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28th December 2014
02:08pm GMT

Marmion was voted the Player of the Year for the 2013/14 season, and he's only improved since.
The scrum half picked three Irish caps in the summer and November internationals, and his sidestep of Rob Kearney before scoring the crucial try in their win against Leinster back in September was one of the highlights of the season.
An honourable mention goes to Robbie Henshaw though for stepping in to the gap left by Brian O'Driscoll at national level, but over the course of the last 12 months, Marmion just edges past him for his impact for the province throughout the year.
This could have gone to any one of a handful of players. Pat Lam has done an incredible job, especially in the last six months, developing young Irish talent, and although they opened the chequebook to bring in a player of Mils Miliania's quality, his experience can only have a positive inpact on the squad.
In the end though, I narrowly gave this award to out-half Jack Carty, who has established himself as a crucial part of the squad.
Fittingly, Carty made his first start for the side in the opening game of 2014 against Leinster, and his development in the last 12 months has been crucial to Connnacht's improvement both domestically and in Europe.
It says a lot about White's preformances in the last 12 months that he earned his first International call-up for any side this November aged 33, injury ultimately costing the New Zealand-born prop a first Irish cap.
Connacht's scrum has been one of their best weapons, particularly this season, and White's presence there was a huge part of that, before his ruptured arm tendon cut short the best spell he's had since he arrived in Ireland in 2011.
White's form kept Rodney Ah You on the bench before his injury in October, and I can't wait to see him back in action.
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