With the international year over for the All Blacks, ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at a few ''best-ofs'' from the 2014 season.
Best player: Brodie Retallick
At the risk of appearing to jump on the Brodie Retallick bandwagon, the man has been outstanding this year. He just does not stop. You would be hard pressed to find a harder-working player in world rugby, let alone one who makes an impact in everything he does as well. In the tight he excelled, getting to ruck after ruck, hitting them with good, low body position and cleaning out opposition players effectively. On defence he tackled strongly, his set-piece was solid and his ball skills were on show too, as he was often used to deliver the short ball in the midfield.
Best forward: Richie McCaw
We will take Retallick out of the equation for this award, but its recipient was hardly any less deserving. Richie McCaw was yet again outstanding in 2014, answering his critics by showing he is still the most valuable player in world rugby. His game has tightened up in recent years, becoming less concerned with making breakdown steals and more focused on tackling, adding physicality and being a ball runner in close. In the Rugby Championship he made more tackles than any other player and was particularly immense in the first half of the first game against the Wallabies. His leadership remains important, as does his intelligence, which allows him to selectively commit to breakdowns and turnover ball that only he could secure.
Best back: Julian Savea
Julian Savea just keeps getting better and better. He now boasts a complete game and has been suggested to have surpassed the great Jonah Lomu. While he does not possess quite the same destructiveness as Lomu, he is still a handful for defences and his ability to read a game complemented with his high skill level make him even harder to contain. In 2014 we saw it all from Savea: his ability to go both over and around his man, his destructiveness coming into the line, his now safe aerial skills, some big defence and even the occasional deft touch with the boot. He is the most threatening winger in the world and acts as the All Blacks' most lethal attacking weapon.
Best performance: Second test v Australia
There were few times where the All Blacks truly hit their straps in 2014. They are a team that has gotten good at winning without necessarily playing brilliant rugby. One occasion where they did put together a complete performance though was the second test against the Wallabies. A big performance was needed after a draw the week before and they very much delivered. They dominated all areas of the game, as they beat up the Australians physically and ran rings around them to win 51-20.
Worst performance: First test v Australia
What a difference a week can make. Just seven days before that top performance in Auckland, the All Blacks found themselves under pressure and escaped with a 12-12 draw in Sydney. In horrible conditions the All Blacks struggled up front as the Wallabies fronted up brought physicality that was missing from their game a week later. The All Blacks defended for the majority of the first half and Richie McCaw was immense, seemingly singlehandedly keeping the Aussies out with unreal defensive effort.
Most improved player: Dane Coles
There were a few players up for this award. Aaron Smith, Ryan Crotty and Colin Slade all performed above and beyond what they have done in the black jersey in the past. But of greater importance was the emergence of the next All Black hooker and Dane Coles seems to be just that. While he was solid in 2013, this year he really came on and showed himself to be up to the required standard. His work rate has improved on defence, where he gets involved making tackles, while he retains the pace to be a threat in the loose. Even more importantly in this day and age, his lineout throwing is on the money, which is huge going forward.
Newcomer of the year: Malakai Fekitoa
No prizes for guessing this one, Malakai Fekitoa came from pretty much nowhere to become a must-have for the All Blacks selectors. His strong ball running was his best asset, he is a player who just charges at a gap and is extremely hard to stop. On defence he was generally good too, tackling well and making a few good reads which resulted in tries. He looked alright filling in at second five-eighth too, although he still has a way to go to really learn this position.
