D'Arcy and Heaslip make shortlist

IRB annual awards: Two Irish players, Gordon D'Arcy and Jamie Heaslip have been nominated in this year's International Rugby Board's (IRB) awards writes Johnny Watterson.

D'Arcy, who found a vein of eye-catching form last season playing in the centre of the Irish senior team alongside captain Brian O'Driscoll, has been put forward along with four other internationals for the overall Player of the Year award.

Heaslip is nominated in the under-21 Player of the Year category.

D'Arcy faces opposition from Serge Betsen (France), Matt Giteau (Australia) and South Africa's Marius Joubert and Schalk Burger.

The young Ireland number eight Heaslip is the only other name alongside two World Cup-winning New Zealand nominees - Jerome Kaino (back row) and Luke McAlister (centre/outhalf) - in the under-21 category.

Heaslip had an outstanding World Cup campaign in Scotland during the summer but the opposition is stiff. McAlister won the under-19 award two years ago.

The shortlist of names was arrived at by a panel comprising former internationals Rob Andrew, Jonathan Davies, John Eales (chairman), Fabien Galthié, Gavin Hastings, Michael Jones, Dan Lyle, Federico Mendez, Francois Pienaar and the former Ireland captain Keith Wood.

The winners will be announced at the annual gala dinner, which is being held at London's Royal Lancaster hotel, on November 28th.

It is not the first time an Irish player has been listed in the final grouping of nominations.

Wood and the current Ireland skipper, O'Driscoll, have been involved in the shake-up in previous years, Wood winning the Player of the Year award in the inaugural year of 2001.

The only other Irishman to win a category since the scheme began in this format has been the former international full back Tom Kiernan, who won a Distinguished Service award in the same year as Wood.

The search for best coach focuses, not surprisingly, on Jake White, who took South Africa to the Tri Nations title recently, Bernard Laporte, who led France to the Six Nations Grand Slam, and Gordon Tietjens, who has coached New Zealand to great success in the world's leading Sevens tournaments.

Also in the mix is Portugal's Tomas Morais. Working with modest funds and amateur players, Morais took his side to European Nations Cup success and Rugby World Cup Sevens qualification.

The awards ceremony, which recognises achievements in all areas and at all levels of the game - the winners of such categories as Women's Personality of the Year and Referee Award for Distinguished Service will be announced on the night - will be attended by 600 guests.

England's World Cup-winning captain, Martin Johnson, will present the award for the IRB Team of the Year, and the ceremony will be hosted by the former South African outhalf Joel Stransky.

Last year the newly crowned world champions, England, walked away with the three top prizes - International Player of the Year, Jonny Wilkinson; Team of the Year, England; and Coach of the Year, Clive Woodward - when the ceremony took place in Sydney's Wharf 8 complex.

In 2002 it was France that swept the boards when Galthié beat off O'Driscoll's challenge to head a prestigious list of winners at the Landmark Hotel in London.

France were voted team of the year with Laporte picking up the coaching prize.

In the year that Wood won his player award, Australia were voted the best team and their coach, Rod Macqueen, took the coaching award.

IRB nominations

Player of the Year
Serge Betsen (Fra), Schalk Burger (SA), Gordon D'Arcy (Ire), Matt Giteau (Aus), Marius Joubert (SA).

Team of the Year
France, Portugal, South Africa.

Coach of the Year
Bernard Laporte (Fra), Tomas Morais (Por), Gordon Tietjens (NZ Sevens), Jake White (SA).

Under-19 Player of the Year
Fabien Cibray (FRA), Jeremy Thrush (NZ), Mikaele Tuu'u (NZ).

Under-21 Player of the Year
Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Jerome Kaino (NZ), Luke McAlister (NZ).

Sevens Team of the Year
Winner: New Zealand.

Sevens Player of the Year
Simon Amor (Eng), Ben Gollings (Eng), Lucio Lopez Fleming (Arg).