Rugby 365 Super 12 team of the tournament

Team of the tournament:

15 - Chris Latham - Reds: He was without doubt a one-man band for the under-performing Reds this year. At times he was simply sublime, even though this great man struggled at times to keep his play above the level of mediocrity his team had sunk to - a team that was just pipped by the Cats as the worst outfit in the 2004 Super 12. But as usual he was at his best when foolish kickers "gave" him the ball with which to run back at them. We don't pick the Wallaby team, but he would be our man if we did. Of course Matt Rogers' injury made this selection easier for us.
Back-up: Joe Roff - Brumbies.
Disappointment: Willem de Waal - Bulls.

14 - Clyde Rathbone - Brumbies: Springbok coach Jake White's desperation to get him to return to South Africa said it all about the youngster's dazzling season. Despite spending the entire 2003 season on the sidelines with a groin injury and playing on the wing - while outside centre is his preferred position - Rathbone showed his class with a number of sensational tries. He has it all, raw pace, power and a keen eye for an opportunity.
Back-up: Sitiveni Sivivatu - Chiefs.
Disappointment: Wendell Sailor - Reds.

13 - Stirling Mortlock - Brumbies: He is one of the true veterans of the Brumbies and Australian rugby and the role of Brumbies captain fitted him like a glove. It was fitting that he was there at the Final to help stand-in captain Owen Finegan lift the trophy in celebration of a season of glory. Yes for the ageless Mortlock it was a season of glory, even though it ended early for him with a serious knee injury. He remains unchallenged as Australia's best outside centre and has few peers in the world in that role.
Back-up: Keith Lowen - Chiefs.
Disappointment: Ma'a Nonu - Hurricanes.

12 - Matt Giteau - Brumbies: Like he showed in the Final, this 21-year-old Canberra Vikings star throughout the season showed why he made his Test debut before he even played in a Super 12 game. By modern standards he is not the biggest centre around - a mere 1,78m and a trifling 85kg. But what he lacks in stature he more than makes up for with his undoubted class. Having already earned 10 Test caps since his debut against England in 2002, this young man will be around in the Wallaby gold for a long time to come.
Back-up: De Wet Barry - Stormers.
Disappointment: Doppies la Grange - Cats.

11 - Henno Mentz - Sharks: Talk about taking your chances. The former Leopards wing was only drafted into the Sharks' Currie Cup squad in 2003 and this was his debut year in the Super 12. The 24-year-old was so impressive that it was regarded as one of the biggest shocks when he was not included in Jake White's initial Springbok team. Injury to Jaque Fourie saw him eventually getting his Bok call-up and it was just reward for an outstanding season. His inside-outside move on South Africa's 2003 'Player of the Year' Ashwin Willemse - in the Sharks versus Cats game - is without doubt the best one-on-one wing try this season. It certainly made Willemse look rather foolish. But there were many other great moments and brilliant tries for Mentz.
Back-up: Mark Gerrard - Brumbies.
Disappointment: Jorrie Muller - Cats.

10 - Stephen Larkham - Brumbies: What is there to say about Larkham that has not already been said. Maybe this cliché - he is like a good red wine, getting better with age. But that does not do justice to the role he played in 2004, when he was his unassuming self. He is not as flashy as a Carlos Spencer, but whatever he does, he executes it with the precision of a surgeon. He still has the speed and vision, as he often showed by ghosting through gaps, sleight of hand and to top it off he is always unruffled on defence. For the record, he turns 30 on the 29th of this month.
Back-up: Butch James - Sharks.
Disappointment: André Pretorius - Cats.

9 - George Gregan - Brumbies: This was a tough choice, probably the most difficult in the whole team. There were so many standout scrum-halves that challenged the Brumbies star for the title as the master No.9. But in the end we looked at what happened in the Final, as our only real tie-breaker, and Gregan managed to sneak the vote. He was once again at his brilliant best as the Brumbies destroyed the Crusaders in those 18 minutes of madness in the Final. Deciding on his back-up was just as tough, but again we opted for a player who's team reached the play-offs.
Back-up: Byron Kelleher - Chiefs.
Disappointment: Fourie du Preez.

8 - Mose Tuiali'i - Crusaders: Apart from his act of indiscretion in Round 11 - that stupid attempt at a head-butt on Marius Joubert, which earned him a three-week suspension and ruled him out of the Final - the 23-year-old loose forward had the kind of season that will see him play many games for the All Blacks. It takes some doing to keep Sam Broomhall on the bench or sideline. It must also be remembered that he arrived at the Crusaders through the draft system, having played three games for the Blues last year.
Back-up: Xavier Rush - Blues.
Disappointment: Rodney So'oialo - Hurricanes.

7 - Richie McCaw - Crusaders: Before the Final Brumbies coach David Nucifora had his customary bout of verbal diarrhea, complaining about all the illegal tactics the Crusaders employ. Maybe he was just trying to find a way of minimising the effect that players like McCaw have on the game. There is no doubt the All Black flanker sometimes 'pushes the envelope', but he is not doing anything that a George Smith or a Phil Waugh is doing. he is just doing it so much better, which obviously draws attention to him ... and some needless comments from opposing coaches.
Back-up: Schalk Burger - Stormers.
Disappointment: Justin Collins - Blues.

6 - George Smith - Brumbies: Yes, we have the two biggest poachers in our team. We did consider Owen Finegan, to give us some grunt among the loose forwards, but we decided the enthusiasm of Smith more than makes up for any extra muscle  Finegan may have added. And Smith is certainly no softy. Consistency throughout the year is one of the keys to our selection and Smith gets our vote for this.
Back-up: Owen Finegan - Brumbies.
Disappointment: Gerhard Vosloo - Cats.

5 - Chris Jack - Crusaders: The value of Chris Jack, to the Crusaders, was only fully understood when he missed the final round of league matches and the lowly Hurricanes completely upstaged the four-time champions. In fact it was nowhere more evident than in the line-outs, but his experience was also sorely missed. This towering lock showed why he is so highly rated around the world.
Back-up: Mark Chisholm - Brumbies.
Disappointment: Victor Matfield - Bulls.

4 - Radike Samo - Brumbies: Just look at the current tug-of-war between Australia and Fiji for the services of this Newcastle-bound lock to understand how good he really is. Wallaby coach Eddie Jones is even prepared to be economical with the truth in his effort to convince the world that Samo is Australian property. There are many backs in the Super 12 who doesn't have his level of skills, and even a few who don't have his pace - just ask Justin Marshall. Class, we tell you, real class!
Back-up: Bakkies Botha - Bulls.
Disappointment: Justin Harrison - Waratahs.

3 - Greg Somerville - Crusaders: Along with the scrum-half this was probably our most difficult choice. Somerville may ultimately have gotten our vote, but he was pushed hard by amongst others Kees Meeuws, Andries Human and Eddie Andrews. It would surprise some to know that the 34-Test 'veteran', Somerville, is just 26 - a baby by front row forward standards. But he made his Super 12 debut five years ago and his test debut in 2000.
Back-up: Kees Meeuws - Blues.
Disappointment: Richard Bands - Bulls.

2 - Andrew Hore - Hurricanes: It is not always easy for players in under-performing teams to stand out, but Hore made sure he was noticed by the All Black selectors when he established himself as the Hurricanes' best player in the 2004 Super 12 season. In a year when line-out throwing was generally very shocking, he was better than average. But it is his work rate and allround hardiness that set him apart from the other No.2s.
Back-up: Jeremy Paul - Brumbies.
Disappointment: John Smit - Sharks.

1 - Christo Bezuidenhout - Bulls: Call him a 'Jonny come lately', but this 34-year-old prop has really began to make his mark in the twilight years of his career and now the offers have started to come in from abroad. Gloucester have won his services for the 2004/05 Zurich Premiership season and they have made a good buy.
Back-up: Bill Young - Brumbies.
Disappointment: Matt Dunning - Waratahs.

The 2004 Super 12 team of the tournament: 15 Chris Latham (Reds), 14 Clyde Rathbone (Brumbies), 13 Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies), 12 Matt Giteau (Brumbies), 11 Henno Mentz (Sharks), 10 Stephen Larkham (Brumbies), 9 George Gregan (Brumbies), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 6 George Smith (Brumbies), 5 Chris Jack (Crusaders), 4 Radike Samo (Brumbies), 3 Greg Somerville (Crusaders), 2 Andrew Hore (Hurricanes), 1 Christo Bezuidenhout (Bulls).