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Aaron Smith nominated for three accolades as New Zealand Rugby Awards nominees announced

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

All Blacks veteran Aaron Smith and Black Ferns star Stacey Fluhler loom as the big contenders for this week’s New Zealand Rugby [NZR] Awards after being nominated for three awards apiece.

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This year’s awards will be presented in a made-for-TV special this Thursday, with awards presented to leading teams, players, coaches, administrators and referees.

NZR chief executive Mark Robinson congratulated the nominees for their efforts in 2020.

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The Breakdown | Episode 46

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The Breakdown | Episode 46

“We have seen an incredible standard of excellence at all levels of our game this year. There has been a tremendous level of perseverance and achievement in what has been very challenging times,” he said.

“This year, more than ever, it is important to acknowledge the incredible tenacity and dedication of our rugby community. Rugby’s values really shone through this year and we look forward to celebrating the successes.”

Fresh from leading the All Blacks to the Tri Nations victory in Australia, captain and loose forward Sam Cane is among the nominees for All Blacks Player of the Year, alongside hooker Dane Coles and halfback Aaron Smith.

Smith is also in the running for the Tom French Memorial Maori Rugby Player of the Year, as is Maori All Blacks Captain and hooker Ash Dixon and World Sevens Series winner midfielder Stacey Fluhler.

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A breakthrough season for Fluhler also sees her a nominee for Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, along with playmaker Kelly Brazier and halfback Tyla Nathan-Wong. Fluhler is also in the running for the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal, nominated alongside Waikato teammate centre Chelsea Alley and Canterbury halfback Kendra Cocksedge, who are also both nominated for Black Ferns Player of the Year, along with Waikato loose forward Kennedy Simon.

After claiming the World Series Sevens title for the first time since 2014, co-captains Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson are nominated for the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year award alongside Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

Highlanders halfback Smith also gets the nod for Super Rugby Aotearoa Player of the Year, as does Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo’unga and Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett.

The stand-out performers from Mitre 10 Cup, as voted each week by Sky commentators, will be in the running for the Duane Monkley Medal.

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The finalists for that award are lively Hawke’s Bay halfback Folau Fakatava, Auckland outside back Salesi Rayasi and Bay of Plenty fullback Kaleb Trask.

Championship-winning teams the Crusaders, Tasman, Hawke’s Bay and the Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup side will have the chance to pick up another piece of silverware as all are nominated for adidas National Team of the Year.

All teams in black that took the field in 2020 will be in the running for adidas New Zealand Team of the Year, and their respective coaches nominated for ASB New Zealand Coach of the Year.

The National Coach of the Year nominees include the Crusaders’ Scott Robertson, Tasman’s Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody, Waikato FPC coach James Semple and Hawke’s Bay’s Mark Ozich.

Ben O’Keeffe, Paul Williams and Mike Fraser are nominated for New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year.

The community award for Volunteer of the Year sees nominations for Allen Grainger (Waikato), Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty) and Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti).

With public voting now closed, the hotly contested Sky Television Fans Try of the Year has been narrowed from a long list of 10 to three.  Fans have put Hawke’s Bay’s Neria Fomai, Christ’s College’s Jack Jones and Napier Boys’ High School’s Bethel Lutele-Malasia in the top three.

Three awards will be announced on the night – the NZRPA Kirk Award, the Steinlager Salver and the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year.

The full list of nominees are:

Fans Try of the Year:

Neria Fomai (Hawke’s Bay)
Jack Jones (Christ’s College)
Bethel Lutele-Malasia (Napier Boys’ High School)

New Zealand Referee of the Year:

Mike Fraser (Wellington)
Ben O’Keeffe (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Paul Williams (Taranaki)

Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year:

Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Allen Grainger (Waikato)
Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty)

NZRPA Kirk Award:

Announced on the night

Steinlager Salver:

Announced on the night

Duane Monkley Medal (Mitre 10 Cup Player of the Year):

Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)
Salesi Rayasi (Auckland)
Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty)

Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year):

Chelsea Alley (Waikato)
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Stacey Fluhler (Waikato)

National Coach of the Year:

Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody (Tasman)
Mark Ozich (Hawke’s Bay)
Scott Robertson (Crusaders)
James Semple (Waikato FPC)

New Zealand Coach of the Year:

Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens)
Ian Foster (All Blacks)
Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens)
Glenn Moore (Black Ferns)
Clayton McMillian (Maori All Blacks)

Super Rugby Player of the Year:

Jordie Barrett (Taranaki, Hurricanes)
Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury, Crusader)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu, Highlanders)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, Blues)

Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year:

Ash Dixon (Ngati Tahinga, Hawke’s Bay)
Stacey Fluhler (Tuhoe/Te Arawa, Waikato)
Aaron Smith (Ngati Kahungunu, Manawatu)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year:

Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (North Harbour)

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year:

Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty)
Stacey Fluhler (Waikato)
Tyla Nathan-Wong (Northland)

Black Ferns Player of the Year:

Chelsea Alley (Waikato)
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Kennedy Simon (Waikato)

All Blacks Player of the Year:

Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty)
Dane Coles (Wellington)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu)

National Team of the Year:

Crusaders
Hawke’s Bay
Canterbury (FPC)
Tasman

New Zealand Team of the Year:

All Blacks
All Blacks Sevens
Black Ferns
Black Ferns Sevens
Maori All Blacks

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year:

Announced on the night

– New Zealand Rugby

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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