At the end of an emotional, roller-coaster of six weeks on tour, it’s time for Rugby World to hand out a few tongue-in-cheek gongs to a few individuals, highlights and lowlights that caught our eye… Lions ‘Mongrel of the tour’ award – Taulupe Faletau Zinzan Brooke didn’t make many errors in a stellar career as a multi-talented No 8 but his baseless assumption that Taulupe Faletau lacked the ‘mongrel’ to be a Test Lion was woefully wide of the mark. Has the great All Black never watched the 70-cap No 8? Faletau, as ever, did his talking on the pitch and was an ever-present in the Test side, playing more minutes than anyone else, making more tackles than anyone else, winning turnovers and powering through Israel Dagg for a brilliant finish in Wellington. The thought of Faletau and Billy Vunipola in a Lions backrow is enough to give Lions fans sweet dreams for 2021, when they will be 30, and 28 respectively. Midway through the tour, Zinzan sheepishly admitted his assessment of Faletau was a tad askew. ‘Most ridiculously talented gene pool’ award – The Barrett Family When Kevin ‘Smiley’ Barrett, a nuggety backrow for Taranaki stopped playing, he quipped that he was off to breed All Blacks. Sadly for the rest of the rugby world, he was true to his word, and three of his boys look like being a scourge of Test opposition for years to come. Everyone knows about blue-eyed Beaudie, who can ghost past you in the blink of an eye, but until the tour started, 20-year-old Jordie was a well-kept secret. The 6ft 5in full-back is prodigiously gifted, nonchalantly drilling a 50m drop-goal over on the half-time whistle, this after scoring and setting up a try in the Eden Park decider. With the heavier-set Scott, looking like providing sterling back-up for Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, the freedom of New Zealand can only be a matter of time for Smiley. The ‘rugby world at his feet’ award – Maro Itoje At 22, Itoje is hardly a newcomer, picking up a Grand Slam, Champions Cups and Premiership titles as if they were Panini stickers, but his performances in a Lions shirt have taken his game to a rarefied level that very few locks can aspire to. Granted, he hasn’t been perfect, giving away penalties and getting overexcited, but his potential is limitless and the performance he put in in the Third Test was as influential as I’ve seen in many years. His partnership with Alun Wyn Jones looked like the master handing over the baton to the gifted apprentice. Martin Johnson, England’s greatest lock? Ask us in a decade. Maro is that good. ‘Rookie of the tour’ award – Reiko Ioane We’re always told about New Zealand’s strength in depth, and a few years ago, Akira Ioane was expected to be the next big thing. The 23-year-old backrow is a fine player but it’s his kid brother, Reiko who has the likes of Julian Savea and … Continue reading Rugby World’s Alternative Lions Awards