Not even Fiji’s powerhouse Rupeni Caucaunibuca could stop Bryan Habana as the Springboks winger won the final to be crowned rugby’s best finisher.
SARugbymag.co.za readers were clear that Habana was peerless as a finisher, handing the Bok flyer 70% of the vote over the former Blues and Agen ace in the deciding round.
In this poll series that asked readers to pick a finisher-supremo, Habana never looked like giving an inch, dismissing Shane Williams and Israel Folau with ease before accelerating past Caucau.
The world’s second leading try-scorer and South Africa’s most prolific finisher of all time, Habana scored 67 tries in 124 Tests.
At club and provincial levels, he holds two Super Rugby titles, two Currie Cup titles, two European Cups, and a Top 14 title. Habana’s international career was also nothing short of stellar, winning the World Cup in 2007, the Tri-Nations and Lions series in 2009, while raking in personal accolades along the way such as the 2007 IRB Player of the Year award as well as three SARU Player of the Year awards (2005, 2007 and 2012).
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He is the all-time joint top try-scorer in World Cups alongside legendary All Blacks finisher Jonah Lomu (15 tries), and shares the record for try-scoring in a single World Cup with Lomu and Julian Savea (eight tries).
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