Habana wins Try of the Year award

30 November 2012 - 02:39 By Sapa
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FINE FORM: Bryan Habana has been nominated for the SA player-of-the-year award Picture: GETTY IMAGES
FINE FORM: Bryan Habana has been nominated for the SA player-of-the-year award Picture: GETTY IMAGES

Bryan Habana's spectacular score against New Zealand in the inaugural Four Nations has been named as the International Rugby Players' Association's Try of the Year 2012.

The winger becomes the second South African to win the award after fellow Springbok Jaque Fourie was afforded the honour in 2009 for his try in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions.

Fourie, All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina, former IRB Player of the Year Shane Williams and Japan's Daisuke Ohata, the leading try scorer in Test rugby, formed the panel of judges who opted for Habana's effort ahead of the three other shortlisted tries scored by New Zealand duo Hosea Gear and Julian Savea and Julien Malzieu of France.

Habana, the IRB Player of the Year in 2007, stunned the All Blacks when he burst onto a pass from flanker Francois Louw at full speed, chipped ahead and gathered to score a try that briefly handed the Springboks the lead seven minutes into the second half of the contest in Dunedin. New Zealand went on to win 21-11.

"Scoring a try against the All Blacks is always special, but scoring against them in New Zealand, is even more special," said Habana.

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