Awards pit stop for the season that never ends

ON RUGBY:Yes, Ireland misfired in the Six Nations, but any campaign with a first win over a Tri-Nations team at a World Cup and an all-Irish Heineken Cup final can't be bad

STRICTLY SPEAKING, the season that never ends still has another three Tests against the world champions to go, thus making it an unprecedented 17 Irish internationals in total. But the domestic campaign is over and there’s even a distinct whiff of summer, not to mention things like cricket, tennis and athletics, in the air.

For all the mixed results and performances Ireland endured during the season, any campaign containing a first win over a Tri-Nations team at a World Cup and an all-Irish final to the Heineken Cup has to be considered another huge success.

Team of the season: Leinster. Lousy end, but 27 wins, two draws and four defeats, including the first unbeaten Heineken Cup campaign in its nine-game format, is a fairly astonishing return over a nine-month season in which they were Ireland’s bulk suppliers for the four months of the warm-ups, World Cup and Six Nations. Not only were they the best team in Europe, they were the best to watch as well.

Coach of the Season: Joe Schmidt.

Player of the Season: Rob Kearney.

Try of the season: Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, v Cardiff Blues). Inventive set-piece tries have become a relative rarity and this was a beauty. Richardt Strauss locates Leo Cullen for off-the-top ball from the middle of the line; Eoin Reddan passes in front of Jamie Heaslip, who passes behind Seán O'Brien's straight decoy to create the gap which Jonny Sexton puts Luke Fitzgerald through with his "blind" pop inside. Fitzgerald held his depth and timed his in-and-out line perfectly for O'Driscoll to be on hand for the try-scoring pass. And with every slo-mo of Sexton's pass as he eye-balled Dan Parks the crowd went "ooh".

Moment of the season: Ronan O'Gara's drop goal v Northampton. Scrum to Munster 45 metres out, as they trail 21-20, with the clock at 77 minutes and 55 seconds. Cue that remarkable, five minutes 45 seconds drive and 40 phases which culminated in O'Gara's unerring drop goal in a swirling wind.

Rookie of the season: Peter O'Mahony (Munster). A good, intelligent footballing backrower who has a bit of the Munster dog in him and is assuredly a future Munster captain and, ultimately, probably a number eight.

The Romain Poite Award for Most Important Person on the Pitch: Romain Poite.

Blight on the game Number One: Narrow the gap, thereby reducing the impact of the hit, and have props scrum with shoulders above their waist – and keep Poite away.

Blight on the game Number Two: The tip tackle. Worthy IRB campaign, utter inconsistency from example to example.

“Irish” team of the 2011-12 season.

15 Rob Kearney: The combined weight of both the IRUPA Players' Player of the Year and ERC European Player of the Year has, according to Jamie Heaslip, contributed to Kearney's sore back of late. Awesome for fully 10 months for country and province, supreme receiving or chasing high kicks; physical and strong carrier and counter-attacker, with even more try-scoring passes than tries. Looks what he's become, the complete fullback.

14 Isa Nacewa: As Shane Horgan said, Leinster don't have foreign players, they have Leinster players. Take note IRFU. An absolute natural who, like all class acts, always seems to have time on the ball. Fearless, physical athlete, real gas, lethal in broken play, great hands and has again played everywhere in backline except scrumhalf. Becoming the best import ever.

13 Brian O'Driscoll: Missed six months of the season but after fine World Cup came back fit, strong, refreshed, reminding everyone that as long as he's around, he'll always be the best.

12 Paddy Wallace: A highly-skilled footballer who misses out on a summer tour when playing the best rugby of his career.

11 Keith Earls: Munster's most consistently dangerous back all season and though now a happily converted outside centre, the return of O'Driscoll and even the arrival of Casey Laulala to Munster might see the reluctant utility man revert to the wing.

10 Jonathan Sexton: Kicking radar off during the World Cup but he's been near perfect since, on top of which there's his restarts, running threat, superb passing and tackling.

9 Ruan Pienaar: A smooth operator, seemingly with ice in his veins. His wondrous goal-kicking from long range, notably those three first-half penalties from beyond half-way against Munster, remains one of the defining images of the season.

1 Cian Healy: Still largely holding his own against vastly more experienced opponents while just immense in the loose. Pretty much ever present for Ireland and we take tries in both the Heineken Cup semi-final and final almost for granted. Eh, still only 24. A freak.

2 Rory Best: Occasionally wobbly darts under pressure were the only blemish on a stellar season. Another virtual ever-present for country and province, and a tough, resolute, leader for both. Probably the best hooker in Britain and Ireland. A strong Lions contender.

3 John Afoa: Arrived with Steve Tew's criticisms ringing in his ears and barely here a wet week when he found himself in the eye of a storm of the IRFU's making regarding restrictions on overseas players. Ridiculously good carrier and tackler. Ulster won 15 of the 17 matches he played. A world-class tighthead.

4 Johann Muller: The Springbok lock has brought exceptional leadership to Ulster as well as transforming their lineout and restart game, while also helping to improve those around him, notably Dan Tuohy.

5 Paul O'Connell: Almost weekly tour de forces for province and country all season long, for whom he remains the main rallying point for his fellow forwards. Scary to think where Munster especially would be without him. So much toil for relatively little reward. So unfair.

6 Stephen Ferris: Came back from another long-term injury even bigger and stronger, and intent on being better than ever. And was. Uber physical, ridiculously effective and high tackle count, and Ulster's main go-to man. Imagine what he would be like with two knees?

7 Seán O'Brien: Outstanding World Cup, lest we forget, and though his impact dimmed a little in mid-season, he has virtually reinvented himself as a player with huge work-rate, improved effectiveness at the breakdown as well as those big carries in a storming end to the season.

8 Jamie Heaslip: True, not a vintage Six Nations, but he is another unfairly criticised player, whose work-rate, remarkable energy and stamina levels, and leadership, are often overlooked and who, because of Ferris and O'Brien being the target carriers, has been assigned a selfless role at Test level.