Radike Samo’s 60-metre solo try in 2011, that a former Fiji and Wallabies winger compared to ‘fine wine’, is among tries nominated for World Rugby XVs Try of the Decade award.
At No.8 for the Wallabies in their Tri-Nations title-clinching win against the All Blacks in August 2011, Samo crossed from inside his half, brushed off Adam Thomson, outpaced Cory Jane and Mils Muliaina on his way to score the try, which was also the first in his Test career. The same try won the 2011 International Rugby Board (now known as World Rugby) Try of the Year award.
It was in a follow-up interview that Acura Niuqila reportedly made the comparison between the try and wine in which he said: “We Fijian players are like wine… the older we get, the better we become.” The Sydney Morning Herald also weighed in on the try, hailed it as “one of the greatest forward tries.”
Also nominated for the award are England’s Chris Ashton who picked up the 2010 IRB Try of the Year award, Springboks duo Bryan Habana (2012 award winner v NZ), and Francois Hougard (2014 v NZ); All Blacks’ Beauden Barret (2013 v France), Julian Savea (2015 v France), Brodie Retallick (2018 v Australia), and TJ Perenara (2019 v Namibia), Ireland’s James Heaslip (2016 v Italy), and Argentina’s Joaquin Tuculet (2017 v England).
Samo is one of four Fijians nominated for a World Rugby award – alongside Jerry Tuwai, Samisoni Viriviri and Tomasi Cama all of whom are among nine players nominated for the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Decade.
Fans have until 25 October to vote for the winners, which will be announced at the awards proper on 7 December.
