Brown Among 6 Nations Nominees

Champions Ireland and runners up England predictably dominated the nominations for the 2014 6 Nations Player of the Championship award.

Favourite Mike Brown leads the way for the Red Rose and is joined by England team-mates Danny Care, Owen Farrell and Chris Robshaw, while Ireland provide Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Sexton and Andrew Trimble.

The list is completed by Wales back-row pair Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau, Scotland number eight David Denton, French backs Brice Dulin and Yoann Huget, plus Italy hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini.

Players have been nominated following a points-scoring system covering a number of different performance categories, and the winner will be decided by a public vote. Voting closes at midnight on Wednesday.

There will be surprise in many quarters, though, that the list does not include players like England centre Luther Burrell, Wales midfield powerhouse Jamie Roberts or England locks Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes.