Following the conclusion of round eight of the PREM season, here is the latest Planet Rugby Team of the Week!
The weekend’s action got underway on Friday night, as Sale Sharks mounted a strong second-half comeback to thump Harlequins at the CorpAcq Stadium.
There were three matches on Saturday, with Bristol Bears overcoming a spirited Newcastle Red Bulls, Saracens downing Gloucester at Kingsholm and Northampton Saints stunning Bath at the Rec.
Rounding off the action, Exeter Chiefs overcame a stern test against Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park
Without further ado, here is who made our PREM XV!
PREM Rugby Team of the Week
15 Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears): Another stellar showing at full-back for the Welshman, who seems right at home here. Rees-Zammit was again a real force for the Bears in attack, notching 112 metres from his 11 carries, while making three linebreaks and beating nine defenders. His two tries put the cherry on top of a fine outing. George Hendy can feel hard done by, though.
14 Rotimi Segun (Saracens): A good weekend for wingers, with Eduardo Todero going well, but we’ve just got the Saracens man ahead. Segun was a key part of his side’s win over Gloucester, making 118 metres from his 14 carries while beating eight defenders and making five linebreaks.
13 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints): Head and shoulders the performance of the weekend, making a proper statement with 13 on his back. Freeman seemed to strike terror into the heart of Bath’s defence at times ball-in-hand, with his identification of space and powerful running back against the grain pivotal in his side’s attack and seeing him tally 15 carries for 98 metres along the way. It was also particularly pleasing to see him effortlessly switch back to 13, a position he has been keen to get more game time in this season. Henry Slade also impressed for Exeter.
12 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints): While his centre partner stole the headlines, Hutchinson was also on his A-game for Northampton. The Scotland international was always on hand to take a carry, eventually topping the stats with 18 to his name at full-time, but also stepped into that crucial link role outside fly-half Anthony Belleau, a role which unlocked Saints’ true attacking potential. James Williams and Seb Atkinson both enjoyed good days for Bristol and Gloucester as well.
11 Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks): He might have started the game at nine, but he really grabbed the game by the horns after moving out wide. Quirke just looked so comfortable on the wing, offering a real threat ball-in-hand with 72 metres to his name, and backing that up with some clever defensive reads too. He finished off his night with a superb kick-chase try. James Ramm also impressed for Northampton.
10 Harvey Skinner (Exeter Chiefs): Owen Farrell held this shirt for a good while this weekend, but Skinner’s silky performance gets him ahead of the experienced Saracens man. Skinner just seemed to have the bit between his teeth against Leicester, offering a dual threat in the carry and his distribution, and rather cruelly was denied two sensational solo scores too. He’s had his critics in the past, but he’s proving a lot of doubters wrong at the moment. Belleau also deserves a mention.
9 Archie McParland (Northampton Saints): He might find himself playing second-fiddle to Alex Mitchell, but this was a sign of his own ability in this Saints side. The England U20s ace was electric all evening in their win over Bath, offering a real threat around the fringes of the breakdown, reflected in his 63 metres from just five carries. McParland also got his name on the scoresheet with a nice try, capping off a tidy display. Tomos Williams was also on top form for Gloucester.
The forwards
8 Tom Willis (Saracens): Showed England exactly what they are missing, with yet another monster effort for the Londoners. Willis was like a man possessed at times, making a staggering 20 carries for 53 metres alongside 15 tackles, and was fittingly named Man of the Match for his efforts. Tom Curry was in decent touch for Sale too.
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints): I know, I know. Another week where Pollock makes the Team of the Week at seven despite wearing eight, but we couldn’t overlook him. The British and Irish Lions tourist was unplayable at times, smashing and bashing his way through the Bath defence with 82 metres from 13 carries, but he backed that up with some staunch defence too. He is in such rich form of late, and that bodes well for Northampton. Sam Graham, the actual number seven from Saints’ win at the Rec, deserves a mention here too, as does Bristol skipper Fitz Harding.
6 Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs): Sorry flankers, it’s another week of number eight dominance in the Team of the Week, as Fisilau makes the cut. The Exeter man again showed his England credentials in the win over Leicester, particularly with Willis unavailable, with a proper all-court display. Across his Man of the Match display, he made 16 carries for 86 metres, alongside 13 tackles too, and also grabbed himself a try and an assist for his troubles. Jacques Vermeulen was at the peak of his powers for Sale Sharks, Callum Chick looked steady in his new role on the blindside, while Newcastle Red Bulls man Ollie Leatherbarrow continued his good form of late.
5 Chunya Munga (Northampton Saints): An incredibly mature performance from the lock, who set the tone for his side. He led the tackle stats across the match, notching an impressive tally of 18, and his efforts in the lineout were a massive, yet quiet, part of Northampton’s win. George Taylor left a mark for Bristol.
4 Andrea Zambonin (Exeter Chiefs): Ben Bamber was very close to making the side this weekend, but Italian international Zambonin was a standout for Exeter. A lot of the credit for the Chiefs’ victory should go to their defensive efforts, and Zambonin was one of the driving factors behind that with 13 tackles.
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3 Thomas du Toit (Bath): He might have come out on the losing side, but that was not down to his own efforts. The powerful Springbok’s brace got Bath off to a decent start, and always made himself available for work with six carries and five tackles before his departure. Bachucki Tchumbadze went well for Exeter.
2 Theo Dan (Saracens): Has been in good form for the Londoners since returning from England duty, but this was his best performance of the lot. Just worked his socks off around the park, making 14 carries ball-in-hand and four tackles for his efforts. Bristol’s Gabe Oghre was our runner-up this weekend.
1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears): An absolutely monster cameo from the British and Irish Lions tourist, who again proved why he is among the best props in the game. Trucked very well ball-in-hand, making 88 metres from eight carries while beating seven defenders and making two linebreaks, but crucially backed that up with some tidy scrummaging. Bevan Rodd was a close second.