Jamie Heaslip named on five-man shortlist for European Player of the Year

Jamie Heaslip's performances this season have been rewarded with a nomination for EPCR European Player of the Year.

The Leinster captain is one of five players in the running for the award, along with Clermont pair Nick Abendanon and Fritz Lee, Toulon’s Steffon Armitage and Saracens number eight Billy Vunipola. The nomination will come as scant consolation for Leinster's season which will, in all likelihood, end trophyless after an extra-time defeat to Toulon at the weekend in the Champions Cup and a place in the PRO12 playoffs looking all but out of their grasp. Leinster have a respectable history of their players claiming the award with Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney being recipients in 2011 and 2012 respectively.