EPCR European Player of the Year 2015

Nick Abendanon (Clermont)
Fritz Lee (Clermont)
Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

Three Englishmen on the shortlist again (2014 was Ashton, Armitage and Wilkinson). Just like last year, though, only one freely available for England.

These five were chosen from a fifteen man longlist, which you can see here:

http://www.epcrugby.com/news/30311.php

EPCR European Player of the Year 2015 longlist
Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon)
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster Rugby)
Juan Imhoff (Racing Metro 92)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Fritz Lee (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Camille Lopez (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Ian Madigan (Leinster Rugby)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro 92)
Aurélien Rougerie (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Nicolas Sanchez (RC Toulon)
Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro 92)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

Meh. Sorry.

Is it me or has this been a poor season for standout performances?

yappysnap wrote:Is it me or has this been a poor season for standout performances?

That's absolutely what I was thinking.

Have there been standout team performances?

Clermont's demolition of Northampton sticks in my mind, but not a whole lot others.

No player has been amazing throughout.

Joseph vs Toulouse is the standout performance.

In terms of consistency it's Armitage, Abendenon and Vunipola.

I've no idea why Heaslip is there, other than a bit of leadership.

Cyril wrote:No player has been amazing throughout.

Joseph vs Toulouse is the standout performance.

In terms of consistency it's Armitage, Abendenon and Vunipola.

I've no idea why Heaslip is there, other than a bit of leadership.

Meanwhile, the lone Irish guy................. what's he doing there?  Indeed, what was Leinster doing there in the first place?  The plan was that they wouldn't be there!

Yeah, I'd say Heaslip dragging the rag tag Leinster fleet to within a failed drop goal attempt of a Final against the Harlem-globetrotting Toulon is pretty good reason to be there.  No dazzle, no dance, no offloading beauty, no line breaking marvel...just turning up and nearly so nearly doing it

SecretFly wrote:

Cyril wrote:No player has been amazing throughout.

Joseph vs Toulouse is the standout performance.

In terms of consistency it's Armitage, Abendenon and Vunipola.

I've no idea why Heaslip is there, other than a bit of leadership.

Meanwhile, the lone Irish guy................. what's he doing there?  Indeed, what was Leinster doing there in the first place?  The plan was that they wouldn't be there!

Yeah, I'd say Heaslip dragging the rag tag Leinster fleet to within a failed drop goal attempt of a Final against the Harlem-globetrotting Toulon is pretty good reason to be there.  No dazzle, no dance, no offloading beauty, no line breaking marvel...just turning up and nearly so nearly doing it

Poor Madigan, not even considered irish now!

I consider him plenty Irish...but he ain't in the final list, so......................

Neither is Joseph so i thought we were on about the long list.

I was on about the short one. What 'we' were on about is out of my hands. I even get it hard to keep 'me' going, nevermind 'we'.

In any case of the above not really a standout for me. Toss for it.

Reckon the lack of a standout is partly due to the dual tv coverage. Gone are the days when Barnes, Morris and Greenwood would preview every game on the rugby club, and start building the hype for the key battles. its just not really possible when the same lads don't get to focus on a single team in every round. BT came along and ruined it.

There you go!

That's actually the winner of player of the year for 2015.

BT!

Congrats lad. Well played.

You need people to tell you your own opinion kunu? reckon it's more to do with the fact there really isn't a standout myself.

No of course not. But you're simply wrong if you think that Armitage, Wilkinson, Kearney or O Brien's previous awards weren't bolstered by the Sky lads' hype train. Always made for a bit of excitement on a thursday evening.

They're still hyping now. barnes was in ecstacy watching Armitage.

Hah yeah true, that's what really reminded me of what it used to be like! Imagine Barnes got to sink his teeth into all of Toulon's Champions cup games - commentating and then analysis on the Rugby Club, when he gets to crack out the dodgy touch screen analysis with Greenwood. Suppose we don't need to, Armitage got the nod last year after all! (Absolutely deservedly so). But you get what I mean, Sky are great for getting a buzz going, and that buzz has been watered down this year.

Nick Abendanon

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/32597318

Interesting that the last three English players to win the title (Wilkinson, Armitage and Abendanon) have not been playing for the national side

Rugby Fan wrote:Nick Abendanon

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/32597318

Interesting that the last three English players to win the title (Wilkinson, Armitage and Abendanon) have not been playing for the national side

I think that's a good choice - at least it's not a bloody Toulon player.

Of all the rugby I have watched this year, and I do not know if it is just because he is bit of a newcomer, but one person who has stood out for me in the 6N and in the European games I have watched is Jonathan Joseph, other special mentions have to go to Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb, but the English center would be my choice.

Joseph had one fantastic game in Europe then some good, some average from what I saw. Don't think this is based on anything other than Europe is it?

No 7&1/2 wrote:Joseph had one fantastic game in Europe then some good, some average from what I saw. Don't think this is based on anything other than Europe is it?

6n as well I would have thought.

LordDowlais wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Joseph had one fantastic game in Europe then some good, some average from what I saw. Don't think this is based on anything other than Europe is it?

6n as well I would have thought.

The last three winners didn't play in the 6 Nations

The last stand out player to win it in my books was Shane Williams, he was good in every competition he played in, not just the CC, it is more and more looking like a popularity contest these days.

It is based only on European comps. Just for the record the past winners are O'Gara, O'Brien, R Kearney, Wilkinson, S Armitage and now Abendanon.