POWERHOUSE number eight Bill Mata was named as players’ player of the season as Edinburgh landed a hat-trick of honours at the Guinness PRO14 awards night.

The Fijian back rower has been a leading figure in league and European rugby for Richard Cockerill’s side, racking up 290 carries in the PRO14.

His exploits led to his peers voting him as the best player in 2018/19 while his clubmate Jaco van der Walt claimed the golden boot and retiring Scotland hooker Ross Ford was recognised for incredible longevity as he received the chairman’s award.

Benetton’s historic success, making the play-offs where they were controversially edged out by Munster in Limerick, was recognised with Kieran Crowley receiving coach of the season sward, which was voted by his fellow coaches.

Glasgow’s Adam Hastings was young player of the year and the Cheetahs’ Rabz Maxwane and Tian Schoeman took the honours for top try and points scorer respectively.

The Ospreys’ James King won the tackle machine title as he finished the season with a tackle completion percentage of 96.6 per cent, missing only eight tackles all season and making 224 in total.

Olly Robinson, who was the previous tackle machine winner, claimed a newly-introduced award – turnover king. The Cardiff Blues flanker finished the season with 26.