10 Best Tries in World Rugby in 2014

The 2014 calendar may be behind us, but the celebration of yet another great year in the rugby world hasn't yet ceased, a year that was full to the brim with world-class tries.

Between the southern and northern hemispheres, fans witnessed the elite go at it once again in both club and international competitions, with thousands of scores to choose from in order to compile this list.

We've whittled the list down to a selection of the most entertaining tries, ranging from solo efforts to team tries being finished following lengthy passages of fluid hands, supreme skill and synchronicity.

Higher stakes give some tries precedence in their ranking, but the quality of any one score is what really matters most. Let us know your picks in the forum below.

Honourable Mention: Magali Harvey vs. France

Canada's Magali Harvey finished the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup as the second-highest points scorer and joint-third-highest try scorer, single-handedly carrying the Canucks to the final at times.

The 2014 Women's Player of the Year received her reward on the back of some barnstorming international displays, and it was thanks to efforts such as her semi-final score against France that justified the accolade.

With Canada attacking from their own 22, Harvey proceeded to give her team the breakthrough with her sheer pace. Her ability to shake two more opponents in the 100-plus-yard dash is superb.

One can see the wing's stamina depleting as she makes her way toward the try line under pressure, but it takes nothing away from the amazing effort.

10. Timoci Nagusa vs. France

Oddly enough, France's male counterparts conceded a try that was an almost carbon copy of Harvey's aforementioned length-of-the-field score against Fiji during this year's autumn internationals.

Timoci Nagusa epitomised the fight the Pacific Island nation has become so renowned for, carrying from his own line and finishing after an elite showcase of athleticism.

The bearded wonder's try is that much better, though, as Nagusa rampaged past the tackle attempt of Scott Spedding and almost fended off Rory Kockott's challenge simultaneously.

From there, it was a fairly rudimentary run-in from 40 metres, but his audacity to see a gap where there should honestly have been none was magnificent to behold.

9. Tommy Seymour vs. Ospreys

A last-minute effort decided by TMO to dictate whether Glasgow Warriors would get the better of Ospreys during their Pro12 clash in March had all the makings of a brilliant try.

Scotland speedster Tommy Seymour capitalised on a sensational break from Niko Matawalu, who just managed to get his chip in before being cut down by his opponents.

Seymour's blinding speed allowed him to soar past a mountain of Welsh bodies, getting a decisive touch on the score for referee John Lacey to award after referring to his colleagues upstairs.

Seymour's score went on to be named 2013-14 Pro12 Try of the Year.

8. Nick Abendanon vs. Exeter Chiefs

One of the tries shortlisted for Premiership Try of the Season, Nick Abendanon displayed some of what the Bath fans may well be missing now that he's in Clermont.

The Englishman found some space on the wing against Exeter Chiefs—the operative word being "some"—back in February, but his job was far from finished as the late defenders moved to shorten his sights on the line.

However, Abendanon found the calm to make a sumptuously sliced chip over the try line, crashing a fingertip or two onto the ball before any of his markers could get there first.

7. Israel Dagg vs. Argentina

New Zealand's players are of a quality that sometimes has spectators under the impression they possess telepathic abilities—that might at least go some way to explaining why they accomplish what they do.

Any conspiracy theorists may well have watched Israel Dagg's try against Argentina in the Rugby Championship and used it as evidence for their reasoning.

The fullback links up with Ben Smith and others in a move that some teams simply aren't capable of; it almost looks like second nature to Steven Hansen's men, though.

One would struggle to find a squad more in-tune with one another when there's a common goal in sight, with Dagg the man scorching in following unstoppable teamwork in La Plata.

6. Cornal Hendricks vs. Blues

And the award for finest line run in all of 2014 goes to Cornal Hendricks, who emerged from the shade against the Blues in 2014 to bag a thumping score from distance.

Maybe it's the orange of the Cheetahs kit blending as one or perhaps the line was just that good, but the South Africa international appears to come from nowhere when taking on the Blues defence on his own.

The crashed ball was enough to open his initial gap, but the Cheetahs maestro still had his work cut out in turning Frank Halai inside out en route to the line, a feat he accomplished in tremendous fashion.

5. Jonny May vs. New Zealand

If there's one thing Jonny May brings to the England wings in abundance, it's speed. The Gloucester man showed in precisely how much he possesses with his sensational score against New Zealand this autumn.

Just a couple of minutes into their eventual 24-21 defeat, England shifted the ball out to May's mitts, knowing full well the initiative their pace specialist was capable of introducing.

From inside his own half, May makes Conrad Smith look ordinary (yes, Conrad Smith) in ghosting through the All Blacks' line, and for all the bodies New Zealand had, nothing was stopping this run.

May's time spent playing in the centre at Kingsholm has evidently left a good impression on the maestro when it comes to straightening up his lines, albeit showing incredible agility to shift toward the corner on this occasion.

4. Riaan Swanepoel vs. Grenoble

The chip and chase is a difficult skill to master when running at full pelt; the chip and catch is decidedly more difficult.

However, Brive's Alfi Mafi executed the manoeuvre with aplomb against Grenoble back in March, setting fly-half team-mate Riaan Swanepoel up for the easiest, yet most intricate of scores.

Inside his own half, Mafi was bold enough to chip the ball over, catch it and scythe between two defenders before making a delectable backhanded offload to Swanepoel.

3. Bernard Foley vs. Brumbies

Will Skelton may only be at the very beginning of his rugby journey, but it's for moments such as this that Waratahs and Australia fans alike can be truly excited about his future.

The monolithic lock made a break at halfway during his side's Super Rugby semi-final against the Brumbies, but with pace not being one of his stronger suits, Skelton was unsurprisingly brought down.

It's a good thing, then, Bernard Foley was on hand for delivery but equally good Skelton possesses a pair of hands like saucers, nimble enough to make an offload any veteran would be proud of.

From Skelton's injection of sheer brute force to Foley's just-in-time clutch, this was a move showcasing all of rugby's nuances.

2. Jamie Roberts vs. Scotland

Wales haven't always been a fluid machine throughout 2014, but during a Six Nations routing of Scotland, Jamie Roberts capped off a sublime running manoeuvre to display what Warren Gatland's men are capable of.

All the big players touched the ball in a length-of-the-field score that brought Liam Williams to the fore, as well as showing what we already knew the likes of Jonathan Davies and Taulupe Faletau were capable of.

In total, it took Wales just 10 seconds to get from one 22 to their opponents'—and it isn't as if Scotland didn't attempt to at least throw a blockade in their path.

However, with so many cogs working in such finely flowing motion, there's sometimes only so much a defence can do to prevent the score—especially when playing with only 14 men.

1. Malakai Fekitoa vs. Sharks

If Roberts' aforementioned score is to be called the best team try of 2014, Malakai Fekitoa's score against the Sharks in April is without a doubt the best individual effort.

Dubbed Sky Sport NZ's Fans' Try of the Year for the 2014 Super Rugby season, the emerging All Black bagged a try for which the term "one-man army" was specifically created.

Picking the ball up awkwardly inside his own half, Fekitoa winds his way around—and more importantly through—a barrage of Sharks defenders, discovering gaps from seemingly nowhere.

It's for efforts such as these that Steve Hansen is rightly taking notice of the Highlanders maestro, and we can only hope such mastery is on display at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.