Fifteen players have been nominated for the 2016 European player of the year and for the first time ever, no Irish players have been short-listed.
Ronan O’Gara was the first winner of the award in 2010 and was followed by Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
But with no Irish side making this year’s European quarter-finals, there can be no real complaints with this year’s selection.
Six of England's RBS 6 Nations and Grand Slam-winning squad are among the nominations with Saracens quartet Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Billy Vunipola, joined by Harlequins back-row forward Jack Clifford and Wasps centre Elliot Daly.
Also nominated are Daly's Wasps colleagues Charles Piutau and George Smith, in addition to Exeter's prolific try-scoring number eight Thomas Waldrom, Northampton wing George North and Leicester's Vereniki Goneva.
The EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby) list is completed by Toulon's former England flanker and 2014 European player of the year Steffon Armitage, his club team-mate Guilhem Guirado, Racing 92's New Zealand World Cup winner Dan Carter and his Racing colleague Juan Imhoff.
The European Champions Cup semi-finals take place this weekend, with Wasps and Saracens clashing in Reading on Saturday, followed 24 hours later by Leicester facing Racing at Nottingham's City Ground.
The winner's identity will be revealed during next month's European finals weekend in Lyon.
