how much of an impact he has had in turning around the fortunes of the AB's, with great captaincy and more importantly star performances week in week out.

 

[Bullrush]

If you were looking for confirmation this weekend between Pocock's and McCaw in this past weekends game I would definitely give it to Pocock. Both good players but Pocock star is still rising and will become even better. McCaw has peaked.

Unfortunately for Pocock we're not talking about the 'rising star' award but the player of the year. Pocock has been a bit quiet in one or two games in this EOYT whereas McCaw's influence right across the field is colossal.

 

[RugbyReg]

Unfortunately for Pocock we're not talking about the 'rising star' award but the player of the year. Pocock has been a bit quiet in one or two games in this EOYT whereas McCaw's influence right across the field is colossal.

Munster and Leicester?

 

[Groucho]

I think Pocock topped the ratings for every tour game on here, but I suspect we're biased.

 

[MrMouse]

It's funny, I don't think as a PLAYER that McCaw was the best AB, let alone the best in the world...and yet, I am voting for him because of his mesmeric leadership qualities...his fucking aura. To create a cross-code analogy, it's like taking Chris Judd and Dane Swan's baby and instilling it with Brett Kirk's leadership and Leigh Matthews' hardness. At least.

So playing wise I'd go:

1. Pocock
2. [I agree on this] Read
3. McCaw (generous!)
4. Beale
5. Muliaina
6. Harinordoquy
7. Matfield

But I'm voting for the real McCaw

 

[Bullrush]

I think Pocock topped the ratings for every tour game on here, but I suspect we're biased.

Go back and take a look at Pocock's ratings against Italy and England.He doesn't feature in a number of people's lists and isn't often No.1.

Here are a couple of McCaw's stats from the Grand Slam:

Wales - As per usual it was McCaw to the fore this weekend as the leading tackler with 14 tackles and six assists, and notably he called himself twice in the lineout when the All Blacks were down to 14 men early in the second half following Daniel Braid's sin binning.

Ireland - Top ball carrier this week was Jerome Kaino with 10, while the top tackler was McCaw with 14 tackles and 2 assists. Second in first 3 to the breakdown - 31 times

Scotland - The men up front weren't just making up the numbers either. Richie McCaw (also equalling Fitzpatrick's record) still managed to top the stats for arrivals at the breakdown (27) along with completing 10 tackles plus one assist - despite only playing 60 minutes this week.

England - Leading by example was Richie McCaw, who managed to make almost twice as many tackles as any other All Black defender, with a staggering 22 tackles. You simply can't go past McCaw with his tackle stats and workrate. Not only did he have the second best arrival rate at the breakdown (behind Brad Thorn this week) but he was top equal ball carrier with Kieran Read on nine.

What I think it also shows is that when the going gets tough, so to speak, McCaw leads from the front and looks for more work/responsibility eg. calling theline-outs to himself this weekend against Wales, making more tackles against the Poms.

Pocock is probably the best 7 running around ATM but I think McCaw is the best player in the game right now. MrMouse talked about his leadership qualities - IMO you can't seperate those from the 'player'.

 

[RugbyReg]

Going from Austin's stats:

Pocock v NZL = Most tackles (16), 100% completion. Plenty of carries (8).

Pocock v Wales = Most tackles again (19), 100% completion again. Plenty of runs (9). Scored a try.

Pocock v Eng = Most tackles again (25). 100% completion again. Plenty of runs again (8).

Pocock v Italy = Equal most tackles (15). 100% completion again. Plenty of runs (5)

 

[Bullrush]

Going from Austin's stats:

Pocock v NZL = Most tackles (16), 100% completion. Plenty of carries (8).

Pocock v Wales = Most tackles again (19), 100% completion again. Plenty of runs (9). Scored a try.

Pocock v Eng = Most tackles again (25). 100% completion again. Plenty of runs again (8).

Pocock v Italy = Equal most tackles (15). 100% completion again. Plenty of runs (5)

Didn't dispute Pocok's stats and I even recognised that he could possibly be the best 7 in the game at the moment. I was simply saying that Pocock doesn't have the same impact on the whole game as McCaw does yet. As I said, there were 2 games in this EOYT where Pocock hasn't figured as highly in people's ranking's as one might assume.

Not to say that I don't wish that the Pocock's had chosen to migrate to NZ instead of Australia - every team in the world wants a Pocock running around for them.

 

[dwats002]

Go back and take a look at Pocock's ratings against Italy and England.He doesn't feature in a number of people's lists and isn't often No.1.

Here are a couple of McCaw's stats from the Grand Slam:

Wales - As per usual it was McCaw to the fore this weekend as the leading tackler with 14 tackles and six assists, and notably he called himself twice in the lineout when the All Blacks were down to 14 men early in the second half following Daniel Braid's sin binning.

Ireland - Top ball carrier this week was Jerome Kaino with 10, while the top tackler was McCaw with 14 tackles and 2 assists. Second in first 3 to the breakdown - 31 times

Scotland - The men up front weren't just making up the numbers either. Richie McCaw (also equalling Fitzpatrick's record) still managed to top the stats for arrivals at the breakdown (27) along with completing 10 tackles plus one assist - despite only playing 60 minutes this week.

England - Leading by example was Richie McCaw, who managed to make almost twice as many tackles as any other All Black defender, with a staggering 22 tackles. You simply can't go past McCaw with his tackle stats and workrate. Not only did he have the second best arrival rate at the breakdown (behind Brad Thorn this week) but he was top equal ball carrier with Kieran Read on nine.

What I think it also shows is that when the going gets tough, so to speak, McCaw leads from the front and looks for more work/responsibility eg. calling theline-outs to himself this weekend against Wales, making more tackles against the Poms.

Pocock is probably the best 7 running around ATM but I think McCaw is the best player in the game right now. MrMouse talked about his leadership qualities - IMO you can't seperate those from the 'player'.

There's alot more to a number 7's job than just turnover though. I dont think Pocock controls the breakdown the way Richie does, which is evident by how more consistent the AB backline is.

 

[rustycruiser]

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has been named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year 2010 in association with Emirates Airline.

The 29-year-old flanker is the first player to receive the prestigious accolade three times, as well as in consecutive years, cementing his position as one of the greats of the Game.

The accolade completes a hat-trick of IRB Awards for New Zealand announced today, with the All Blacks named IRB Team of the Year 2010 in association with Emirates Airline and Graham Henry unveiled as IRB Coach of the Year for a record fourth time.

Henry has previously been named IRB Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and New Zealand are named IRB Team of the Year for the fourth time in six years.

More here : http://www.irb.com/history/awards/newsid=2041119.html#new+zealand+honoured+trio+irb+awards

 

[Brumby Jack]

Boo!

 

[dobduff11]

Pocock should have won that

 

[Richo]

We all knew McCaw would get it.

Pocock might have been close or even better than him in the number 7 role, but his leadership and the AB record were always going to give him the trophy.

Well done, Richie and NZ Rugby. Nice to see you guys peak twelve months out again!

 

[fatprop]

He does deserves it; just a great player who has changed his style over the years to be a complete footballer and captain.


Pocock isn't of the same standard yet, whilst probably a better pure fetcher than McCaw these days, that is because McCaw has evolved into being just deadly with ball in hand (running and passing) and in support

 

[Tordah]

He does deserves it; just a great player who has changed his style over the years to be a complete footballer and captain.


Pocock isn't of the same standard yet, whilst probably a better pure fetcher than Mccaw these days because McCaw has evolved into being just deadly with ball in hand (running and passing) and in support

Completely agree with everything. Will be interesting to see Pocock evolve over the next years. I'm not looking forward to that.

 

[Gagger]

pfft