Leone Nakarawa (Fiji): There is a very good case for voting this other worldly Fijian second row as World Rugby player of the year. He is redefining the role of lock and the concept of offloading. Despite onerous club commitments, he put the hard yards in for Fiji over the summer ensuring their World Cup qualification and helping them up the world rankings. Now comes another chance to shine.

Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): A very special talent, the reigning world player of the year, who you fancy must have watched a lot of basketball and NFL in his recent youth such is his vast array of...