Steffon Armitage on European player of year shortlist

Title-holder Steffon Armitage was one of three players at European Champions Cup finalists Toulon and Clermont to be included on a five-strong shortlist for this year's European Player of the Year award announced Wednesday.

The 29-year-old back-row forward, also named man-of-the-match in Toulon's 23-6 European Cup final win over Saracens in Cardiff last season, has again been in fine form for the French giants this term.

He scored a hat-trick of tries in the fifth round of the Champions Cup, the successor to the European Cup, and leads the way in this season's tournament turnovers with 19 heading into the final against French rivals Clermont at Twickenham a week on Saturday.

Yet for all his impressive work, the five-times capped Armitage's chances of being included in hosts England's squad for this year's World Cup, which starts in September, still look slim with the Rugby Football Union still holding to their policy of not selecting overseas-based players for Test duty save in "exceptional circumstances" only.

Clermont have two players on the shortlist in England's Nick Abendanon and uncapped New Zealander Fritz Lee, with Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip and Saracens' back-row Billy Vunipola also in contention for the award.

Full-back Abendanon has been a key figure for Clermont in both attack and defence but the 28-year-old's chances of adding to his two Test caps at the World Cup seem set, like those of Armitage, to be thwarted by the RFU's eligibility rules.

Lee, a 26-year-old No 8, had a central role in some of Clermont's best performances this season, particularly the quarter-final win over English champions Northampton, but missed last weekend's semi-final with a hamstring injury.

Heaslip, a veteran of 72 Tests for Ireland, was ever-present in Leinster's run to the semi-finals where the Irish province almost upset Toulon's dreams of a third successive European crown.

Vunipola was nominated after a series of hard-charging displays for Saracens, the England international having established himself as the London club's 'go-to' ball-carrier at the age of just 22.

In addition to a five-man judging panel made up of rugby journalists and broadcasters, the 40 clubs in the Champions Cup and second-tier European Challenge Cup will have the opportunity to vote for the shortlisted contenders.

Meanwhile fans can also have their say on Twitter using #EPCRPlayer2015, and on the tournament Facebook pages.

The winner will be announced after the Champions Cup final.

2015 European Player of the Year shortlist:

Nick Abendanon (Clermont)

Steffon Armitage (Toulon)

Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Fritz Lee (Clermont)

Billy Vunipola (Saracens)

Previous winners

2010: Ronan O'Gara (Munster) - best player of first 15 years of European club rugby tournaments.

2011: Sean O'Brien (Leinster)

2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster)

2013: Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)

2014: Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
Source: AFP