Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers dominate official PREM Rugby Team of the Season
Tommy Freeman (left) and Tom Willis (right) feature in the official PREM Rugby Team of the Season
The PREM Rugby Team of the Season has now been confirmed, with Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers dominating selection.
Rob Baxter’s and Geoff Parling’s sides, who both secured top-four finishes this season, lead the way with four picks apiece in the official Team of the Season, while Bristol Bears boast three picks.
Elsewhere, Bath see two of their players included, while table-toppers Northampton Saints and Saracens have just one apiece.
Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers lead way in PREM Rugby Team of the Season
Freddie Steward gets things underway in the official 15-man list, after being chosen at full-back, with Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso named on the wings. Henry Slade gets the nod at 13, joining recent England call-up Benhard Janse van Rensburg in midfield. Billy Searle and Ben Spencer have been chosen as the half-back pairing, at fly-half and scrum-half respectively.
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Moving into the pack, PREM Rugby Player of the Year, Tom Willis, is named at number eight, with Fitz Harding and Tom Hooper on the flanks. Andrea Zambonin and Ollie Chessum form the lock pairing, while Thomas du Toit, Jamie Blamire and Ellis Genge are named in the front-row.
However, there were a couple of notable omissions from the squad, too. Noah Caluori missed out on a spot on the wing, despite finishing the campaign as top try-scorer with 18 efforts to his name in just seven appearances, while the likes of Archie McParland, Fin Smith and Dafydd Jenkins were all overlooked. England men’s Player of the Year, Joe Heyes, also missed out.
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But, in good news for Steve Borthwick, 11 of the 15 players are eligible to play for England – with Willis out of the Test picture ahead of his upcoming move to France – and nine of those recently featured in the extended 42-man alignment camp ahead of the Nations Championship Tests this summer.
The team was voted for by a panel of media representatives from across the English media landscape.
PREM Rugby Team of the Season in full
15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Fitz Harding, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Ollie Chessum, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Ellis Genge