Six Grand Slam winners on European player of the year shortlist

Six members of England's RBS Six Nations winning squad are on the 15-man shortlist for the 2016 European player of the year award.

Four of those six - Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, and Billy Vunipola - are from Saracens and they are joined by Harlequins' back-row forward Jack Clifford and Wasps centre Elliot Daly.

Clifford is joined on the list by team-mates Charles Piatau and George Smith with Exeter number eight Thomas Waldrom, Northampton wing George North and Leicester wing Vereneki Goneva also nominated.

Former England international Steffon Armitage, who won the award in 2014, also makes the list along with his Toulon team-mate Guilhem Guirado and Racing 92 pair Dan Carter and Juan Imhoff.

The winner will be revealed during next months' European finals weekend in Lyon.