AIB League/Irish Times Team of the Season

With May almost upon us, it’s time to pick the AIB League/Irish Times Division One team of the season. And this year, AIB and the Irish Times want your help! Click here for more.

With May almost upon us, it’s time to pick the AIB League/Irish Times Division One team of the season. And this year, AIB and the Irish Times want your help!

Each year it gets harder and harder to chose the final XV, so with a little assistance from the rugby public, the 2004/05 season’s best will be unveiled on Monday, May 2.

This year’s team will be chosen with the help of the Division One coaches, who will nominated three of their own players, and the best three opposition players they have seen over the season.

These players, along with those chosen by Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley, and reporters John O’Sullivan, Johnny Watterson and Gavin Cummiskey, will provide the team selection.

We also want you, the rugby public, to vote for your team of the season, from the list of players below. The premise is simple: the list contains 10 clusters of players. From the groups below: you have to choose a full-back, two wings, two centres, an out-half, a scrum-half, two props, a hooker, two second rows, two flankers and a number eight.

When choosing wings, centres, props, locks and flankers you do not have to differentiate in terms of specialities; you may pick two right wings, or two outside centres, or two tighthead props. The organisers are just looking for the best two in each category.

Public voting will start today, Monday, April 18 and will continue until Monday, April 25. The AIB League/Irish Times Team of Season will be announced a week later – Monday, May 2. You can log your selected team by emailing: aibleague@ogilvy.com

The ten people to pick the team that matches or most closely resembles the team, as chosen by The Irish Times rugby writers, will be invited to attend the League finals day as a guest of AIB and The Irish Times.

Each prize consists of two tickets for the AIB finals day lunch, two stand tickets, and overnight accommodation in Dublin. Best of luck!

Candidates for the AIB League/Irish Times Team of the Season 2005:

Full-backs: Pick One from the following:
Ross McCarron (UCD), John Lacey (Shannon), Andrew Finn (Garryowen)

Wings: Pick Two from the following:
John Cleary (Galwegians), Niall O’Brien (Clontarf), Scott Young (Ballymena), Ted Robinson (Buccaneers), Paul McKenzie (Belfast Harlequins), Fiachra Baynes (Lansdowne)

Centres: Pick Two from the following:
WP Strauss (Belfast Harlequins), Tom Allen (Galwegians), Brian Touhy (Shannon), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena), Conrad O’Sullivan (Cork Constitution), Andrew O’Neill (Blackrock)

Out-halves: Pick One from the following:
Richie Murphy (Carlow), Ian Humphreys (Belfast Harlequins), Eoghan Hickey (UCD)

Scrum-halves: Pick One from the following:
Pat McCarthy (Cork Constitution), Gerry Hurley (Garryowen) Andy Matchett (Belfast Harlequins)

Props: Pick Two from the following:
Padraig Brennan (Carlow), Bryan Young (Ballymena), Tony Buckley (Shannon), Eamonn Bracken (Buccaneers), Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), John Wickham (Clontarf)

Hookers: Pick One from the following:
David Blaney (UCD), Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins), Nigel Conroy (Shannon)

Second rows: Pick Two from the following:
Simon Crawford (UCD), Ryan Caldwell (Dungannon), John Duffy (Clontarf), Tom Hayes (Shannon), Shane O’Connor (Cork Constitution), Henry Head (Ballymena)

Flankers: Pick Two from the following:
Kevin Croke (UCD), David O’Brien (Clontarf), Chris McCarey (Belfast Harlequins), Stephen Keogh (Shannon), Niall Ronan (Lansdowne), Peter Malone (Garryowen)

Number 8s: Pick One from the following:
Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University), David Quinlan (Shannon), Paul Neville (Garryowen)