Two players who will not feature on the Lions tour to Australia this summer, Leinster's Ian Madigan and Glasgow's Tim Visser, have polled highest in a media vote conducted among the four countries – Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy – which have clubs competing in the PRO12.
Madigan, who lined out last night against Ospreys at inside centre, was chosen as the pre-eminent outhalf and selected on the Pro 12 Dream Team of the Season ahead of Paris-bound Jonny Sexton, Ulster and Ireland’s Paddy Jackson and veteran Ronan O’Gara. Madigan is the only Leinster player to get picked.
Visser, who is believed to have missed out on Lions selection to Ulster’s Tommy Bowe, drew the highest number of votes of any player, 12, with Madigan just one behind on 11, beating Lions winger George North on 10 votes and Ospreys flanker Justin Tipuric, who scored eight. No fewer than 81 players received nominations across the 15 positions.
Two Ulster players were picked for the Dream Team, number eight Nick Williams, who has had one of the greatest revivals of any player in the past decade and inside centre Luke Marshall, who has still not returned to playing after suffering successive concussions at the beginning of April.
PRO12 DREAM TEAM: S Hogg (Glasgow); G North (Scarlets), L Marshall (Ulster), J Davies (Scarlets), T Visser (Edinburgh); I Madigan (Leinster), N Watawalu (Glasgow); R Grant (Glasgow), L Ghiraldini (Treviso), A Jones (Ospreys), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), A Kellock (Glasgow), A Zanni (Treviso), J Tipuric (Ospreys), N Williams (Ulster)
