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England and Chile scoop up best try of the year awards

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

England and Chile have been awarded the try of the year titles by World Rugby at the annual awards dinner in Monaco.

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Abby Dow’s scorching end-to-end effort against Canada in the World Cup semi-final for the Red Roses was judged to be the women’s try of the year.

The Roses’ winger finished off a length of the field movement after England secured possession in front of their own goal posts.

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They spun the ball out wide to left wing Claudia MacDonald who stepped through a handful of Canadian defenders as well as medics trying to get off the field.

MacDonald, who also plays scrumhalf, showed her passing skills with a long pass to link with her right wing partner Dow. The No 14 had the pace to outrun the rest of the Canada defence to score a defining try.

The spirit breaking score gave the Red Roses a crucial lead in the semi-final which ended up being the difference between the two sides.

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“That was end-to-end rugby, it came from the forwards to the backs,” Dow told World Rugby after receiving the award.

“I think everybody did the job to the best of their ability and it was incredible.”

Chile’s Rodrigo Fernandez’s was awarded the men’s try of the year for his effort against USA in their World Cup qualifier.

In horrific conditions, the Chilean flyhalf fielded a bouncing ball deep inside his half after a clearing box kick from the USA.

Fernandez returned the kick the distance after evading no less than six tackle attempts, while a seventh rode his back as he crashed over for the incredible individual effort.

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The try helped Chile qualify for next year’s Men’s Rugby World Cup in France which Fernandez is hoping to be a part of.

“I’m pretty honoured to be here really. I never expected this,” Fernandez said after picking up the award.

“We are looking forward to it [next year], as I said it is our dream to go and play in France next year.”

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M
MS 41 minutes ago
Why Blair Kinghorn should be nailed on as the Lions starting 15

I can see arguments for both Kinghorn, and Keenan starting for the Lions. But I’m less convinced by some of the claims (clearly partisan) supporters are using to argue the merits of one over the other.


For example, a number of Ireland supporters have suggested Kinghorn is ‘defensively weak’. That’s patently false - or at least on the evidence of this 6N, he’s certainly no weaker there than Keenan is, who is presumably the comparative standard they’re using. Keenan was both shrugged off in contact, and beaten on the edge for pace, a number of times during this competition.


Equally, Scotland supporters arguing Kinghorn is the more capable ‘rugby player’ seem to have overlooked the (frankly sizeable) body of evidence demonstrating that Keenan is an excellent ball in hand distributor and decision maker. So that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either.


I don’t think there’s all that much to choose between them, and either would be a strong choice. I think it would be really interesting from a pure rugby perspective to see Keenan playing a ‘Scotland-esque’ style of high tempo attacking rugby. Either coming into the line more routinely as first receiver, or being swung as a pendulum and getting the ball on the edge against a stretched defence.


That’s assuming Andy Farrell goes that route, of course. He may well just opt for his Ireland system instead, and populate it with the likes of Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Keenan. I’m sure that would win the series. Quite what effect it might have on a Lions audience who were expecting something other than ‘Ireland on tour, but wearing red’ would remain to be seen.


As for the debate at FB, the only ‘eye test’ difference I feel exists is in the pace of rugby Kinghorn (Toulouse? Scotland?) tends to play. His passing/offload game feels crisper and higher tempo than Keenan’s - and as we saw in Paris, his pace and eye for a gap from deep are superior.


But again, that will only prove a decisive factor if Andy Farrell wants to play that way. If all he wants from his FB is to sit deep, field high balls, and mop up then there’s little between these two equally excellent players.

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