Readers Pick Germishuys Gem As Try Of The Year
Readers Pick Germishuys Gem As Try Of The Year
The readers voted and the try from Hanco Germishuys to beat Scotland is the Men's USA try of the year.
Readers have voted and named the try Hanco Germishuys scored against Scotland as the USA Men's Try Of The Year.
This try got almost 50% of the votes among five candidates. The only other try that was close was Joe Taufete'e's explosive run through the Scottish pack in the same game. Clearly, voters factored the level of opposition into their decisions.
| Try Of The Year Voting | ||
| Hanco Germishuys vs Scotland | 48.97% | |
| Joe Taufete'e vs Scotland | 30.45% | |
| Joe Taufete'e vs Ireland | 9.47% | |
| Cam Dolan vs Samoa | 7.41% | |
| Nate Augspurger vs Chile | 3.7% |
And clearly the USA's 30-29 victory over Scotland -- the first-ever over a Tier 1 rugby nation -- resonated with fans.
So why the Germishuys try?
Reason #1: It Turned The Game Around
Well, sort of. The two tries from Taufete'e either side of halftime helped do that, too. But at the time of the Germishuys try, the Eagles were down a point, and entering that dreaded final quarter of the game when major nations often find another gear and pull away.
Instead, the Eagles took the lead, and didn't relinquish it.
Flyhalf AJ MacGinty only played three games for the Eagles, but it's a good thing that one of them was this game against Scotland, because he was at the top of his form. This try came during a period of kicks back and forth between the two teams.
MacGinty opted for a shorter high ball and chased. It's because he's so quick and has such balance that he was able to run full-out while watching the ball in the air (try it some time, it's not easy). Had MacGinty not been able to do that, there would be no mistake by Scotland, and no try.
And notice, MacGinty nabs that bouncing ball with one hand.
Reason #3: AJ MacGinty's Vision
Between MacGinty and the Scottish backfield there were about 20 players, and yet ... well, let's hear him tell it (we start talking about the try at 2:45).
Oh, and that pass ... that pass to Germishuys was pretty special.
Reason #4: Being In The Right Place
Hanco Germishuys saw what was happening and quickly got himself in position. He was on the wing and wisely just stayed there, got himself onside and then burst onto MacGInty's pass. It was a simple thing, but an easy thing to screw up. He stayed in position to get that pass, didn't rush and slid in for the try.
And one more thing. This doesn't matter when we're judging the try, but it's worth noting that MacGinty then hit the touchline conversion, basically the same kick Blair Kinghorn would miss at the end of the game. That made the difference, too.