Hot Shots, Pie-Baggers & more: Aussie Super Rugby Season Wrap
The phoney war is over and the real business is just about to start, as the regular season of Super Rugby has honed down 15 believers into eight genuine title contenders.
The NSW Waratahs are flying the flag for Australia after finishing top of the Aussie conference and third on the overall ladder. But they will be kicking themselves after losing their last regular season game to the Brumbies last week, given that victory would have put them second, and with that, the benefit of two home finals en route to a potential grand final.
As it is, they can enjoy the comfort of familiar surroundings for one week at least, as they take on the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night. But they face a team fresh from ending any other Australian interest in the competition, following their dramatic 43-37 win in Dunedin that put paid to the Melbourne Rebels hopes of a first ever place in the finals.
We now know from the Wallaby squad that narrowly lost to Ireland in the thrilling June series, which players Michael Cheika was impressed by during the season. But in the individual stakes, have any other players been standing out and putting their names forward for test selection for the upcoming Rugby Championship?
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HOT-SHOTS
192pts = BERNARD FOLEY (NSW Waratahs)
117pts = REECE HODGE (Melbourne Rebels)
99pts = JONO LANCE (Queensland Reds)
76pts = JACK DEBRECZENI (Melbourne Rebels)
75pts = TAQELE NAIYARAVORO (NSW Waratahs)
Taqele Naiyaravoro broke the Australian try-scoring season record – Photo: Karen Watson
PIE-BAGGERS
15 tries = TAQELE NAIYARAVORO (NSW Waratahs)
9 tries = TOM BANKS (Brumbies)
9 tries = ISRAEL FOLAU (NSW Waratahs)
9 tries = JACK MADDOCKS (Melbourne Rebels)
7 tries = CURTIS RONA (NSW Waratahs)
7 tries = HENRY SPEIGHT (Brumbies)
MOST METRES
1604 metres = TAQELE NAIYARAVORO (NSW Waratahs)
1313 metres = TOM BANKS (Brumbies)
1187 metres = SAMU KEREVI (Queensland Reds)
1179 metres = ISRAEL FOLAU (NSW Waratahs)
1174 metres = CURTIS RONA (NSW Waratahs)
Samu Kerevi has been a standout for the Reds again in 2018 – Photo: QRU / Sportography
MOST RUNS
155 = ISI NAISARANI (Brumbies)
146 = SAMU KEREVI (Queensland Reds)
130 = MATT PHILIP (Melbourne Rebels)
130 = CURTIS RONA (NSW Waratahs)
128 = TEVITA KURIDRANI (Brumbies)
MOST OFFLOADS
30 = ISRAEL FOLAU (NSW Waratahs)
22 = TAQELE NAIYARAVORO (NSW Waratahs)
17 = CURTIS RONA (NSW Waratahs)
16 = TOM BANKS (Brumbies)
16 = KURTLEY BEALE (NSW Waratahs)
16 = SAMU KEREVI (Queensland Reds)
Michael Wells topped the tackle stats in an impressive season – Photo: Adrian Koch
Behind the Ruck 