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Bristol favourite Radradra heads 5-strong European player of the year award shortlist

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Fijian favourite Semi Radradra is going head to head with Scottish duo Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg, England’s Sam Simmonds and Virimi Vakatawa of France after Bristol Bears, Racing 92 and Exeter were all represented on the shortlist for the 2020 EPCR European player of the year award.

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Fifteen initial nominees were trimmed to five based on the combined verdict of a panel of rugby experts and a public vote, and the final five includes four players whose performances were vital in taking their clubs through to the Heineken Champions Cup final at Ashton Gate next month. 

Exeter are represented by Simmonds, the leading try scorer in this season’s tournament, as well as Hogg, whose Scotland colleague Russell makes it onto the list for Racing alongside his clubmate Vakatawa. The Top 14 club are looking for a second accolade in three years as Leone Nakarawa, their former second row, won in 2018.

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    Former All Blacks back row Jerome Kaino talks about Cheslin Kolbe, his Toulouse teammate

    The selection of Radradra, meanwhile, comes on the back of a stellar series of performances in the European Challenge Cup, initially for Bordeaux during the pool stage and more recently for finalists Bristol. His presence on the shortlist is unusual in the sense that players in the Challenge Cup don’t often get this type of recognition.

    Voting has now reopened on epcrugby.com/epoty and the winner and recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final in Bristol on October 17.

    EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist

    STUART HOGG (Exeter Chiefs)
    SEMI RADRADRA (Bristol Bears/Bordeaux)
    FINN RUSSELL (Racing 92)
    SAM SIMMONDS (Exeter Chiefs)
    VIRIMI VAKATAWA (Racing 92)

    Judging panel

    Erik Bonneval (beIN SPORTS), Bryan Habana (Channel 4), Emmanuel Massicard (Midi Olympique), Sonja McLaughlan (BBC Radio 5 Live), Brian O’Driscoll (BT Sport), Alan Quinlan (Virgin Media), Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions)

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    Roll of Honour

    2019: Alex Goode (Saracens)
    2018: Leone Nakarawa (Racing)
    2017: Owen Farrell (Saracens)
    2016: Maro Itoje (Saracens)
    2015: Nick Abendanon (Clermont)
    2014: Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
    2013: Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)
    2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster)
    2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
    2010: Ronan O’Gara (Munster – best player of first 15 years of European club rugby)

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    R
    RedWarrior 54 minutes ago
    A glut of Lions balances the less than rosy state of the Irish rugby garden

    I don’t see how Fanning can accuse Leinster of complacency when they won every match this season bar three. Glasgow hammered Premiership finalists Leicester and then Leinster beat Glasgow 52-0 while not starting Jordie Barrett. Accusations like ‘Arrogance’ sell copy and fuel online engagement but there is little evidence of it with Leinster. Nobody who knows the team makes that claim.

    I think a lack of real tests for Leinster either in the URC or in the Champions Cup left vulnerabilities. I think Cullen’s approach to over-resting players before these big matches particularly pivotal decision making positions like full back had a detrimental effect. This has been brought up in previous years. We saw the difference in Leinster playing 3 big matches week on week in the URC final compared to the NH performance.

    Massive credit must go to Northampton for analyzing and finding weaknesses, by rolling the dice and playing the full team the week before, and by maximally cashing in when they got their chances. Northampton scored 3 unanswered tries, two of which were against 14 men, and ended up winning by 3. Massive credit must be bestowed on their side of the balance sheet.

    I thought Munster finished the season strongly, Ulster are looking better. I agree Connacht underperformed but Lancaster is an exciting prospect. The coaching tickets across all4 provinces are looking good. 13 of Leinsters team against Bulls were originally academy players. I am not really seeing these potholes That Fanning references?

    Very important that Leinster beat Bulls and convincingly as a bonus.

    Questions that detractors had about Irish front rowers and pace in the backs are starting to be answered.

    Ireland need to just maintain a top 4 position before the end of year RWC draw. But a sense that they might be building.


    NB* Ireland have lost just 4 matches since the 2023 RWC. Only SA can match that.

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