The six Welsh rugby Player of the Year contenders

As the domestic season heads towards its final knockings, it’s time to consider who have been the best Welsh performers for region or club and country over the whole campaign.

If we were just considering the final three rounds of the Six Nations, then Taulupe Faletau would be on this list, for he was wondrous in the games against England and France, in particular.

But we are not.

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For Faletau didn’t play for Wales in any other games in an injury-blighted season that’s seen the No. 8 miss huge chunks of action for his club as well.

We are looking beyond overseas imports, too, so, sadly, there’s no room for Sam Lousi and Sione Kalamafoni, who have been to the fore for the Scarlets.

No, those who make the cut have largely avoided serious injuries and excelled consistently either for club or country or both over the year.

This is the shortlist we’ve come up with.

Rewind to Halloween morn amid a torrent of problems for Wayne Pivac, among them the question of what to do next after Wales had been sliced apart 54-16 by New Zealand the day before. Ross Moriarty had been injured in the match and so had Alun Wyn Jones. If it wasn’t quite the end of the world for Pivac, it must have felt something close to it.

Maybe the biggest concern was how he would fare without Jones, Wales’ leader and man of so many caps, with the news soon confirmed that the great talisman would be out for months on end.

But Rowlands helped cushion the blow as he banged in a series of strong performances.

His effort against France, in particular, was eye-opening, but he was also good against England and in the autumn he proved one of Wales’ top performers against South Africa.

When