Bryan Habana

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Bryan Gary Habana (born 12 June 1983 ^[1] in Benoni, Gauteng) is a South African rugby player who is a wing for the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, the Bulls in Super 14, and the Springboks internationally. He played outside centre and scrumhalf in provincial and age group rugby, but once he was moved to the wing a vast improvement was seen. Prior to his first year of Super Rugby he was selected into the South African Springbok side, ominously scoring a try with his first touch of the ball in test rugby in the end of year test against England in Twickenham in 2004.

Habana's speed is legendary: he has been timed as the fastest winger in South African rugby and has demonstrated on many occasions at all levels of professional rugby his lethal finishing ability. In addition, he is an effective defender, especially in covering line breaks due to his great speed and ability to run down players in the open field. He has a great tackling technique, taking the legs out from under the attacker, and driving them into the ground.

[edit] Career

Habana, developed by the Golden Lions and educated at King Edward VII School and Rand Afrikaans University (now a part of the University of Johannesburg), made his first senior international appearances as a member of the South African Sevens side in the 2003-04 World Sevens Series. He made his Currie Cup debut for the Lions in 2004, doing well enough to be voted the country's most promising player that year. That November, he made his Test debut against England at Twickenham as a 21 year-old. Though the game was lost 32 points to 16, Habana came on as a reserve to score a try on debut against the then World Champions. The following week Habana was moved into the starting line up, where he contributed two tries to the 45 to 10 win over Scotland at Murrayfield. The next week, he was selected in the same position, on the left wing, in that year's final match against Argentina in Buenos Aires. Although he did not score any tries in the Argentina game, his current record stood at three tries from three tests.

In 2005, he moved to the Blue Bulls and Bulls. Following the 2005 Super 12 season, Habana was, as expected, including in the 2005 Springboks squad. He played on the left wing in South Africa's opening match of 2005 against Uruguay, who the Springboks soundly defeated 134 points to three, with Habana scoring a double. South Africa then hosted France for a two test series; drawing the first 30-all, and winning the second 27 to 13, with Habana, scoring two tries in both games. In the lead-up to the 2005 Tri Nations, Habana played in two tests against Australia, the first, a loss at Telstra Stadium, and then a 33 to 20 win at home at Ellis Park, with Habana scoring in the second test.

Habana made his Tri Nations debut on July 30 against the Wallabies at the Bulls' home of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. South Africa won the match 22 points to 16. The subsequent match against the All Blacks at Newlands was also a win for South Africa. In the second match against Australia in Perth, Habana scored two tries in the 22 to 19 win. The All Blacks won the last match of the series, a thrilling 31 to 27 win for the New Zealanders at Carisbrook. Though South Africa did not win the series, Habana had fully emerged as force on the international stage, finishing as the tournament's highest try-scorer, tying with New Zealands' Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko. In the Currie Cup, the Blue Bulls made it to the final, which was played at home at Loftus Versfeld, against the Free State Cheetahs. The Cheetahs, somewhat underdogs, won the final. In November of that year, Habana earned caps for South Africa against Argentina, Wales and France, scoring two tries in the Welsh match. Habana was named to the five-man shortlist for 2005 IRB World Player of the Year, and was also selected by SA Rugby as 2005 South Africa Player of the Year.