BEAUDEN BARRETT (NEW ZEALAND)
With 12
minutes to go at Eden Park in the second Bledisloe Cup test, Brodie
Retallick stripped Australia prop Tom Robertson in the New Zealand 22
and quickly offloaded to TJ Perenara. The scrum-half found Damian
McKenzie and the replacement set off on the counter-attack, beating two
defenders in a 30-metre burst before offloading to Anton Lienert-Brown
on his outside. Lienert-Brown took it over halfway before releasing Ben
Smith, who had Beauden Barrett on his outside, the flyhalf stepping
inside Marika Koroibete and then diving over to score his fourth try in
the match, minutes after having another try ruled out.
SEAN MAITLAND (SCOTLAND)
A lofted pass from Finn
Russell took out England pair Jonathan Joseph and Jonny May, giving
centre Huw Jones the space to run from one 22 to the other at
Murrayfield in the Calcutta Cup match. Although hauled down by May, his
team-mates were quickly in support to recycle the ball and keep the
English defence scrambling as Scotland went left with Russell throwing
another lofted pass to create the room for wing Maitland to dive over
in the corner to the delight of the home crowd.
BRODIE RETALLICK (NEW ZEALAND)
This free-flowing
try started and finished with the All Blacks second-row. Retallick was
quickly through on Australia scrum-half Will Genia in the first match of
the Rugby Championship in Sydney, turning over the ball and offloading
to Damian McKenzie to launch the counter-attack. Beauden Barrett and Ben
Smith helped take play into the Australian half before the All Blacks
recycled and swung the ball from right to left, the flyhalf finding
Retallick who sold Bernard Foley with an outrageous dummy and ran in
from nearly 30 metres.
CJ STANDER (IRELAND)
Playing with an advantage
after Maro Itoje took out Peter O’Mahony at a lineout in England’s half
midway through the first half, Ireland chanced their arm with Conor
Murray finding Johnny Sexton, who had Tadhg Furlong in support. The prop
was able to spin and pass to Bundee Aki, the centre bursting through
into the 22 before finding CJ Stander on his inside. The number eight
still had work to do and was hauled down short by Richard Wigglesworth
and James Haskell, but his momentum took him forward and he was able to
ground the ball against the base of the post for the try.
World Rugby chairperson Bill Beaumont said: “We are proud of our
collaboration with International Rugby Players and the IRP Try of the
Year reflects the partnership with which we approach key player welfare
and player-related topics.
“There have been so many superb tries this year, making the job hard
for the IRP selection panel, and the final shortlist is one of great
quality.”
IRP Chief Executive Omar Hassanein said: “This year’s shortlist
features some of the most exciting tries we’ve seen in years. The four
tries from CJ Stander, Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett and Sean
Maitland all feature some fine team efforts in the lead up. Whoever wins
this award will do so in the knowledge that it is the collective
achievement of many players – in essence, what the International Rugby
Players as an organisation is all about.”
For more details on the World Rugby Awards, visit www.world.rugby/awards.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2017 - Joaquin Tuculet (Argentina) – Argentina v England
2016 - Jamie Heaslip (Ireland) – Ireland v Italy
2015 - Julian Savea (New Zealand) – New Zealand v France
2014 - Francois Hougaard (South Africa) – South Africa v New Zealand
2013 - Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) – New Zealand v France
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 and Irish Lions
2008 - Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) – Australia v Ireland
2007 - Takudzwa Ngwenya (USA) – South Africa v USA
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