All Four Provinces Represented In PRO14 Dream Team Line-Up

The GUINNESS PRO14 Dream Team for the 2018/19 season was revealed on eir Sport and Premier Sports tonight after a media vote determined the best performing players from the current campaign.

In total, 11 teams, including all four Irish provinces, are represented in a XV where competition in the voting was incredibly close, and only a handful of positions were selected with a clear majority.

Edinburgh, Munster, Connacht and Ulster were the only teams with more than one player in the Dream Team which includes the GUINNESS Players’ Player of the Season – Bill Mata of Edinburgh.

Sibahle Maxwane is another award winner included, the Toyota Cheetahs’ prolific winger scored a record-equalling 14 tries in the GUINNESS PRO14 season – nine of them scored away from home – and was voted in on the left wing.

Only three players from last season’s PRO14 Dream Team have been selected with the second row pairing of Tadhg Beirne (Munster) and Scott Vardy (Leinster) getting the nod, while John Cooney’s impressive performances at Ulster have kept him in the number 9 shirt.

The Dream Team was announced on a TV special aired by and eir Sport and Premier Sports tonight where Rory Lawson, Sean Holley, Luke Fitzgerald and Murray Kinsella dissected and debated about who deserved their places and who was unlucky to miss out.

To be eligible for selection players had to appear in a minimum of GUINNESS PRO14 games this season – click here for the list of nominees. A media panel of over 75, including former players and coaches from across Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, were invited to vote for the Dream Team.

GUINNESS PRO14 DREAM TEAM – 2018/19 SEASON:

BACKS

15. Dan Evans (Ospreys)
14. Monty Ioane (Benetton Rugby)
13. Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
11. Sibahle Maxwane (Toyota Cheetahs)
10. Jack Carty (Connacht)
9. John Cooney (Ulster)

FORWARDS

1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh)
2. Ken Owens (Scarlets)
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
5. Scott Fardy (Leinster)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
7. Colby Fainga’a (Connacht)
8. Bill Mata (Edinburgh)