European Player of the Year

From the BBC

Six of England's Grand Slam-winning squad are among the nominations for the 2016 European player of the year award.

Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Billy Vunipola (all Saracens), Jack Clifford (Harlequins) and Elliot Daly (Wasps) are on the 15-man list.

The last three winners are all English - Nick Abendanon, Steffon Armitage and Jonny Wilkinson.




Northampton's Wales wing George North, Toulon's Armitage, winner in 2014, and Racing 92's Dan Carter also feature.

Australia great George Smith and fellow Wasp Charles Piatau, Exeter number eight Thomas Waldrom and Leicester's Vereniki Goneva are the other nominees from the English Premiership.

Armitage's Toulon team-mate Guilhem Guirado and Racing 92's Argentine winger Juan Imhoff complete the list.


Pretty good for Sarries to have 4 players on the list and all but 4 from the AP and you could argue Waldrom is "English" as he has played for them making it 8 Englishmen

Is this European player of the year, or RCC player of the year?

BBC are saying European Player of the Year


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36095105

I'd say it's for the RCC rather than overall European play.

What would be the difference?

Also it must be European and not RCC as Clifford is in the ECC, also not sure why he's there form wise anyhow.

Well, I have to say then that the list is BS.

George North? Seriously?

The best two player's in my opinion have been Vunipola and Faletau. Would like to see either of them win it, they have been the standout 8's in world rugby.

Tattie Scones RRN wrote:I'd say it's for the RCC rather than overall European play.

"Recognised as one of the most prestigious individual accolades in the game, the European Player of the Year honours the best player of the European club rugby season from both the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup tournaments."

http://www.epcrugby.com/epcr/europeanplayeroftheyear/index.php

George Smith - probably the biggest single impact by a player on his team
George North - probably the smallest single impact by a player on his team

Kruis gets my vote, good to see someone recognised for doing all the non-glamorous stuff well.

I think Farrell for me.

It is a slightly perverse list. Looks like they wanted at least one person from each 1/4 final team in the Chanpions Cup. Thus Leicester and Exeter's token entry are the current leading try scorers in the competition. Meanwhile they select North for Saints despite not featuring in the 1/4 final and Armitage for Toulon despite being on the bench. Then the token Challenge Cup nominee, Clifford, cannot make the starting line-up for Quins tomorrow.

Its not european player of the year tho is it? Its player of the european cup and even then its a bit odd selection

No place for the 6 nations player of the year?

TJ wrote:Its not european player of the year tho is it?  Its player of the european cup and even then its a bit odd selection

No place for the 6 nations player of the year?

Yes correct, it's based on the European club competitions, not test matches. It's only been around for about 5-6 years. No English club player has won it yet, so this year's voting should up their chances. Previous winners include Ronan O'Gara, Sean O'Brien, Rob Kearney, Jonny Wilkinson, Steffon Armitage, and Nic Abendanon??.

Odds are on Dan Carter unsurprisingly and disappointingly.

Stuart Hogg was awarded 6N Player of the Tournament.

It's a bit odd to make the selection before the competition is done. Someone not on the shortlist could now have two fantastic games, be the key man in winning the title for his team, and not get a mention.

Often feel that way about MOTM awards declared five minutes before a game is up, especially when the result gets turned on its head by a key play at the death.