Planet Rugby: Well it's that time of the year again when AIB and The Irish Times come together to nominate the AIB League Division One's most outstanding players.
In keeping with the election of the new Pope, The Irish Times rugby team of correspondent Gerry Thornley, John O'Sullivan, Johnny Watterson and Gavin Cummiskey went into conclave until there was some white smoke. It took longer than a couple of days.
In deference to those who took part in the competition - the 10 winners are listed below - to name the AIB/Irish Times team of the season from the 45 names offered over the last two Planet Rugby columns, we felt it only right to explain how the panel, with considerable help from the Division One coaches, arrived at the team below.
Multi-award winner John Lacey (Shannon) received a couple of nominations as did former Ireland under-21 international Andrew Finn (Garryowen) but it was impossible to ignore the claims of UCD's Ross McCarron, who has won the fullback slot on this team. Sound defensively, he is a superb counterattacker whose first inclination is to play with his head up.
In choosing the wings there were plenty of nominations but Clontarf's Niall O'Brien and Ted Robinson of the Buccaneers both enjoyed good seasons at club level, if not frequent contributors to the Connacht cause. John Cleary, Paul McKenzie and, especially, Lansdowne's Fiachra Baynes also had their supporters.
Filling the midfield was reasonably straightforward given the quality of the two players chosen, Ballymena's Andrew Trimble and Brian Tuohy (Shannon). Trimble's class shone through and he is a player of considerable potential, a fact illustrated in his securing a provincial contract for next season. Tuohy's consistent excellence meant his claims were irresistible. Honourable mention to WP Strauss (Belfast Harlequins) and Tom Allen (Galwegians), both of whom were widely supported.
Outhalf prompted probably the most lengthy debate, with the merits of Ian Humphreys (Belfast Harlequins) and Eoghan Hickey (UCD) considered at great length. Humphreys won a tight contest almost on the strength of the head-to-head duel the players fought at Belfield during the league stages of the tournament. Richie Murphy (Carlow) would have been a strong contender in any other season.
With due respect to Andy Matchett (Belfast Harlequins) and Pat McCarthy (Cork Constitution), the contest at scrumhalf was emphatic in celebrating the talent of young Garryowen number nine Gerry Hurley, whose performances caught the eyes of several coaches and pundits.
The panel used a little poetic licence in deciding on the pillars of the front row, opting to highlight the performance of a couple of tighthead props in Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins) and Tony Buckley (Shannon), the former for his all-round game and the latter for his work around the pitch. Carlow's Pádraig Brennan came within a whisker of making the team.
The battle at hooker was representative of the combative nature of the position with Shannon's Nigel Conroy managing to oust two excellent candidates in the provincially contracted David Blaney (UCD) and Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins).
Shannon's Tom Hayes is a young man who leads by deed and his presence as one of the two secondrows on this season's team simply maintains the high levels he has shown over several seasons, form that has made him virtually an ever-present member of this AIB/Irish Times team since the inception of these awards.
UCD's Simon Crawford, an athletic presence in a pack that was big on heart if not physique, joins him in the engine room. Crawford is a player of potential and just edges out Ballymena's Henry Head as Hayes's partner in this team.
Niall Ronan (Lansdowne) is a player of considerable ability and this he showed in whatever colours he donned this season, whether Lansdowne's or Leinster's. His nomination was reasonably straightforward and universally acclaimed. Finding the other flanker was difficult; cases were made for several players, with Peter Malone perhaps the unluckiest. In the end we opted for Shannon's Stephen Keogh for his prodigious ball-carrying contribution.
At number eight Paul Neville (Garryowen) can be considered unfortunate but once again few would quibble with the decision to go for Trinity's outstanding young number eight Jamie Heaslip, another player with a huge future.
None of our readers - there was a large entry - managed to guess the team correctly but the 10 listed below will be invited to attend the League finals day (next Saturday) as guests of AIB and The Irish Times. The prize consists of two tickets for the AIB finals day lunch, two stand tickets and overnight accommodation in Dublin.
Congratulations to Séamus Cantillon, Edward Kenny, John O'Keefe, Diarmuid Ó Bríain, Garrett Noonan, Lyndon Jones, Michael McCarthy, Frank Brosnahan, Kevin O'Connell and Anna Kelly.
The players will receive their awards at a lunch later this month.
The AIB/Irish Times Team of the Season 2004-2005
15 R McCarron (UCD)
14 N O'Brien (Clontarf)
13 A Trimble (Ballymena)
12 B Tuohy (Shannon)
11 T Robinson (Buccaneers)
10 I Humphreys (Harlequins)
9 G Hurley (Garryowen)
1 D Fitzpatrick(Harlequins),
2 N Conroy (Shannon),
3 T Buckley (Shannon)
4 S Crawford (UCD) 5 T Hayes (Shannon)
6 S Keogh (Shannon)
7 N Ronan (Lansdowne)
8 J Heaslip (Dublin University).
