Rugby: Hooker Coles, fly-half Barratt nominated for Player of the Year award

Dane Coles, seen playing for the All Blacks against Australia last month, is one of two New Zealand players nominated for World Rugby's Player of the Year accolade.
Dane Coles, seen playing for the All Blacks against Australia last month, is one of two New Zealand players nominated for World Rugby's Player of the Year accolade. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LONDON • Front-row forwards are rarely in contention for individual prizes, so it was understandable that Dane Coles' nomination for World Rugby's Player of the Year award was labelled "awesome" by New Zealand team-mate Wyatt Crockett.

There was some good news for the All Blacks as the world champions landed in Italy on Monday after a 40-29 defeat by Ireland in Chicago ended their record-breaking run of 18 successive Test wins.

Both hooker Coles and fly-half Beauden Barrett are among the six nominees for World Rugby's top individual honour.

But while backs are often lauded - the reigning World Player of the Year is Barrett's All Blacks predecessor Dan Carter, a three-time winner now retired from Test rugby - such trophies rarely come the way of players with No. 1 to No. 3 on their shirts.

Indeed the only front-row forward to have collected the World Rugby crown was Ireland's Keith Wood, the now-retired hooker chosen as the global governing body's inaugural Player of the Year in 2001.

"It's awesome to see Colesey getting nominated for that," New Zealand prop Crockett told AFP in Rome, where the All Blacks will look to return to winning ways against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

"He has been playing great footy all this year and the last couple of years so it is thoroughly deserved."

Coles' nomination citation, from a judging panel chaired by Wallabies great John Eales, states that the 29-year-old is the "epitome of the modern-day front row, with his strength, speed and mobility often seeing him pop up on the wing to finish off a flowing move".

Also nominated for the award, which will be presented in London on Sunday, are the England trio of Owen Farrell, Billy Vunipola and the currently injured Maro Itoje.

They all played key roles as England won their first nine Tests under Eddie Jones, as well as helping London club Saracens complete an English and European title double.

England's unbeaten record under Australian coach Jones will be put to the test against South Africa at Twickenham this weekend.

Rounding off the Player of the Year shortlist is Ireland loose forward Jamie Heaslip.

It was the No. 8 who provided the ideal pass off a scrum that sent in centre Robbie Henshaw for the match-clinching try as Ireland ended their 111-year winless streak against New Zealand at Chicago's Soldier Field last Saturday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 09, 2016, with the headline Rugby: Hooker Coles, fly-half Barratt nominated for Player of the Year award. Subscribe