15 - Full Back - Charles Piutau
Bristol Bears
When he signed ahead of the 2018-19 season Piutau’s
signature was big news, a real indicator of both Bristol’s ambitions and their
cash flow. Since then he’s been joined by a raft of other big names but his importance
to the Bears setup hasn’t diminished. This season has potentially been his best
yet since joining from Irish province Ulster. Piutau topped the table of metres
made (1477m), almost two hundred ahead of his nearest rival Taqele Naiyaravoro
(1292m). Further to this the former All Black also has collated the most
offloads, carries and is only one off the top spot for defenders beaten, Nathan
Hughes his teammate the only player ahead of him. Thanks to his performances
Bristol topped the team charts for all four of the aforementioned categories
and crucially secured a top four finish that will see their season feature a
minimum of a Premiership semi-final and a European final in the Challenge Cup.
In terms of other players, Stuart Hogg is worthy of a mention, his arrival in
Devon has added a sprinkle of international quality to an already potent backline.
14 - Winger – Zach Kibirige
Wasps
Having signed from relegated Newcastle, Zibirige has enjoyed
a stellar season on the wing for Wasps. His nine tries spearheaded an attack
that saw his side finish the regular season in a superb second place and secure
a home semi-final in the playoffs. Only Semesa Rokoduguni started more games on
a side’s right wing, once more than the eighteen starts Zibirige made. The twenty-five-year-old
made the most clean breaks of anyone in the league and was one of the
division’s most eye-catching performers with ball in hand. His quick feet and
ability to beat his opposition in the tightest of places make him impossible to
get a hold of a times. Luke Morahan of Bristol is worthy of special mention
too, another who combined tries, clean breaks and appearances. Rees-Zammit and
Thorley also enjoyed hugely impressive campaigns in the Cherry and White of
Gloucester but I’ve preferred Kibirige on the basis that the other two played a
mixture of positions across the backline rather than shining week in week out
in the right-wing position like the Wasps man.
13 – Centre – Ollie Lawrence
Worcester Warriors
A strong ball carrier and powerful runner Lawrence has caught
the eye of rugby fans far beyond Sixways. With fellow centre Manu Tuilagi
stealing many of the headlines off the pitch this year, Lawrence has taken the
spotlight when it comes to smash-and-grab centres on the field. With England
youth honours to his name the twenty-one-year-old is one of his country’s most
promising talents. He scored five tries in ten starts for the Warriors and
finished the season as Alan Solomon’s first choice thirteen. In terms of those
missing out; Malakai Fekitoa has impressed for Wasps, playing on both sides of
the ball effectively. Fekitoa scored three tries in the league but also
received a league high three yellow cards, an unwanted achievement shared only
with Simon Hammersley (Api Ratuniyarawa received a red and yellow). Needless to
say, Fijian superstar Semi Radradra wasn’t too far off the pace either, a bit
more game time across a whole season and he would have been a shoe-in.
12 – Centre – Jimmy Gopperth
Wasps
Gopperth featured in all but four of Wasps’ league fixtures
and finished as the fourth highest points scorer, crossing the whitewash three
times and making the rest of his total from the tee (he was 88.52% from
penalties and conversion). At thirty-seven Gopperth is comfortably the oldest
of the players involved in my team of the season. The twelve shirts saw plenty
of tenants across the league, the Kiwi’s eighteen starts was the most by a
distance, only Terrence Hepetema of London Irish and Mark Atkinson of
Gloucester made more than thirteen starts in the rest of the division. Gopperth’s
ability to control from the boot but also act as a second playmaker have made
him a crucial lynchpin to Wasps’ attack. He finished the season as the second
most elusive player in the league, of the tackle’s made against him he avoided
49.3%, beating the likes of Kibirige, Yarde, and Lawrence (Marcus Smith was the
most elusive, avoiding 63% of the tackles attempted on him).
11 – Winger – Ollie Hassell-Collins
London Irish
A former England sevens star, Hassell-Collins has been a
shining star in a London Irish season that started out encouragingly but
ultimately fizzled out into a disappointing end (one win from their back eleven
fixtures). With nine tries to his name, Hassell-Collins scored 18% of all the
five pointers Irish scored, including four in a single game during a 24-20
victory over Gloucester. This was the first league hattrick for Irish since
Alex Lewington got two back in the 14/15 season and a first four score haul
since 1999 when Niall Woods did it against Northampton. The winger also enjoyed
competitive stats in both the metres made and clean break categories where he
finished third and fourth respectively. Mention must also be made of another
former sevens player in Bath’s Ruaridh McConnochie whose try scoring form
propelled Bath into the playoffs. At one point the flyer had scored eight tries
in eight games, he too finished with a total of nine.
10 – Fly-half – Marcus Smith
Harlequins
Smith still remains one of England’s most exciting players
and his highlight reel only grew during the 2019/20 season. He finished the
year with a kick success rate of 81.25%, with sixty-five from eighty. Only Rhys
Priestland and Callum Sheedy attempted more, neither of which broke the 80%
mark. Of players who started at ten and kicked regularly, Steenson
(92.3%), Simmonds (88.5%), Ford (87.5%), Biggar (85.2%), and Myler (82.15%) all
finished with better percentages from the tee. However, where Smith really
pushed home his advantage was with his seven tries, of all the names mentioned
above they only scored three combined, Simmonds with two and Ford with one.
This dual threat combined with his ability to avoid the tackle; he dodged 63%
of all attempts made on his person, made Smith a serious threat to the scoreboard
and a menace to every side’s defences.
9 – Scrum-half – Dan Robson
Wasps
Nobody started more games this season than Wasps’ number
nine, Dan Robson. He was the top try scoring scrum-half with six in total
(although Reinach would likely have beaten him given as much game time) and
even found time to score a rare drop goal. Wasps can be a ruthless outfit when
on their day and much of their confidence of late has stemmed from the form of
their enthusiastic half-back. Robson’s success this campaign has come from his
ability to play his position with perfect balance. When required he’s kicked
from hand brilliantly, helping to control territory but he’s also added a zip
and buzz that has helped make the likes of Umaga, Fekitoa and Zibirige
unplayable at times. Despite facing an under-strength Chiefs side, Robson’s
performance in his side’s playoff clinching 45-5 victory should serve as a
warning to the remaining sides that this man is in form and dangerous. Another
in form player is Ben Spencer; dangerous during his time at Saracens, he has
found a new lease of life at Bath and he too will guide a side into the last
four that are so much deadlier when he’s on song.
1 – Beno Obano
Bath
The powerful prop played over a thousand minutes of league
rugby in the front-row for Bath. A brilliant testament to his ability and
fitness but one that is even greater when you consider the horrific injury he
sustained in 2018 whilst on England duty. His performances and longevity on the
pitch this season have surely put him back in the England picture? Obano has
anchored a solid scrum that has been the bedrock of Bath’s game, and his strong
ball carrying game has provided his team with plenty of front-foot ball. His
three tries proof that he’s more than just an old school prop capable of just
scrummaging. Although lacking the tries Jake Woolmore, in Bristol red and blue,
has been an ever-present force in a brutally versatile Bear’s pack.
2 – Luke Cowan-Dickie
Exeter Chiefs
Edging out impressive performers like Tom Dunn and Harry
Thacker, Luke Cowan-Dickie has fronted an Exeter set-piece that has guided the
Chiefs to the table’s summit. The Cornish man grabbed another five tries with a
couple coming from his ability to power over from the quickly taken tap and go
when close to the line. Of players to have started at hooker in the last
twenty-five years and to have scored fifteen or more tries Cowan-Dickie is the
fondest of the whitewash. He averages a score every 3.44 games; Jamie George is
next at 3.82. The former mullet sporting hooker must also not be forgotten for
his role in the famous Exeter driving maul, without his accuracy at the lineout
the Chiefs would never get the chance to be such a force in this facet of the
game.
3 – Will Stuart
Bath
Having taken his chance in the Bath front-row since an
injury to Henry Thomas, Stuart has enjoyed a series of solid performances. So
much so that he’s attracted the attention of Eddie Jones. A very mobile and
energetic player, Stuart has been superb all over the pitch but he’s especially
excelled in and around the breakdown area. An effective wrecking ball in the
rucks and a super defender around the fringes it’s no surprise his departure
from Wasps was likened to that of the more well-known players like Le Roux,
Hughes and Daly. It has been his performances at the set-piece and the scrums
though that have seen him stand head and shoulder above his peers in the front
three.
4 – Jannes Kirsten
Exeter Chiefs
A true master of the simple stuff. Exeter have many players
who go about their business with minimum fuss but Kirsten is the true champion
of it. Everything he does he seems to do with ease. A mountain in defence, at
one point he had twenty-one tackles in a single half of rugby. A towering
presence at the lineout he offers clean, quick ball from the set-piece no
matter what positions he plays and he can always be relied upon to provide some
Springbok grunt when bringing possession forward. The 6’6” redhead scored four
tries for the Devonians and every time he did his side went on to secure the
victory. Yet again Rob Baxter, Tony Rowe and the Exeter recruitment team have bought
a relatively unknown player in and turned them into a division frontrunner in
their position. Even more incredible when you think this league has locks like Itoje,
Launchbury and Lavanini playing week in week out.
5 – Johnny Hill
Exeter Chiefs
Another lock forward from Exeter, Johnny Hill has had
another huge season for the Chiefs. A huge presence in the second-row Hill is
an out and out try scorer in this position. He started the season with two in
two games and went onto bag eight in total, comfortably his best season’s haul
in the league. The highlight of his season would surely be a superb first-half
hat-trick he secured against Worcester. With an eye for a gap and an alarming
turn of pace for a second-row, much like Tom Croft, Hill is a real talent for
Rob Baxter’s side. Unlike Kirsten who jumped between the four, five and six
shirts, Hill played only five throughout. With his enormous 6’8” frame he can
reach out with his huge wingspan and score tries despite being yards from the
line, reaching over bodies and legs if need be. The Exeter duo of him and
Kirsten have been superb in their team’s charge to top of the league keeping
out a variety of contenders for their positions in this side; most notably the
understated Chris Vui of Bristol.
6 – Jack Willis
Wasps
There’s been some great performances at blind-side this
season, Steven Luatua, Dave Ewers and Jono Ross have all bought a raft of
talents to their respective sides. However, there is no way any of them can
eclipse the achievements of Jack Willis this term. From week one Willis topped
the charts in terms of turnovers, finishing with a whopping fourty-three. His
nearest competition came from Blair Cowan with nineteen, meaning Willis had
over twice as many. This equated to just under a third of all the turnovers
that Wasps made as a team, and one just under every twenty-eight minutes he
played. On top of this he also ran in eight tries, only Sam Simmonds and Ben
Earl scored more as forwards. Willis played on both flanks but on virtue of
making more starts at six this is where I’ve chosen him on this occasion.
7 – Ben Earl
Bristol Bears
Having played half the season for Saracens and half of it
for Bristol, Earl showed his class by proving to be a key performer in both side’s
setup. He started the season in unstoppable form scoring four in four games for
Saracens, before going on to get another three for the North London club. After
his move to Bristol his gametime dropped slightly, mainly because of the packed
schedule, however he never forgot where the whitewash was. He made seven appearances
for the Bears and scored on four of them. In total he finished with eleven
league tries, tying for top of the scoring charts with Gloucester’s Ollie Thorley.
In scoring his eleven tries the backrower also set an impressive record; having
played a total of a thousand-and-twenty-four he became the first leading try
scorer to average a score every hundred minutes or less. Earl trades in more
than just tries though, he’s also been a superb defender, and a regular menace
at the breakdown, both for Saracens and Bristol more recently.
8 – Sam Simmonds
Exeter Chiefs
Simmonds has been a powerhouse of a forward at the back of
the Exeter’s scrum ever since Waldrom left and this season has been no
difference. The Teignmouth born number eight reached double figures in terms of
tries for the second time in his league career as he bagged ten (he scored twelve
in the 17/18 season). It took someone special to keep Alex Dombrandt out the
team this season and Simmonds has been just that. A brutal ball carrier
Simmonds has made a mockery of the gain line all year, regularly crashing over
it. Many looking at his try stats would think Simmonds is just cashing in at
the back of Exeter’s dominant driving maul. Although he’s scored a handful from
that position, he’s also shown his class with scores from pick-and-goes, quickly
taken penalties and superb twenty-five-yard breaks like his finish against
Bath. Simmonds also scored his second ever league hat-trick for the Chiefs as
he grabbed three at home against Worcester post lockdown. A brilliant performer
in the loose and at the breakdown Simmonds is doing everything he can to get a
certain Eddie’s attention.
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