Nominated: Owen Farrell
Related links
Teams
Also see
Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Frédéric Michalak and Owen Farrell have all been included on the shortlist for the IRB's Player of the Year award.
Farrell's inclusion has come as a major surprise, with several journalists and fans on Twitter questioning how the Saracens fly-half came to be included in the final four.
McCaw is the only player to receive the individual accolade more than once, having won it in 2006, 2009 and 2010, although Carter could join him as a multiple winner, having been named Player of the Year back in 2005.
For the third year in a row the shortlist includes a player to have graduated from the IRB Junior World Championship to the Test arena with Farrell following in the footsteps of Australian trio David Pocock, Will Genia and Kurtley Beale.
The winner of the prestigious Award will be announced at the Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool Allocation Draw in London on December 3, along with the IRB Coach of the Year and IRB Team of the Year Awards.
The IRB Awards panel comprises some of the biggest names in the Game in Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustín Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace.
The panel have deliberated on every major Test played in 2012, starting with the opening RBS 6 Nations match and culminating with the November Internationals. In total they have watched around 100 hours of action, awarding points to the three players they thought stood out in each match.
"This has been one of the closest years to date. In fact the result could be influenced significantly by this weekend's matches, making it a highly contested prize," said John Eales.
Among those players unlucky to miss out on the shortlist are New Zealand number 8 Kieran Read, Australian duo Michael Hooper and Berrick Barnes, Scotland's Ross Rennie, Springbok wing Bryan Habana and Argentina's inspirational captain Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe.
Comments
BillyMutt2 says...
jmangod: McCaw has already won it three times, this will be his 4th if he gets the award. And he should. How Farrell got into this group is beyond me.
Posted 18:58 28th November 2012
adamk says...
Farrell? Wha...?
Where's Reid? And why are no Grand Slam players on it?
Posted 18:34 28th November 2012
ABlack says...
Farrell wouldnt be good enough to play for the NZ S15 teams as a starting player and he gets nomi nated for this award? His old man must have more influence than what is normal and been paying the "judges'. I cant see Umaga, Pienaar, Pichot, Ibanez voting for him , so the other judges must have been paid off by his old man.
I seem to recall Greenwood saying in his column that Farrell was a liability and not even Test standard( as 99.9% of the world can see...)
BIZARRE !!
Posted 18:34 28th November 2012
porridge_time says...
Owen Farrell... eh!
How on earth can such a one dimensional and uninspiring player make the short list for world player of the year. Where is Read, Savea, Hooper, Lobbe... etc? Arron Smith has taken the scrum half role this season to great heights.
The inclusion of Farrell make an utter mockery of this award.
Posted 18:33 28th November 2012
between9and12 says...
owen farrel is there because england have the rwc in 2015. they did the same for mcaw in 2009 before nz hosted it. he had only played half a season of super rugby and came 2nd in the tri nations. when the clear front runners were o'driscal and du preez. O'driscal had won the 6 nations and heineken cup and du preez had won the lions series, tri nations and super rugby.
i just love a conspiracy :-)
Posted 18:28 28th November 2012
Rosbif says...
"The panel have deliberated on every major Test played in 2012"
Will they not be looking at S15, HCup, domestic league games etc, as well?
Michalak had a pretty good run with the Sharks at 9 and 10, but missed the 6N as a result, so he's only had a handful of tests for France. And he's played non-stop for Toulon since coming back to France, mainly at 9. How can you judge him only on Tests? Or only as a 10?
Meanwhile, Carter and McCaw are part of a totally different player management set-up. They're not required to play ITM matches. They skip a few S15 games too. They even get to have a rest on the end of year tour. So, logically, they're at their best in the Test matches they do play.
All three are obviously great players. But how do you begin to compare?
Posted 18:25 28th November 2012
ben7 says...
This has got to be a joke right? Lobbe should be there and so should Habana and Dagg and one of those three should win it
@yelloj321 i think you mean ever since Fourie Du Preez was robbed of it in 2009
Posted 18:16 28th November 2012
nzmaoriboy says...
hmmm would have gone with reid instead of Mccaw & Conrad Smith for Carter!
Should have been....Reid,Habana,C Smith,Michalak,Hooper and Lobbe..
Posted 18:03 28th November 2012
paulynz says...
Hard to go past Richie McCaw. Playing in a position with one of the highest attrition rates in the game and at an age when his career should be winding down he's been absolutely magnificent this year
Posted 18:01 28th November 2012
papachinzo says...
We've come to expect this, the IRB awards are, and always have been a massive joke.
Posted 18:01 28th November 2012
gungehammer says...
Owen Farrell?
Posted 18:01 28th November 2012
Terry_English says...
Owen Farrell must be the tenth best fly half in the world, if I was being generous. The ABs are unbeaten in 20 games and played the best super rugby. It has to McCaw again, although how Keiran Reid, Conrad Smith and Brian Habana missed out I don't know.
Posted 18:00 28th November 2012
jmanngod says...
I have no idea who Owen Farrell is...
Posted 17:56 28th November 2012
jmanngod says...
Richie McCaw will win it deservedly for a 3rd time
Posted 17:54 28th November 2012
fattysock says...
Owen Farrell? Really?
Fair play to the lad - he's done well in what is essentially his debut year. But he isn't even the first choice 10 in England (based on the last 5 tests) so how he can be the player of the year is beyond me?
And it's not even as though he's lead the team to any great heights (yet). Lost the series in SA, 2nd in the 6N (admittedly not a bad effort...), and has so far has lost both of the important Autumn internationals.
Posted 17:45 28th November 2012
rockman says...
As usual the award is a farce. Cop on irb!
Posted 17:40 28th November 2012
yelloj321 says...
Are you kidding me? Owen Farrell.........OWEN FARRELL....
This award has become a joke ever since O'Driscoll was robbed of it in 2009.
Posted 17:36 28th November 2012
lele says...
king richie all the time!!!
Posted 17:33 28th November 2012
2rlock4 says...
Owen Farrell being considered for this makes a mockery of the award as he is not (yet) world class and this award is for those who are world class and dominate the world game in there respective position
Posted 17:32 28th November 2012
makemehappy says...
Farrell???? Must be a printing error surely. He hasn't stood out, isn't a clear first choice, seems to have gone backwards of late and simply isn't a class rugby player.
Posted 17:30 28th November 2012