It's a wrap. The NPC final represents the end of the current rugby season, for my money. So here's a quickfire awards ceremony, before the next season starts next week.
And the winners are:
* PLAYER: Richie McCaw. Can we order another one of those, please.
* TEST FIND: Ali Williams. A black mark for a stamp - then stamped his mark in black.
* CAPTAIN: All Black leader Tana Umaga. Deserves lionisation.
* COACH: Auckland's Pat Lam. Looked dead in 2004, buried the rest in 2005.
* TEAM: Auckland. Sparkled like the harbour on a summer's day. Ahhhh.
* TRY: Keven Mealamu's lineout try in the NPC final - simply perfection.
* DUD: Canterbury. Back to the boring board.
* DOPE: Vilimoni Delasau. Wasted on the wing.
* JOKE: Rico Gear (Nelson Bays).
* WHINGER: Brian O'Driscoll. Lions pussycat.
* SPINNER: Lions media man Alastair Campbell. Put words in other mouths and a foot in his.
* QUOTE: "I can smell something special ... " Sir Clive Woodward, after the Lions beat Otago a week before the first test.
<EM>Chris Rattue:</EM> Drumroll please...the rugby winners for 2005
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