Brilliant Du Preez snubbed
29 Nov 2009
Fourie du Preez has unbelievably been overlooked for the IRB World Player of the Year award, with Richie McCaw claiming the top prize.
In a decision even more perplexing than the 2008 one which saw Wales wing Shane Williams win the award ahead of more deserving candidates, McCaw, who was anonymous in three defeats to the Springboks this year and nowhere near as prolific for the Crusaders as he has been in the past, was preferred to the superlative Du Preez.
The Bulls man was without peer in world rugby in 2009, playing a central role in the franchises Super 14 and Currie Cup success and in the Springboks’ Tri-Nations and British & Irish Lions campaigns.
The snub, and that of coach Peter de Villiers, who has lost just four of 12 Tests in 2009 (one of those in which he opted to field an understrength side with the Lions series sealed), for the Coach of the Year award (Ireland’s Declan Kidney won), won’t do anything to dispel the growing perception that the IRB has an axe to grind with the world champions.
The selection panel of Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga, Paul Wallace and convenor John Eales, supposedly watched over 63 hours of action from 49 matches, awarding points to the three players they thought stood out in each match.
If this is the case, those who voted for McCaw either conveniently forgot to take delivery of the Springboks’ footage, or, despite their illustrious careers, know nothing about the game.
Let us also not forget that they omitted other exceptional Springboks Victor Matfield, Heinrich Brussow and Morne Steyn from the shortlist, all of whom have outshone the other candidates – Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip and Brian O’Driscoll, Australia’s Matt Giteau and England’s Tom Croft.
The IRB couldn’t be so blatantly biased as to overlook the Springboks for the Team of the Year award, and they deservedly scooped won that category, but it doesn’t ease the sense of frustration at being cheated out of the two other premier prizes.
By Ryan Vrede
354 Comments
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29 Nov 2009, 10:35 am
It’s a weird decision but surely you aren’t suggesting that Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga, Paul Wallace and John Eales know nothing about rugby!? I suppose Ryan Vrede is a fundi who knows it all!? LOL
29 Nov 2009, 10:38 am
@jonnymain: They may know plenty about rugby but since when has that been a factor in the way these things are decided.
29 Nov 2009, 10:38 am
To be honest those guys no more about the game than us, i dont mind if its other pros that pick the team rather than journalists like the guy who put this poor article togeather
29 Nov 2009, 10:39 am
To be nonest BOD deserved it by a wide margin he was brillenet all year for Ireland
29 Nov 2009, 10:41 am
@west:
Agree, I also find it amazing that a keo journalist who just about never had anything good to say about PdV now all of a sudden reckons that Peter should be the coach of the year.
29 Nov 2009, 10:43 am
@stormer in a teacup: Not very often it seems! I thought McCaw had an average year by his own very high standards when he wasn’t injured so I can’t understand the decision. I tell you something else, Ireland deserved the Team of the Year more than McCaw does the POTY award.
29 Nov 2009, 10:44 am
the Return of the KING !
29 Nov 2009, 10:45 am
@jonnymain: That should have been “Ireland would have deserved the TOTY”
29 Nov 2009, 10:51 am
@jonnymain: oh hell no!!! the boks had a brilliant year. ireland won ONE trophy this year .just ONE .
the boks on the other hand whitewashed the all blacks (something no one else in world rugby will ever do ) beat the ozzies twice, and beat the lions
no one else deserved the TOTY award more than the boks.
fourie du preez is the best player in the world period. i’m happy at least that mccaw got it ,i’d have been devasted if tht mongrel whinger BOD won
29 Nov 2009, 10:51 am
Seriously… Was McC visiting sick children in hospital, did he cure cancer, solve the AIDS epedimic?
Cos he sure didn’t play much rugby and when he did he was nowhere near the influence on results as BOD or FDP
Just think for a moment what BOD would have achieved by now if he was in a team for the All Blacks ability over the last ten years.
29 Nov 2009, 10:52 am
@mbaxman93:
Agreed re TOTY., but Player for sure was BOD.
Nearly won the Grandslam on his own
29 Nov 2009, 10:58 am
@mbaxman93: Ireland were unbeaten all year, yes against inferior opposition, but still an achievement of note. BTW the Boks were clearly the best team in 2009, my point was that McCaw was such a left-field call for POTY that it wouldn’t have been as much of a shock if Ireland had won the TOTY!
29 Nov 2009, 11:00 am
As much as I love Richie, I’d still have to go with BoD.I’m thinking last years result may have influenced this years.
And what’s funny is people running to FdP’s defence here when the game commentary for last nights match on this very same web site was calling for his head.
Saffer fans are an odd bunch
29 Nov 2009, 11:03 am
THE IRB IS A JOKE.
If BOD had won it I might have been okay with it.
But Richie, as brilliant a player as he is was no where near his best this year.
29 Nov 2009, 11:05 am
If losing only 4 out oif 12 qualifies PDV, then how does losing only 4 out of 14 including a clean sweep of the 5 AI’s (incl Aus in Japan) rate G Henry? I think Irelands winning 9/10 and drawing the other (incl playing 2 out of the top 3 teams) is a more impressive result. Yes the Boks beat a weak and rebuilding AB team, but the whole rugby world isn’t defined by beating the AB’s when they aren’t at full strength.
29 Nov 2009, 11:07 am
@Flametop:
Most All Black fans still believe that Umaga was a better center than BOD. Justin Marshell even compared Conrad Smith to him last night?????
BOD might be a bit of a **** but he’s the best center of the modern era bar none. Only Horan comes close.
29 Nov 2009, 11:07 am
Most All Black fans still believe that Umaga was a better center than BOD. Justin Marshell even compared Conrad Smith to him last night?????
BOD might be a bit of a **** but he’s the best center of the modern era bar none. Only Horan comes close.
29 Nov 2009, 11:14 am
McCaw finished the year as the dominant individual playing rugby union .
If Union was the NBA Ritchie McCaw would be your first draft pick over most of the
last decade.
You should have to perform in the November Tests to win the title for the year.
Fourie du Preez’s team mates let him down.
FDV rocks. A rare talent.
Ritchie snatched victory for himself and his team ;
ultimately triumphing in Europe.
at the same time “the Tri Nation Winners and Lion slayers ran out of puff”.
He is the complete rugby athlete. Its players like him that define eras.
Along with Daniel Carter, the most influential player in the game and one of the finest players ever to have graced a rugby union arena
Enjoy them while you can.They are rare talents.
29 Nov 2009, 11:17 am
@lapoftherugbygods:
The player that refs are afraid to yellow card.
His play is supposed to be so quick/subtle that refs don’t spot it. Shame it’s so obvious.
29 Nov 2009, 11:19 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
Actually having Tana anywhere near the judging panel is a joke.
If BOD took up place kicking he still would not have voted for him, just like he was afraid to play against him
29 Nov 2009, 11:20 am
@lapoftherugbygods:
You obviously didn’t watch the 3N…
Heinrich Brussow owned Richie McCaw… He dominated Richie McCaw… He made Richie McCaw his *****…!!
This is a joke…!!
29 Nov 2009, 11:22 am
Ritchie McCaw — best rugby player on the planet by miles — richly deserved it.
29 Nov 2009, 11:28 am
@TheTackler: best all round rugby player becuase of his other qualities not becuase of his openside abilities!!
heinrich brussow made every openside his ***** this year .. wat a player
29 Nov 2009, 11:28 am
@TheTackler:
has your permanent residence been approved yet?
29 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
heinrich brussouw player of the year, outstanding technique!
29 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
@mbaxman93:
Brussow was quieter than usual yesterday.
Guess it’s tiring carrying around McCaw in your pocket all the time
29 Nov 2009, 11:31 am
@lapoftherugbygods:
“McCaw finished the year as the dominant individual playing rugby union .”
UM, no he didn’t.
29 Nov 2009, 11:32 am
I feel bad for a guy like Brussow who wasn’t even shortlisted. Why cant such an important player not even make the shortlist never mind win the POTY award. Stealing so much opposition ball, slowing it down or winning a penalty at the ruck. Isn’t that why McCaw won his first award?
29 Nov 2009, 11:33 am
Come on Ryan. Where’s the cricket thread?
Stop bitching and moaning about something you can’t change.
UFO:
F. du Preez was “owned” on more than one occasion this year, including yesterday. I guess you would also have had a problem if he got the award. Not?
29 Nov 2009, 11:34 am
@jean-jacques:
I would not have been too upset (ISH!) if he had gotten the award
Came out of nowhere (in the test arena at least). Owned all the other opensides and made a nuisance of himself. Got SA out of jail on more than one occasion.
Was this the Charlton Heston lifetime achievement awark or player of the year? (It’s now 2009, not 2006 isn’t it?)
29 Nov 2009, 11:36 am
Du preez was average on tour. Richie Mac doesnt deserve the award! As much as i hate to say it, BOD deserves it much more than RM7.
29 Nov 2009, 11:38 am
@SKW:
Why hate to say it? He’s a joy to watch even to the neutrals
29 Nov 2009, 11:41 am
Ryan, have to agree with some of the posts here, you are losing it. I normally enjoy your articles but lately you have been off form. You wonder about the IRB being blatantly biased but that’s what this article is! If a player is brilliant as you maintain FdP is, he must be consistently so. You have to be incredibly one-eyed to believe FdP was brilliant on the EOYT. If he had spent less time waving his arms around at the ref a la Gregan he might have played better but on the NH tour he was average and does not deserve the award.
“McCaw, who was anonymous in three defeats to the Springboks this year and nowhere near as prolific for the Crusaders as he has been in the past, was preferred to the superlative Du Preez”.
Maybe Ritchie was not as prolific for the Crusaders this year, Ryan, because he only played 8 of the games for them. He was out for 6 weeks with a medial ligament injury picked up in the game vs the Highlanders but came back in the Crusaders win over the Sharks in Durban to take the man of the match with scrum.com saying “he showed no signs of lack of match fitness in a stand-out 80 minutes display of courage and commitment”. In case you haven’t remembered he also injured his knee in the semi-final vs the Bulls and missed the home tests vs Italy and France but came back for Canterbury, who like the Bulls won their national competition and his role as captain and breakdown king in the unbeaten EOYT tour culminated in his MOM award in the AB’s 39 -12 win in a great rugby game in Marseilles.
So Ryan, still think that Ritchie doesn’t deserve the award?
29 Nov 2009, 11:43 am
@nama1:
you obviously don’t understand the meaning of owned… shame…
29 Nov 2009, 11:44 am
screw the IRb i’m starting my own awards
KEO player of the year -fourie Du preez
Keo Team Of the Year-Springboks
Keo Coach of the year – Peter Helium Snor PDv theDiv DE Villiers
Keo try of the year – Conrad “snake” smith vs Boks
Keo Personality of the year–PDV
Keo Moustache of the year – PDV
Keo outstanding leader /player -richie mccaw
Keo Statement of the year – PDV “Rugby is a contact sport and so is dancing
”
29 Nov 2009, 11:48 am
“The snub, and that of coach Peter de Villiers, who has lost just four of 12 Tests in 2009′.
Well Ryan,
Kidney, the Irish Coach, didn’t lose ANY Games. NOT ONE. Not any. Zilch, nada. He lost sweet ***** all. And for good measure, HIS team beat Peters Team.
Ireland should have won the Team of the Year as well.
29 Nov 2009, 11:48 am
@mbaxman93:
Keo Breakdown Master of the year – Heinrich “ratel”Brussow!!!!!
29 Nov 2009, 11:52 am
@ufo: #33
That the best you can do? Shame.
29 Nov 2009, 11:53 am
Nice article Ryan Vrede. It’s just so obvious that everyone in world rugby has it in for the Sth African team. First they have the temerity to have non-Sth Africans among the IRB player of the year awards when clearly Victor Matfield, Heinrich Brussow and Morne Steyn should have been nominated, and not any of these non-Sth Africans.
Hell, why not throw Bakkies in there as well. Oh no, can’t do that, not after he was so wrongly suspended for two weeks – for which the World Champion Springboks so rightly protested with their silly little armbands. My only surprise there is that they didn’t do the same for Schalk “The Optometrist” Burger, because that too was clearly a baised affront to the World Champion Springboks.
If I’m not mistaken, the selection panel didn’t have any more than one player from participating countries on it, and they were all highly rated International players. Clearly they should have deferred to you, Mr Vrede, who would have saved them all 49 hours by just selecting half the Springbok team.
In terms of coach of the year, Declan Kidney’s team went UNBEATEN the whole year, including a win over the Springboks – which does seem to rate higher for the esteemed judges than 8 wins of 12 for PDV (the losses including, obviously, the last B&I Lions loss which was only due to the Sth Africans fielding an understrength team, and nothing at all to do with the opposition).
On that score, Graham Henry’s All Blacks won 10 of 14, including a second consecutive HM sweep without conceding a try – a bit more impressive than the Sth African effort – though again no doubt the Sth African losses were due more to them than the opposition. But you don’t hear too many whinges from the Kiwi fans.
Thanks again for your article Ryan. It’s these sorts of reads that’ll keep me coming back for a laugh.
29 Nov 2009, 11:55 am
@cane:
Cheers Cane, Still think there’s some work to do to get the NZ ****** off our back
29 Nov 2009, 11:57 am
@ufo:
@mbaxman93:
@jean-jacques:
@jean-jacques:
It is true that Brussow is a wonderful player, brilliant at the breakdown, again yest too.
But ‘Brussow owned McCaw’ ?
If you were to compare Brussow & McCaw strictly at the breakdown then its clear theyre both brilliant at these skills. Only the stats would show who was producing what.
But can you say Brussow is also a ball-carrier ? that he is a reliable lineout and restart source ? does he provide the linkman work that puts teammates over the white line ?
McCaw, once his injury eventually came right was simply sensational in the 2ndH of the season. Brilliant in the Tokyo Bledisloe – I dont see Brussow creating tries like that. And then McCaw has had 2 outstanding MoM performances on EOYT, superb again in demolishing France. What a player, he seems to fill the role of 3-4 men for the ABs, and they finish – deservedly – as the no1 Team on the Planet.
McCaw should have won the award last year when he wasnt even nominated. So this award is well overdue.
Ireland should have got Team of the Year – unbeaten throughout 2009 – that much is obvious.
29 Nov 2009, 11:57 am
This is a absolute disgrace. Did they give the award to McCaw as a consolation for not winning it last year when he should have? Are they making amends for the mistake they made then. As he was the best player last year and SW never should have got it. This year FdP was head and shoulders better than McCaw ever was. Even Brussow out played McCaw in Bloem. McCaw was injured for part of this year too. How could he have won it?
Who ever decided on McCaw for this award should be ashamed of themselves. FdP deserved it more than any other player this year.
I will never ever take these awards serious again not ever. Disgraceful that FdP never won. He will be my player of the year though. So bugger them. McCaw never deserved it this year and he is a decent bloke and will probably say so too.
29 Nov 2009, 12:00 pm
IRB Pillocks of the Year ……………….The Black Armbanded Boks.
IRB Comeback of the year………………..Jonny.
IRB 2nd Best Player of the Year………….Danny Boy.
IRB 2nd Best Team of the Year. ………Springboks. (best Team was Ireland)
29 Nov 2009, 12:00 pm
@WakaNathan: i said breakdown waka ,even you cant argue tht brussow not only dominated the breakdown this year but he did it against the best of the best (mccaw,smith)
29 Nov 2009, 12:06 pm
IRB Team of the year.
Give it to Leicester “B”. they butchered the Boks, so WTF.
29 Nov 2009, 12:09 pm
Give the guy who wrote this article a good slap. His articles are nearly always average to the max
29 Nov 2009, 12:10 pm
@WakaNathan: Why should Ireland have won ‘Team of the year award’ Who did they beat Waka? I know they beat us yesterday. That was a once off game and the last game of our season. Tried Boks. They beat teams in the 6 nations. Not having to play ABs 3 times and beating them 3 times and beating Oz twice. Now that is something to be proud of. ABs and Oz or way better than anyone of the 6th Nations. To have to play them 3 times and beat them 3 times and Oz twice is far harder than beating any NH team. We would have beaten those NH teams if we played them in the middle of our season. Remember we also beat the Lions here and they together make a very strong team. That was the start of our season. We were still fresh and ready for playing against strong teams. That is why we won Team of the Year, I say that is very fair.
How did R. McCaw get ‘Player of the year’ Jeepers that was a surprise to me. He should have won it last year no ifs or buts. SW should never have got it. Now I think this is them making amends for their mistake last year. FdP was head and shoulders ahead of McCaw. Useless bunch that are selecting these awards. Made another huge, huge error this year by not selecting the best player which was FdP.
From now on wont take these silly awards serious if they don’t really go to the right person. They can keep keep it. Makes a mockery of these awards really giving it to the wrong person. Absolutely ridiculous. FdP was robbed for sure.
29 Nov 2009, 12:14 pm
@cane: They gave it to the Boks cause we ‘Butchered’ the ABs. White Washed and bliksemed by Boks..
29 Nov 2009, 12:18 pm
@Puma:
Puma, Ireland beat France and South Africa. They didnt lose ONE match all year, incl Australia. They won the GS.
If youre not going to give it to them under those circumstances, then when ?
I dont think anyone would have disputed it to Boks if they had finished the year strongly. Even 2-1 on their 3-Test EOYT. But lets be honest, they were 2nd and 2nd best in the 2 matches that mattered. It certainly muddies the waters doesnt it.
Nah. Look if an AB fan – no 1 team in 2009 – can say Ireland should have been ToY (and ABs have never lost to Ireland), then I dont think I can be accused of bias.
As for individuals. Well Ive said here weeks ago that I would have given it to FdP too. But the year wasnt over then. To be honest, aside from tapping and running for Burgers try yest, I thought FdP was quite poor. He was also caught a few times vs France. So not a great tour for him. Whereas McCaw has been sim ply sensational throughout, 2 MoM awards and superb again yest. No 1 Bok player dominated France. But McCaw did.
Individual awards are ridiculous tho. McCaw should have won last year, noone but BH agreed with S.Williams. So I stand by McCaw, what a player !
29 Nov 2009, 12:21 pm
@Puma:
@ 41
I dont see you succumb to hyperbole too often, Puma, but youve really gone awol with this
“this year FdP was head and shoulders better than McCaw ever was”.
Well thats complete nonsense.
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