GUINNESS PRO14 Dream Team To Be Revealed On TV Special
The GUINNESS PRO14 final series wraps up on Saturday evening with the meeting of Glasgow Warriors and defending champions Leinster at Celtic Park in Glasgow ©INPHO/James Crombie
The GUINNESS PRO14 Dream Team will be revealed on Thursday night in a TV special broadcast on eir Sport 1 and Premier Sports 1.
A panel of over 75 media members were invited to take part in the voting. A group that included many former players and coaches alongside some of the most trusted and respected writers involved in covering rugby from across Ireland, the UK, Italy and South Africa.
The voting has now closed and three nominees have been identified at every position for the GUINNESS PRO14 Dream Team with 12 teams represented across all five participating countries.
The voting has been closer than ever thanks to the rich form of the near 300 internationals who compete in the Championship each season. The 2018/19 season has seen heightened levels of competitiveness across the PRO14 with Benetton Rugby becoming the first Italian team to reach the knockout stages, which saw Kieran Crowley voted as the Coach of the Season by his peers while the club also have seven nominations
Benetton received the highest nominations, followed by Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh (both six), Ulster, Munster and Connacht (all with five).
The best talent from eir Sport and Premier Sport will break down the Dream Team selections and discuss who has rightly won their spot, and who was unlucky to miss out. Murray Kinsella, Rory Lawson, Sean Holley and Luke Fitzgerald, who were all part of the 75-plus voting panel, will come together for this TV special (7pm on eir Sport 1 and 8pm on Premier Sports 1) to voice their opinions on the best performers in the PRO14.
GUINNESS PRO14 DREAM TEAM – 2018/19 NOMINATIONS:
Full-Back –
Dan Evans (Ospreys), Mike Haley (Munster), Matthew Morgan (Cardiff Blues)
Right Winger –
Monty Ioane (Benetton Rugby), Johnny McNicholl (Scarlets), Iliesa Ratuva (Benetton Rugby)
Outside Centre –
Tom Farrell (Connacht), Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues), Nick Grigg (Glasgow Warriors)
Inside Centre –
Bundee Aki (Connacht), Willis Halaholo (Cardiff Blues), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Left Winger –
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), James Lowe (Leinster), Sibahle Maxwane (Toyota Cheetahs)
Out-Half –
Jack Carty (Connacht), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh)
Scrum Half –
Caolin Blade (Connacht), John Cooney (Ulster), Dewaldt Duvenage (Benetton Rugby)
Loosehead Prop –
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Eric O’Sullivan (Ulster), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh)
Hooker –
Hame Faiva (Benetton Rugby), Rob Herring (Ulster), Ken Owens (Scarlets)
Tighthead Prop –
Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Marco Riccioni (Benetton Rugby)
Second Row –
Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby)
Second Row –
Scott Fardy (Leinster), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys)
Blindside Flanker –
Max Deegan (Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues)
Openside Flanker –
Colby Fainga’a (Connacht), Braam Steyn (Benetton Rugby), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh)
Number 8 –
Marcell Coetzee (Ulster), Bill Mata (Edinburgh), CJ Stander (Munster)