Four South Africans have been included in a Vodacom Super Rugby Team of the Decade based on away performances.
The team has eight players from New Zealand teams, four from South African teams and three from Australia – if one counts Amanaki Mafi, who currently plays for the Sunwolves but also played for the Rebels.
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The pack has players from eight different teams, including two World Cup-winning Springboks in Stormers loosehead Steven Kitshoff and Lions hooker Malcolm Marx.
Between them the duo made 506 tackles, with Marx gaining an average of 23 metres per game in that stretch – the most of any tight-five forward to play at least 20 away games in that period.
The second-row pairing is made up of former Vodacom Bulls lock RG Snyman, who is set to join Munster, and the Chiefs’ Brodie Retallick. They won 301 lineouts between them, while Snyman made 162 carries from his 25 appearances.
The remaining South African is in midfield as former Vodacom Bulls centre Jan Serfontein – currently playing for Montpellier – makes the cut. Serfontein made 10-plus carries and 10-plus tackles in a game from inside centre on five occasions, the second most of any player in the last decade of Super Rugby.
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All Blacks and Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie is named as the Away Team Player of the Decade. The mercurial playmaker scored 20-plus points in an away game on seven occasions since debuting in 2015 – more than any other player – and he has been directly involved in 24 tries in his last 18 games away from home in the competition.
SUPER RUGBY AWAY TEAM OF THE DECADE – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 James Lowe, 13 Charles Piutau, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Amanaki Mafi, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Sean McMahon, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images via Getty Images
