Kiwis head IRB list

IRELAND, England, Wales and Scotland’s players have been snubbed by the IRB for the Player of the Year award.

A six-man shortlist for this year’s award includes three New Zealanders, two Australian and a Frenchman, the winner to be announced in Auckland on Monday.

France captain Thierry Dusautoir and the New Zealand trio of scrum-half Piri Weepu, flanker Jerome Kaino and centre Ma’a Nonu are joined by Australia’s flanker David Pocock and scrum-half Will Genia, who will both play against Wales in tomorrow’s third place play-off at the World Cup.

Pocock has been nominated for the second year in a row, having missed out to All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in 2010 — the only player to have won the award on more than one occasion.

The list of past winners also includes Schalk Burger, Dan Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Bryan Habana and Shane Williams.