There has been no shortage of impressive New Zealand performers in Super Rugby this season. These are the best of them.

Damian McKenzie, Chiefs fullback

In the context of an interschool game, a brilliant first-half solo try from the visitors was an inconsequential score – it wasn't the match clincher, and in fact the home side came back to win the game.



But in August 2013, what Damian McKenzie's 35-metre angled run to score in the left-hand corner of Otago Boys' famed Littlebourne home ground did was announce the Christ's College pivot to the world – much in the same way the Southland Times' front page in 1992 trumpeted "Jeff Wilson 66, James Hargest 6" after McKenzie's fellow swede-eater Goldie contributed half his Cargill High School's 18 tries as well as 15 conversions in a 102-6 rout of their Invercargill interschool rival.



McKenzie has been at the heart of the Chiefs' running game this season – and been their biggest contributor in a side that has scored 68 tries, the most of any New Zealand franchise, and second only to the Lions' 71. His nine tries this season, equal with teammate Seta Tamanivalu, is just two behind table-topping Israel Folau of the Waratahs, while his 26 offloads has him equal on second, five behind Highlanders centre Malakai Fekitoa.

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Elliot Dixon deservedly got an All Blacks callup thanks to his form with the Highlanders. CREDIT: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Elliot Dixon, Highlanders flanker

In one big 1.93m, 110kg galloping machine he's both old school and the modern rugby running man – all wrapped up with half a roll of electrical tape around his ears.

His Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph saw himself in the hulking No.6 and was understandably over the moon to see the 26-year-old inherit his old test jumper for his test debut against the Welsh on his home track of Dunedin for the third and final test.



"He's better than me," Joseph said. "He's proven in the last couple of years he's as good as the sixes that are going around in New Zealand."

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has watched him grow from a Christchurch schoolboy who headed to Southland in 2010 to play provincial rugby into a Highlanders regular, before capping a brilliant season last year by scoring that contentious, and game-clinching, try in the final in a man-of-the-match performance. That led to one of the least surprising test call-ups of the year.



"As a six your role (is to) be collision-based and dominant in the contact," Hansen said.

Ardie Savea is a hard man to stop as the Sharks found out. CREDIT: Getty Images

Ardie Savea, aged 22, stands 1.88m and 100kg wringing wet. He's shown up the doubters who said his size couldn't take him to the top. Sevens maybe. But the 15-man game wasn't made for him.



Ardie, thankfully, doesn't deal in the negative. (He even likes his hairdresser.)



And with 165 tackles made this season, second only to the Chiefs' Sam Cane, the Hurricanes are reaping the benefits of having this tenacious tyro in their lineup as they march towards what surely must be back-to-back Super Rugby finals.

Savea copped stick midway through the season when he gave up his Sevens jersey – and a shot at gold in Rio – to commit to the 15-man game. Ultimately, as the TV commentators will soon tell us, rugby will be the winner.

Steven Luatua has worked his way up through the ranks. CREDIT: Antony Au-Yeung/Photosport

Steven Luatua, Blues loose forward

To appreciate Steven Luatua's future, you need to understand where he's come from.



He might not have arrived into the All Blacks from "easy street", but he had a seamless progression through the New Zealand rugby system – NZ U17s, NZ secondary schools, Auckland U20s, NPC, Blues. His natural size (1.96m, 114kg) and athletic abilities, both in the air and with ball in hand, led him to his All Blacks debut from the bench against the French in 2013.



But after a turbulent few years – he's played 14 tests, the last of which came against the Springboks in 2014 – Luatua has rebuilt more than his shoulder at the Blues this season, operating as a genuine utility forward, mainly at No 8 and No 6.



The 25-year-old puts up big numbers with carries but he finds more often than not that his job is to slow the opposition ball down.



He accepted at the start of this season he had to do better to win back a spot in the All Blacks. "When I first came on the scene it was smooth sailing. I held my spot for a little bit then it all came tumbling down ... it was a massive learning curve.



"Some people like to say you need adversity to appreciate what you've got and to bounce back.



"I would've like to have not gone through it, but I have and I'm definitely a lot more aware of the opportunity at hand."

You get the feeling this bloke is a swift learner – especially when it comes to assessing where he has to grow.

Israel Dagg returned to his best this season in a welcome sight for Crusaders fans.CREDIT: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Israel Dagg, Crusaders fullback

With an ending there was a new beginning for Israel Dagg.

Call it a reboot. Call it finding his mojo again.

The simple fact of the matter is the Crusaders custodian parked at the back of the red and black paddock has learnt from his mistakes – on and off the field – and is backing himself again. The result was a recall back into the All Blacks for the Wales series 10 months after missing out on a Rugby World Cup spot.

Lesser players would have dropped their heads. Others might have opted for the lucrative second-tier overseas that is easier on the body and can extend a playing career.

Not Dagg. The 27-year-old Crusaders fullback vowed at the start of the Super Rugby season he was not done at the top end in New Zealand – and that he had the game to prove it.

"It was just getting the right mindset and getting out there and putting a smile on my dial and having fun," Dagg told Stuff.

"Just getting out there and being positive. If you don't back yourself, you're probably not going to play as well as you can."

Come the Wales winter test series, All Black coach Steve Hansen said the recall of a player sacked because of poor form through the previous year was a "no-brainer".

Dagg's running style of play has netted five tries this season and contributed to his Crusaders side sitting third for five-pointers scored – 65 in total, three behind the Chiefs and six below the Lions. And he's surrounded by some of the game's best finishers in a backline that shares the tries around, with Johnny McNicholl (7), Nemani Nadolo (6), Jone Macilai-Tori (6), Ryan Crotty (6) cashing in.