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Leinster and Racing players shortlisted for European award

By Peter Thompson
Leinster and Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong

All five players shortlisted for the EPCR European Player of the Year award will feature in the Champions Cup final next month.

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Scott Fardy, Tadhg Furlong and Johnny Sexton have been nominated after playing significant roles for a Leinster side that has won every game to reach the showdown in Bilbao on May 12.

Racing 92 duo Maxime Machenaud and Leone Nakarawa are also in the running for the prestigious gong, which was won by Saracens and England’s Owen Farrell last year.

Former Australia flanker Fardy was named man of the match for an excellent performance in Leinster’s semi-final victory over the Scarlets on Saturday, while Sexton scored 18 points, including a try, at the Aviva Stadium.

Furlong was outstanding for Ireland in their Grand Slam triumph, while scrum-half Machenaud and lock Nakarawa have been outstanding for Racing in their run to a second Champions Cup final.

Brian O’Driscoll and Dimitri Yachvili are among the six judges on the panel to decide who will be handed the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy, with voting to close after the final at the San Mames Stadium.

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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