And the winners are …
Keo.co.za picks the real winners and losers of 2009.
THE HEROES
Test Player of the Year – How the IRB overlooked Fourie du Preez for their Player of the Year award in favour of Richie McCaw is perplexing. He was the fulcrum around which the Springboks rotated in the British & Irish Lions series and in the Tri-Nations. Seven of the nine judges are from the northern hemisphere, where the All Blacks are revered, while selection convenor John Eales is known to be anti-Bok. Testament to this is that he wanted Juan Martin Hernandez named World Player of the Year in 2007 ahead of the irrepressible Bryan Habana. Thankfully sanity prevailed that time, but it seems he has had his revenge. Despite the unbelievable call, Du Preez should be content in the knowledge that we think he’s the business. That’s all that matters. Victor Matfield was phenomenal and Heinrich Brüssow established himself as the finest openside flank on the planet in 2009, but Du Preez’s consistent brilliance earns him the prize.
Test Rookie of the Year – Who else but the prolific Morné Steyn. One should never underestimate the mental strength it took for him to come off the bench in the second Lions Test, have a short while to settle, then kick a 50m series-winning penalty to banish 12 years of heartache. He then carried his form into the Tri-Nations and showed that he had the aptitude to not only survive, but excel, against the world’s best players.
Test Young Gun of the Year – Since his rise to prominence in 2008, Dewald Potgieter had Springbok written all over him. He resembles a rookie Schalk Burger – bustling, powerful and fearless – and looks the natural successor to the Springbok treasure. His debut against Ireland was too brief to establish his capacity to play at Test level, but he’ll get more opportunities in future, and will develop into one of the great Springboks. Francois Hougaard didn’t show the full range of his ability on tour, but be assured, he is a quality scrumhalf, one who Fourie du Preez has tipped to succeed him.
Mighty Mouse Award – The physique of a juiced-up dwarf but the heart the size of South Africa and wonderful skills to boot – Heinrich Brüssow turned in some sensational performances in 2009. When he was burning white hot he was unstoppable, and even when he was ordinary he still made his presence felt, particularly at the breakdown. By the end of the season, the France and Ireland players couldn’t stop talking about him as the primary threat, which bears testament to the telling impact he’s made in 2009. Schalk who? Nah, kidding, but if Brüssow is anywhere near as good as he was this season in 2010, there may not be so much jest to that statement when you read this awards piece next year.
Test Try of the Year – Jaque Fourie’s two-fingered salute to the Springbok coaching staff for omitting him from the starting line-up against the Lions. He came on, as a wing, and negotiated a number of defenders en route to the try that dragged the Springboks back into the contest, and ultimately saw them go on to win the series. Brilliant.
Coach of the Year – John Smit held the Springboks together and even made the substitution calls during the second Test after the coaching staff’s ‘mare at King’s Park. Read between the lines of his book and you’ll reach the same conclusion: without Smitty, the Boks are on auto-pilot.
With special mentions to: The Springbok Sevens side for winning their first ever title.
THE VILLAINS
The Foot in Mouth Award – He’s toned it down over the last six months, but the king retains his crown purely for the madcap utterances during the Lions series. From allusions to ballet to eye-gouging lions on the highveld, Peter de Villiers entertained as much as he embarrassed.
The Sultans of Spin – The British and Irish media for dubbing the Lions tour a resounding success despite a 2-1 scoreline in favour of the Boks. Those who are interested should visit their local newsagent for a look at tour books written by respected journalists that unequivocally claim the Lions so nearly won the series 3-0. Laughable.
The Wet Nappy Whinge Award – This accolade goes to a player referred to by some Boks as ‘The Wanker of the Tour’. Mike Phillips niggled on the field and was the sorest of losers off it after the Lions went down in Pretoria.
The Brain Explosion Award – Sireli Naqelevuki for his high-tackle in the dying seconds of the Currie Cup semi-final. When will he prove worth the money and effort Province produced to extract him from Fiji?
With special mention to: The IRB Awards panel – Honestly, what were you drinking when you named Richie McCaw the Player of the Year? He missed half the Tri-Nations through injury and was captain of a Crusaders side that bowed out in the Super 14 semi-finals. Fourie du Preez and Brian O’Driscoll were the only players in this race.
Worst boots-to-performance ratio - The most impressive thing about Lote Tuqiri’s rugby these days is his flashy boots.
Dirtiest attempt at a moustache – Matt Giteau’s was pretty gross and Drew Mitchell won’t keep any photos of his, but the dirtiest Movember effort goes to Corey Jane.
By Jon Cardinelli and Ryan Vrede
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:20 pm
@rangerman:
thatha mzingeli, sisiduphunga lo mfana u-wakanathan, mtshele 
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
301. Transformation
Moenie skinner nie
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Best back in world: Adam Ashley Cooper
Best forward: Bakkies
Best general: Fourie du Preez
Best trump card: Frans Steyn
Best spirit: Brian O’ Dooos
Best leader: McCaw
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:29 pm
@Langenhoven: @286
some comments:-
The Heroes
1. Quit the Luke fixation. Quite a good player. Also a confrontational fool. McCaw won deservedly by finishing the marathon in a sprint. Simple really.
2. YES – agree that Ashley Johnson and De Jongh were 2 of the best players on Boks tour. Sensational. Great try by De Jongh, what balance , guile and power. Johnson showed glimpses of stardom but with improvement req’d in his fitness to go 80min.
What I found most bemusing is that all those bloggers here desperate to convince us of ‘better players’ not selected……funnily enough, louder after the loss at Leicester C….. and yet the evidence in front of my eyes is that these so-called ‘quotas’ were in fact stars of the show, whereas those promoted by the same as ‘the future’ were in fact no such thing at all (with Potgeiter and Deysel excepted). The little black no9 was also showing promise too, despite his inexperience (I forget his name). Besides, which touring team of 35 doesnt have selectors ‘outisde pick’ written all over them. ?
The Villians
1. Keo ? well, his article titled ‘Boks badly exposed’ was an almost perfect summary of the tour. Noone gets it right all the time (I met Stephen Jones of the Times himself at Smits Fundraising Dinner in London last pm. Had to restrain myself. Other Kiwis and Safas didnt….) but Keo got that one bang on.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:36 pm
304. WakaNathan… Keo never gets it right.. he stumples on a bit of wisdom once every 100 articles… but that is by accident and most of the time he does not understand what he wrote
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm
OK.. I have declared myself Keo Blogger of the Year.. Banned three times and still in control.. I think only Earl Rose has greater tenacity but then again, I could be wrong… maybe I get the award for the most Tenacious MFker too.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:50 pm
OK cheers all.. I will be back over the weekend… Staff Dinner/christmas party tomorrow..
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:54 am
@graeme1: White people know how to use both upper and lower case, even if they can’t jump or dance.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 am
What about the Quota player of the year award?
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 am
How about Biggest Looser Tosser Blogger on a Saffa site: Ohhhh, I think Tockles, WaNkanathan …
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:33 am
Sir Ritchie McCaw.
even you guys could get used to that, what ya reckon?
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:40 am
@whatever: South Africa doesn’t need you to defend it.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:43 am
@whatever: “No mate, decided that having a 9mm pointed at my head twice was once too many times. Reasonable decision I would have thought? But when it comes to reason, you were obviously not in the que!”
So once was okay though? Get real – get a dictionary.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:44 am
@KiaKahaNZ: Sounds more distinguished if it was “Sir Richard McCaw” in my opinion.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 am
someones crying Lord – kumbaya
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 am
@Esoteric: Having a gun pointed at your head once in a sh*thole like SA is probably the national average.
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 am
@Esoteric:
I reckon I’ve met more people who claim to have had a gun pointed to their head, been in the special forces, shot somebody, killed somebody with a coathanger, drunk 500 bottles of whiskey in 1 day in South Africa than anywhere else in the world.
Scratch that I have only ever heard these claims in SA. After a while as a South African I begin to ask myself “where did all these Walter Mitty’s come from?”
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 am
haha, all positive awards go to South Africa and all negative ones to other countries
The ‘Unsporting media personalities that can’t get over losing to Ireland award’ goes to …… Jon Cardinelli and Ryan Vrede
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
@chch – welcome back Laulala:
Sorry, I meant to say ‘losing to Ireland yet again’
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
@ all sharks supporters and banaboys: i think i must organise a meeting with julius malema and robert mugabe to explain to you what the future plans for sa rugby is. wake up it is coming very hard and very fact….
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
@graeme1:
care to explain that in ordinary english?
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Wankanathan @232
actually, it was less of a joke & more a correction of your idiocy
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:31 pm
@drew:
Forgive me for not finding it amusing this week. I lost a friend of 36yrs to cancer on Tues. He was only 44, 2 young kids.
I suppose a simple spelling mistake was open game tho, no stoop too low round these parts.
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:58 pm
@WakaNathan:
Stephen Jones is not my favourite – what did the Kiwis and Saffas have to say to him?
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:24 pm
@Esoteric:
Don’t need your approval either tosser!
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
@Esoteric:
You obviously never had the pleasure. After the first time, you reckon, ah well lightning does not strike the same place twice.
Yeah right!
Maybe you should get a life? perhaps on another planet?