Top five columns of 2019: Liam Napier

Sports writer Liam Napier. Photo / Dean Purcell

As we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in 2020, it's a good time to catch up on the very best of the Herald columnists we enjoyed reading over the last 12 months. From politics to sport, from business to entertainment and lifestyle, these are the voices and views our audience loved the most. Today it's the top five from sports writer Liam Napier.

Brutal reality awaits rejected All Blacks

In April, the first peek behind the All Blacks' World Cup selection curtain didn't reveal any major surprises. However, according the Napier, it did confirm the depth of talent at Steve Hansen's disposal. Some were bound to be devastated, but the All Blacks couldn't take 41 players to the World Cup.

The five ABs cracks exposed by the Boks

While the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup campaign started on a bright note, Napier wrote that the team would be well aware improvement was needed to fulfil their quest for three straight Webb Ellis Cups in Japan. He looked at five key areas they would need to improve in.

Reasons behind Steve Hansen's shock All Blacks selections

After Steve Hansen, Ian Foster and Grant Fox named their 31-man squad for Japan, some compelling figures missed out on selection. But the cut that most would feel for was that of dynamic Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape, overlooked in favour of Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty.

The greatest ODI of all time will take some getting over

In July, the Black Caps lost the Cricket World Cup final in crushing circumstances, on the basis of scoring fewer boundaries than the opposition. Napier concluded this was "simply not right" and analysed the devasting loss.

The best and worst from NZ players in the weekend's European rugby action

Chris Boyd and Jerome Kaino were among the most satisfied New Zealanders in Europe but Jono Gibbes and Victor Vito were left to contemplate another moment of French madness after a contrasting weekend of Champions Cup fortunes in November. Gibbes and Ronan O'Gara could only watch on helplessly as their La Rochelle outfit imploded to a 25-15 home loss to Sale - with an eye-gouging scandal from French hooker Pierre Bourgarit.