Countdown: The 10 Best Super Rugby Tries Of All Time... Ever

Jamie Wall trawls the vast unsorted Super Rugby archives to count down the best tries the competition has ever seen.

10. Joe Roff takes the piss against Northern Transvaal (1997)
https://youtu.be/ZUWtxNOLLgk?t=3m24s
Australia’s top Super Rugby try-scorer of all time shows us he’s probably a handy soccer player too, his first touch landing the ball up against the goal post padding for an easy touchdown.

9. Dillyn Leyds turns and burns the Blues (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO7rhw4Sk6c
Never mind the stunning turn of pace to go 60 metres to score this one, how about how calm Leyds is when Charles Piutau almost kicks his head off contesting that high ball?

8. Matias Moroni gives us all false hope about the Jaguares (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tRDPJryFTc
Los Jaguares have been disappointing so far in their maiden Super Rugby season, but seeing this shows their potential and also why we should say ‘Si! Si! Si!’ to getting the Spanish commentary feed.

7. Eroni Clarke showcases everything the Blues used to be about (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx1Oh5a5eek
Auckland rugby supporters: this is what your team used to be like. If it seems like a long time ago, it’s because it is. You’d need to be in your mid-20s now to remember this happening in real time.

6. Quade Cooper gives everyone another reason to hate him (2011)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvkcDynkTrI
When you score a try like this it’s probably fair you can celebrate like this too. Even if it completely catches the commentators off-guard.

5. Sam Whitelock shreds the Reds (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsoAIGPBmVE
“Please tell me this isn’t happening!” … words uttered by both commentator Scotty Stevenson as a joke and the entire Reds team in all seriousness.

4. Malakai Fekitoa announces himself to the world (2014)
https://youtu.be/J-DCzL7HZPQ?t=37s
Fekitoa is now a well-established All Black, but it was this jinking run against the hapless Sharks that got everyone talking about him in the first place

3. Bryan Habana performs a sidestep vivisection on the Sharks (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6130DtEtuv4
Easily the most important try on the list, Habana’s change of direction not only fooled (count them) SEVEN defenders, but also won the final for the Bulls.

2. Christian Cullen makes future list-makers jobs slightly easier (1996)
https://youtu.be/itLgOOtft3c?t=4m55s
The one try every single Super Rugby fan remembers and regards as one of the best ever. So therefore it’s the first one that comes to mind when you have any sort of conversation about the greatest Super Rugby moments.

1. Carlos Spencer takes the soul of the Crusaders; devours it (2004)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8btfw32h-w
To fully appreciate this try, consider what the score is and how long is left. Then see where the Blues are on the field. Then realise that Spencer starts off this movement by passing the ball dangerously close to his own posts, for no reason other than to show off. 100 metres later and he arrogantly strolls to the corner to infuriate not only the Crusaders players, but their entire fanbase. Sometimes, just sometimes, this is how rugby should be played.