Bundee Aki, the centre from Ireland, is amongst the top four contenders expected to be the Six Nations player of the year. The other three are Ben Earl, the backrow from England, Scotland’s wing Duhan van der Merwe, and Tommaso Menoncello, the centre for Italy. The shortlist was created based on the highest number of votes each player received from fans for the Guinness Team of the Championship honour.
Aki was critical in securing the second Six Nations championship consecutively for Ireland, with his record of 144 metres in contact being the highest in the competition. Earl holds the credit for the highest number of carries in the competition, boasting a total of 73. This feat places him third in England’s history, falling short of Billy Vunipola’s 93 in 2016 and Ben Cohen’s 76 in 2002.
Van der Merwe’s contribution to the campaign saw him as joint leader in try scores, scoring five alongside Dan Sheehan from Ireland. Meanwhile, or Italy, Menoncello proved superior in the field with the highest number of dominant tackles, totalling eight.
Fans can vote for their preferred winner on the Six Nations website until March 24th at 11 pm.