In the end, Ireland won the 2018 Six Nations at a canter.
What started in nail-biting fashion, in Paris, was followed by a dominant home stand and a comprehensive win over England at Twickenham. Another Grand Slam in the bag.
Due to Ireland’s sheer ruthlessness and class in the championship, the nominations for the Six Nations player of the tournament were always going to have a green tinge. So it proved as, on Sunday evening, the tournament organisers released their six man shortlist for Best Player.
You can now vote for YOUR NatWest 6 Nations Player of the Championship 2018! Vote here: https://t.co/naazYCe3kN
Congratulations to this year's six nominees!@KEITHEARLS87 @guilhem_guirado
Matteo Minozzi @ConorMurray_9 @JohnnySexton @JacobStockdale #NatWest6Nations pic.twitter.com/DIzs8bPNd6— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2018
Keith Earls, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray and seven-try sensation Jacob Stockdale are all included, as are France captain Guilhelm Guirado and Italian flyer Matteo Minozzi.
Voting will be open until midnight on Tuesday and the winner will surely be Irish. For our money, Dan Leavy was very unlucky to miss out.
For Sky Sports and Telegraph rugby pundit Stuart Barnes won a lot of support for his firm stance on Tadhg Furlong:
It is a desperate list. Furlong far and away the man.
— Stuart Barnes (@SBarnesRugby) March 18, 2018
After a rugby fan responded to the shortlist and dismissed it as ‘absurd’, English writer Sarah Mockford jumped in to defend the selections.
Um, I helped! My 3 were Sexton, Murray + Minozzi. Considered Furlong but he missed Wales win and most of Italy game. Sorry for being so absurd!!
— Sarah Mockford (@heelsonhalfway) March 18, 2018
The thing about these polls and lists is that you will never please everyone.
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