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All Blacks stars dominate in SANZAAR's unique twist on Super Rugby team of the decade
Seven All Blacks stars have outnumbered their Australian and South African counterparts in a Super Rugby ‘home’ team of the decade released by SANZAAR.
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After crunching the numbers over the course of the past ten years, the competition’s governing body have released a starting XV based on the best performers on home soil in Super Rugby.
The release of the side comes a week after the revelation of the ‘away’ team of the decade, which also featured seven All Blacks.
While some alterations have been made to this side, there are some players who have retained their places from the ‘away’ team following a string of compelling performances in front of home crowds.
Among those to make both the ‘home’ and ‘away’ teams include electric playmakers Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, while the entire front row of Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Allan Alaalatoa remains unchanged.
New Blues recruit Barrett boasted the most points of any player while playing at home over the past ten years during his tenure with the Hurricanes, and McKenzie was the only Kiwi to have registered 200 running metres in a home game over that timespan.
The three front rowers dominated statistics in all facets of the game, topping home match charts for carries, running metres, tackles and tries.
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Leading the new additions to the side is former Highlanders flyer Waisake Naholo, who scored 23 tries in his last 24 matches in home fixtures, and ex-Reds midfielder Samu Kerevi.
The 33-test Wallaby averaged the most defenders beaten during his six-season spell at Suncorp Stadium, and partners up with dynamic Crusaders centre Jack Goodhue.
Dominant in both defence and attack, Goodhue is joined in the backline by Super Rugby and international teammate George Bridge, who averaged 68 metres per home match on the left wing.
Former Reds and Rebels halfback Will Genia’s exploits with ball in hand during his time in Queensland saw him pick up two of the biggest running metre figures for singular matches of any No. 9 in the competition.
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Dan Carter has revealed fellow All Black great Richie McCaw's pre-match obsession during his remarkable 148-test career.https://t.co/e5jPJCE3pV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 4, 2020
In the loose forwards, former All Blacks captain Kieran Read is joined by 2019 World Rugby player of the year nominee Ardie Savea and Lions returnee Jaco Kriel.
The latter pair’s ball carrying prowess earned them places in this team, while Read’s work rate at the lineout for the Crusaders was superior to that of every other No. 8 in the league.
The side is rounded out by an impressive second row pairing of Rebels star Luke Jones and 2019 World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit of the Stormers.
Both players averaged well over three lineouts won per match, and have proven to be a handful defensively and offensively since making their Super Rugby debuts in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Super Rugby Home Team of the Decade
15. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
Gained 200 metres from his 18 carries against the Brumbies in Round 17 2017 – becoming one of only three players in the last decade to make 200+ metres in a Super Rugby home game and the only New Zealand player to do so.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MBoGFAbk-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
14. Waisake Naholo (Blues/Highlanders)
Scored 23 tries in his last 24 Super Rugby home matches, gaining 1,919 metres and beating 90 defenders in that stretch.
13. Jack Goodhue (Crusaders)
Made 10+ carries in seven of his 29 Super Rugby home games; in addition, Goodhue beat 71 defenders and made 255 tackles in such fixtures.
12. Samu Kerevi (Reds)
Has beaten 4.7 defenders per game at home in the last decade, the most of any player in that time (min. 10 games); he’s also made 10+ carries on 31 occasions, and gained an average of 59 metres per game.
11. George Bridge (Crusaders)
Averaged 68 metres per game on home turf in Super Rugby; Bridge also made 49 clean breaks and beat 82 defenders in that span.
10. Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes/Blues)
Scored the most points (671) of any player on home soil in Super Rugby in the last 10 years, Barrett also made 543 carries and 61 offloads in such fixtures.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-8mCMmA5I6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
9. Will Genia (Reds/Rebels)
Made the most (167 v Cheetahs – Round 6, 2011) and second most (144 v Lions – Round 13, 2012) metres gained of any scrumhalf in a Super Rugby game in the last decade; indeed, each of those fixtures was a home game for Genia.
8. Kieran Read (Crusaders)
Made 22 lineout steals in Super Rugby home games in the last decade – the only No.8 to make 20+ in that stretch.
7. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes)
Gained 1,901 metres playing at home in Super Rugby from his 408 carries – only one forward has made more metres in Super Rugby in the last decade in such matches.
6. Jaco Kriel (Lions)
Beat 5+ defenders on home turf 11 times in Super Rugby in the last decade – one of only two forwards to reach double figures in this category (Ardie Savea – 11).
5. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Sharks/Stormers)
Averaged 3.6 lineouts won (inc. steals) per home game in Super Rugby since the beginning of 2019, also making 111 tackles and 74 carries in that stretch.
4. Luke Jones (Force/Rebels)
Averaged 3.3 lineouts won (inc. steals) across his last 29 Super Rugby home matches – a span in which he also made 253 tackles and averaged 21 metres gained per game.
3. Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies)
Made exactly 19 tackles in two Super Rugby home games in the last decade – only one other prop has achieved this multiple times in that period (Coenraad Oosthuizen – 2)
2. Malcolm Marx (Lions)
Gained the second-most metres (1,119) of any hooker at home in the last decade, made the third-most successful throws per game (9.2) of any hooker to play at least 20 home games, and crossed for a position-high 16 tries.
1. Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)
Made 16 carries against the Brumbies in Round 13, 2015 – no prop has made more in a Super Rugby home game in the last 10 years.
