Munster’s Tadhg Beirne nominated for Guinness Six Nations Player of the Tournament

Munster and Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne has been named in the 6-man shortlist for the 2021 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Tournament.

The 29-year-old is named alongside Irish teammate Robbie Henshaw, Wales duo Louis Rees Zammit and Taulupe Faletau, Frances’s Antoine Dupont and Scotland’s Hamish Watson.

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After entering the championship in the hopes of securing his place in the matchday squad, Beirne was an ever-present starting each of the five games, playing three in the second row and two at blindside flanker.

He scored Ireland’s opening try of the tournament and added another against Scotland. He was man of the match on two occasions, in Murrayfield against the Scots and against Italy in Rome.

He faces stiff competition against last year’s winner Dupont who had three tries and five assists across the championship and 20-year-old flyer Rees Zammit who dotted down four times in his debut campaign.

Henshaw, Faletau and Watson were all equally impressive during the competition.

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Beirne will be hoping to become the sixth Irish man to win the award.

First introduced in 2004, Gordan D’Arcy became the first recipient of the award. Brian O’Driscoll won out in 2006 and 2007. He claimed his third award in 2009 and is the only man to win the award on three occasions.

Tommy Bowe won the prize in 2010, Paul O’Connell in 2015 and Jacob Stockdale in 2018.