Following the conclusion of round one of the new Gallagher PREM season, here is the latest instalment of the Planet Rugby Team of the Week.
The new era kicked off on Thursday night as Sale Sharks got the better of Gloucester, before Bath and Saracens also secured wins over Harlequins and Newcastle Red Bulls, respectively, on Friday night.
With the Women’s Rugby World Cup final taking place on Saturday, the PREM resumed with two games on Sunday as Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs played out a dramatic draw, while Bristol Bears overcame Leicester Tigers.
There were some seriously good displays right across the league, as you would expect, making this a particularly hard call, but without further ado, here is our PREM Team of the Week.
Gallagher PREM Team of the Week
15 Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks): A delicious performance from the newly-capped England international, who has done his autumn chances no harm at all. He led the way for metres across the game with 102, while also setting the tone for his side with a team-high 17 carries ball-in-hand. George Hendy was a close second.
14 Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears): On another day, it would be Paul Brown-Bampoe or Edoardo Todaro in this spot after their strong outings on Sunday, but Rees-Zammit gets into this side. His late try was the highlight of his day’s work, but he was right at the heart of Bristol’s attack with 148 metres from his 11 carries, while also beating four defenders and making two linebreaks.
13 Ollie Lawrence (Bath): Wow, what a return to the PREM for Ollie Lawrence after a horrific injury lay-off. The Bath man was like a man possessed at times, smashing through defenders with six months of pent-up desire. He finished his shift with a remarkable 18 carries for 71 metres, which for 66 minutes is some going. Cruelly had a try chalked off and was held up for another as well, but this will get Steve Borthwick salivating. Tom Litchfield also deserves a shout.
12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints): Northampton’s attack was at its silky best in the first-half against Exeter, and Fraser Dingwall was right at the heart of it. His desire to step in at first receiver just gave the rest of his side time to adjust and find their desired holes, while also allowing his playmaking skills to shine with 14 passes and one assist. Benhard Janse van Rensburg was also on top form for Bristol.
11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs): Another PREM returnee in this side is Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who showed exactly why the Chiefs were so desperate to get him back at Franklin’s Gardens. His ability to break through tackles and drive his team forward was on full display on Sunday, beating seven defenders and making three linebreaks, but he also found himself on the scoresheet with two lovely efforts. He crammed a lot into a 70-minute runout. Adam Radwan wasn’t far off.
10 George Ford (Sale Sharks): Anthony Belleau can feel hard done by to miss out here, but we couldn’t not have George Ford in after yet another masterclass in fly-halfery. His kicking game was once again on point, both out of hand and off the tee, and around that, he just orchestrated Sale’s attack well to get them playing some lovely stuff come the full-time whistle.
9 Ben Spencer (Bath): The talk after Bath’s resurgence against Harlequins might have been on the Bomb Squad, but Ben Spencer certainly played his part. Once he properly got into his rhythm, Bath were unplayable. He just effortlessly controlled their attack, be it with a clever kick or just changing the tempo to stunt the impact of Quins’ aggressive linespeed; his fingerprints were all over their comeback.
8 Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs): Tom Willis, Benjamin Grondona and Callum Chick were very close in our minds, but Exeter’s Ross Vintcent stood out above the rest with an awesome display. He seamlessly blended close-quarter brutality with a desire to act as an extra midfielder, helping him cross the whitewash twice. Around that, he also notched a game-high 20 tackles for good measure.
7 Will Evans (Harlequins): His first-half hat-trick was enough to get him in this Team of the Week by itself, but he was on his A-game in almost every department too on Friday night. He was one of his side’s key defensive leaders, notching 20 tackles across his shift, and his work at the breakdown really caused Bath some issues too. Saracens’ Andy Onyeama-Christie also impressed in a try-scoring display in Newcastle.
6 Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears): Slightly cheating with this one, with Harding technically playing with seven on his back, but he oozed class against Leicester. He simply dominated his Leicester counterparts in almost every facet at Ashton Gate, particularly at the breakdown, which in turn helped the Bears play their trademark game plan. His work ball-in-hand also impressed, beating three defenders.
5 Joe Batley (Bristol Bears): Andrea Zambonin was incredibly close to making the cut, but Bristol lock Joe Batley makes the cut. The Bears man acted as the perfect partner to Harding in the tight exchanges at Ashton Gate, with his turnover at the end of the game acting as the crucial game-winning moment, too. He also got stuck into the battle up front with eight carries and eight tackles.
4 Cameron Henderson (Leicester Tigers): There was a lot on his shoulders, given Leicester were missing both Ollie Chessum and George Martin, but he stepped up to the plate in a very industrious shift. He led the way for tackles at Ashton Gate, notching 19 for his troubles, and made himself a nuisance in the breakdown too.
3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks): Dominated proceedings at scrum-time as he took Gloucester to the cleaners. He has been by far the most improved English tighthead in the past year, and if he carries on in this vein, then he will no doubt be the long-term option.
2 Theo Dan (Saracens): It was a good day for hookers at Kingston Park, with George McGuigan impressing on his first PREM outing back at Newcastle, but Theo Dan just edges into this side over him. The Saracens man came into this season with a point to prove after losing his enhanced EPS deal in the summer, but his efforts on Friday night did not go amiss as he hit double figures for carries (11) and tackles (12).
1 Beno Obano (Bath): Bevan Rodd and Fin Baxter can feel hard done by here, but Beno Obano yet again showed why he is Johann van Graan’s go-to loosehead with some powerful work. He seemed to have the better of his scrum battle with Harry Williams and also got involved in the attack with some strong pick-and-goes, which ended with him going over for a try.
READ MORE: Watch: Louis Rees-Zammit ‘burns’ former England winger in ‘poetic’ return to the Prem