Savea nominated for World Player of the Year

Club Rugby | 14 November 2014 | Steven White

The IRB Player of the Year award could be heading to Miramar, with Julian Savea this week nominated for the award along with All Blacks teammate Brodie Retallick, two South Africans and an Irishman.?

In shortlisting Savea for the award, the IRB has this to say about the blockbusting wing:

“With a try-scoring rate that few can match, Julian Savea has inevitably drawn comparisons with legendary All Black wing Jonah Lomu this year. The 24-year-old has scored 10 tries in 2014, including a hat-trick against England in the third Test in June, to take his tally to 29 tries in just 31 Tests. Savea was named the IRB Junior Player of the Year in 2010 after helping New Zealand win a third successive IRB Junior World Championship title.”

New Zealand and South Africa have provided four of the five nominees.

The other nominees are Chiefs and All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick, South Africa fullback Willie le Roux and his teammate No. 8 Duane Vermeulen, and Ireland first five-eighth Jonathan Sexton.

Le Roux has has started all 10 of the Springboks’ Tests in 2014 to date, Vermeulen is a beast with a high work-rate and last year’s British and Irish Lions pivot Sexton helped his side to a 29-15 home win over South Africa last weekend.

Of note, former Petone and All Blacks great Tana Umaga, who started life as a wing before moving in to the midfield, is one of the eight-man panel deciding the winner. The other legends judging the winner are John Eales (Australia), Will Greenwood (England), Gavin Hastings (Scotland), Raphael Ibanez (France), Francois Pienaar South Africa), Agustin Pichot (Argentina), Scott Quinnell (Wales) and Paul Wallace (Ireland).

Previous New Zealand recipients of this award include captain Richie McCaw (who has won the award a record three times), Dan Carter (twice) and Kieran Read who won it last year.

Should he win, Savea would become the third wing to win this award, following ?South Africa speed merchant Bryan Habana in 2007 and Wales flyer Shane Williams in 2008.?

The IRB World Rugby Player of the Year is one of 12 categories of awards, including the IRB World Rugby Coach of the Year, IRB World Rugby Team of the Year, IRB Women’s Player of the Year, IRB Sevens Player of the Year in association with HSBC, IRB Women’s Sevens Player of the Year and IRB Junior Player of the Year

The winner of the individual award, based on international performances this year, will be revealed at their nation’s final Test of 2014. If it’s Rettalick or Savea it will be against Wales next weekend.