Saturday 27 December 2014 20:50, UK
Rupert Cox shares his 12 rugby highlights from 2014.
1 Women's World Cup England's final triumph v Canada; Magali Harvey's wonder-try for the Maple Leafs in the semi-final against hosts France; Ireland knocking out the defending champions New Zealand; and the unprecedented worldwide television audience. Great moments from a brilliant event, and the women's game put permanently on the world rugby map.
2 Jonny Wilkinson's smile as he held aloft not only his but the last Heineken Cup. So profoundly joyful – as if all the pressure and expectation he's piled upon himself his entire rugby career had finally been lifted. A lasting image. And to put the icing on the cake, he did the same a week later to win the Top14 final for Toulon.
3 RFU CEO Ian Ritchie for making sure we have a rugby competition in Europe. At one point it seemed the stakeholder-broadcaster impasse was too big to break, but Ritchie saved the day. Not sure the Champions Cup is all that much different from what we had before, but big high fives and back pats to the England rugby boss and his powers of gentle diplomacy.
4 The Waratahs winning their first Super Rugby title. Bernard Foley kicked the winner from 50 metres out against the Crusaders at the Olympic stadium. Long time coming for the Sydney-siders, and a big achievement for Michael Cheika in just his second season as the Tahs boss.
5 Ewen McKenzie's resignation ended a pretty unsavoury couple of weeks for Australian rugby, but the man they call 'Link' went out on his own terms and in dramatic style at the post-match presser, after the Wallabies had narrowly lost to the All Blacks in Brisbane. Can't wait for that book Ewen!
6 Taranaki winning the ITM Cup – their first New Zealand provincial title. It's been a long wait for a win in New Plymouth – a province founded 129 years ago – and the first time one of the 'Big Five' haven't won the Kiwi domestic competition since 1992. There are some great 'Naki names of the past who didn't manage it in their careers, like Kieran Crowley, Dave Loveridge, Mark 'Bull' Allen and Graham Mourie – this will have made them very proud.
7 Ireland's unbeaten autumn (without BOD). Joe Schmidt's boys out-thought and out-played South Africa, Georgia and Australia to launch their World Cup journey in style. The Murray/Sexton combo in the halves is world class. And the mad dogs up front, led by the greatest big ginger of them all, Paul O'Connell, make Ireland real contenders at the big show in 2015.
8 New Zealand Sevens winning a 12th World Series title. Gordon Tietjens' men were pushed all the way by South Africa but were once again a cut above the rest. Their record in this event is one of the great winning sequences in all of sport, and no team has had a bigger influence on short-form rugby making its bow at the Olympics in 2016.
9 Samoa player solidarity. Standing up to the inefficiencies (at best) and allegations of corruption (at worst) of their union officials. The #samoaunited campaign brought the rugby community together around the world, and culminated in a moving show of unity at Twickenham after the England Test. With the All Blacks finally agreeing to play a Test in Apia next year, let's hope rugby in Samoa can sort itself out and continue to grow as an international rugby nursery.
10 Pumas get their first win in the Rugby Championship. Argentina were helped out by a laser aimed into eye of Bernard Foley as he attempted a vital penalty – but take nothing away from the Pumas, their win over the Wallabies was worth the wait, and was a vital breakthrough on their pathway in top-tier rugby. And to show it wasn't a fluke, they backed it up by knocking over France in Paris in November. Vamos Pumas.
11 USA Eagles host the All Blacks at Soldier Field in Chicago. OK, so the game itself was horribly one-sided, but there's no underestimating how the occasion will have impacted the growth of rugby in North America. A primetime TV audience and a sell-out crowd at one of the most iconic venues in American Sport. Priceless.
12 The Honey Badger. Nick Cummins and his alter ego have become known and loved all over the rugby world. Tearing up his contract with the Western Force and Australian rugby to earn more money in Japan – so as to be able to provide for his sick Dad and brothers – endeared him even more to his legion of fans. He turned the Barbarians v Wallabies game at Twickenham into a 50,000-crowd match, and he is yet to let us down in a post-match interview. Onya Badg.
