some breath-taking moves, touches of genius, diabolical decisions and at times teams where totally outclassed and should never have been on the field.
Best team:The Bulls, whose depth, consistency and experience placed them clearly above all other teams.
Worst team: The Johannesburg-based Lions who, despite recruiting players such as former All Blacks fly half Carlos Spencer, became the first team in Super rugby history to finish a season without a win.
Most improved team: The Reds who were transformed by coach McKenzie into a quality side which beat both the Stormers and the Bulls during the regular season.
Underachievers: The Waikato Chiefs who were finalists in 2009 but lost any chance of reaching the playoffs when they failed to win a game at home. The Auckland Blues and Durban-based Sharks merit mentions.
Most influential player: A hard call but the Bulls' Matfield deserves special notice. He dominated the key areas of lineouts and kickoffs and his captaincy was exemplary. Teammates du Preez and Steyn were also outstanding.
Worst Player: Not a very nice category to have to introduce but hell what on earth happened to Earl Rose?
Best coach: The Stormers' Allister Coetzee and Reds' McKenzie share credit for turning previously underperforming teams into winners.
Best match: Another hard call in a season in which more points were scored than ever before and in which cliffhangers were commonplace. The Bulls' 48-38 win over the Waratahs in Round 3 and 40-35 win over the Crusaders in Round 13 were thrilling, but the Chiefs 72-65 win over the Lions was simply a freak show.
Worst Refs decision: Tough one because there were so many but no doubt that one that caused the most controversy was Paul "skid" Marks not awarding a penalty try to the Sharks after Waratah's Beale had deliberately slapped down Terblanche's pass to Kanko. Marks untimately didn't blow his whistle again for most of the season but the call probably cost the Sharks a chance to make the playoffs.
Best Try: There were a few classic tries but none more so than the Bryan Habana try against the Chiefs. 13 touches by the Stormers as the Chiefs were left for dead, it doesn't get much better than that.
