European Player Of The Year Nominations

European rugby’s governing body the ERC yesterday announced a longlist for the European Player Of The Year 2014 and sees two Munster forwards included.

Despite missing the end of this season due to shoulder injury, there’s no surprise that Munster squad Captain Peter O’Mahony makes the cut. A born leader both in the dressing room and on the pitch, the Cork man’s stand out performances, notably at the breakdown, played a pivotal role in Munster’s European victories to date this season.

Another fantastic campaign from Paul O’Connell also see’s the Munster second row included. O’Connell played 80 minutes in each of Munster's first five Heineken Cup pool games this season and was awarded Man of the Match in the 20-7 win away to Gloucester at Kingsholm. He also earned his 75th Heineken Cup cap in Munster's quarter final victory over Toulouse and in the process rounded off a fine performance with his first try in the competition since 2008.

Interestingly the longlist includes 4 players due to start in this weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-final at the Stade Velodrome with Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson (last years’ winner), Steffon Armitage and Matt Giteau also nominated.

The weekend’s other semi-final features three nominees – Alex Goode of Saracens and Sitiveni Sivivatu and Fritz Lee of ASM Clermont.

The task of finding a successor to Jonny Wilkinson lies with this season’s judging panel of: Stuart Barnes (Sky Sports), Mick Cleary (Daily Telegraph Rugby Correspondent), Emmanuel Massicard (Editor, Midi Olympique), Emile Ntamack (three-time Heineken Cup winner with Toulouse) and Gerry Thornley (Irish Times Rugby Correspondent).

Selection is based on player performances during the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup with the judging panel also having the option to consider additional players who make major contributions during the quarter-finals and semi-finals of both tournaments. A five-man shortlist is then named following this weekend's matches with the winner named directly after next month's Cardiff 2014 finals.

Along with the decision of the panel, the 44 clubs in the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup will have the opportunity to vote for contenders on the ERC European Player of the Year 2014 shortlist.

Also, you can have your say on Twitter using #ERCPlayer2014, and on the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup Facebook pages.

ERC European Player of the Year 2014 longlist

Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
Miles Benjamin (Leicester Tigers)
Sean Cronin (Leinster Rugby)
Jean-Marc Doussain (Toulouse)
Matt Giteau (Toulon)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Cian Healy (Leinster Rugby)
Fritz Lee (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Paul O'Connell (Munster Rugby)
Peter O'Mahony (Munster Rugby)
Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster Rugby)
Sitiveni Sivivatu (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)