PREM Rugby Team of the Week: Louis Rees-Zammit’s ‘statement’ performance as England hopeful ‘continues to push case’
Bristol Bears duo Louis Rees-Zammit and Joe Batley made our team.
Following the conclusion of round seven of the PREM season, here is the latest Planet Rugby Team of the Week!
The weekend’s action got underway on Friday night, as Leicester Tigers thumped Gloucester at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
That set a precedent for Saturday’s two matches, which followed suit as Exeter secured a dramatic win over Saracens, while Northampton Saints and Bristol Bears secured emphatic wins over Sale Sharks and Harlequins respectively.
Rounding off the action, Bath secured a strong win over Newcastle Red Bulls.
Without further ado, here is who made our PREM XV!
PREM Rugby Team of the Week
15 Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears): The flying Welshman has been bubbling away nicely since his return to the PREM, but this felt like a statement display. Rees-Zammit was simply excellent at full-back, thriving in those broken pockets of space. He led the way for metres across the game, notching 152, and also made a team-high 15 carries to go alongside a delicious solo try. Olly Woodburn and Freddie Steward also impressed this weekend.
14 Noah Caluori (Saracens): While his side might have come out on the losing side, it was through no fault of the ever-impressive youngster. Caluori yet again caught the eye with his attacking exploits, notching 72 metres and one line break from just eight carries and grabbing a fine brace in the process. Kalaveti Ravouvou wasn’t far behind.
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs): The Devonians’ Rolls Royce is properly out of the garage this season, dropping yet another classy display against Saracens this weekend. He was increasingly busy ball-in-hand, making 105 metres from his 13 carries, and yet again came away with a good points haul of 15 – which included the decisive final try. Benhard Janse van Rensburg also impressed for Bristol.
12 Solomone Kata (Leicester Tigers): The powerhouse centre was like a man possessed against Gloucester, taking a starring role in their rampant victory. Kata just gave Leicester serious punch through the middle, making 76 metres from nine carries, but also had the defence on tenterhooks across the game, beating seven for his troubles. Around that, he grabbed a thoroughly deserved try. Len Ikitau can feel hard done by to miss out here, though.
11 George Hendy (Northampton Saints): A good weekend for wingers, with Campbell Ridl and Ollie Hassell-Collins both leaving a mark, but Hendy just edges into the side. The Saints winger was a real menace right across his 55-minute stint, notching 120 metres from just nine carries as well as making two linebreaks, while also grabbing a tidy brace for his troubles.
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10 Fin Smith (Northampton Saints): Seems to have really found his mojo again, and that really came through in his side’s impressive win over Sale. Alongside his six conversions, Smith was back to his best around the park, where his dual-threat of carrying and playmaking really came to the fore. Tom Jordan is very unlucky to miss out here.
9 Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints): Ben Spencer‘s cameo nearly got him into this selection, while Kieron Marmion again impressed for Bristol, but Mitchell showed why he is England’s number one against Sale. His improvisation for Hendy’s first score was a sight to behold, and added his customary threat around the breakdown across his shift.
The forwards
8 Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs): Really grew into the game as it went on, eventually grabbing a decisive brace for his troubles. Typically rolled his sleeves up on both sides of the ball, making 15 tackles and 10 carries in an industrious shift. His opposite man, Tom Willis, and Leicester’s Joaquin Moro also left a mark this weekend.
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints): He might have had eight on his back, but there was no way we could omit Pollock from this squad. The young gun was everywhere during his side’s win over Sale Sharks, and that’s without factoring in his opening score. He again showed his desire to carry around the park, with 13 to his name for 55 metres, and backed that up with some steely defensive efforts too. Fitz Harding was a close second, after yet another barnstorming shift for Bristol.
6 Miles Reid (Bath): It’s a hat-trick of number eights, sorry flankers! England are stacked in the back-row right now, but Reid is certainly doing his chances of a call-up some good at the minute. The Bath man made a real dent against Newcastle, hitting 16 carries for 43 metres alongside nine tackles and two turnovers. Josh Kemeny caught the eye for Northampton.
5 Joe Batley (Bristol Bears): A really tidy all-court performance from the Bristol lock, who continues to push his case for a senior England cap sooner rather than later. Just consistently found himself in the thick of things, told by his tally of nine carries for 33 metres and 10 tackles, but also ran some expert support lines to keep play alive. His try was richly deserved too. Andrea Zambonin was a close second.
4 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers): A battle of the workhorses at four this weekend, with Dafydd Jenkins and Alex Coles going well for Exeter and Northampton respectively, but we’ve just got Chessum ahead this week. The Leicester lock again showed his carrying skills in his sides win over Gloucester, making 37 metres from just four carries alongside a line break, and typically stepped up to the plate in defence.
3 Lovejoy Chawatama (Bristol Bears): The toughest call this week, to be honest, with Trevor Davison again showing his England credentials for Northampton, but Bristol’s Chawatama gets the nod. The prop played a key role around the park, making nine tackles for his troubles, and held his own in the scrum that was initially under pressure.
2 Dan Frost (Bath): Gabe Oghre held this shirt until Sunday evening, but we couldn’t omit the Bath hooker, who dropped his best display since returning to the club this season. The explosive front-rower’s brace was the highlight of his evening, but around that he played a key role in the loose with eight carries for 35 metres and eight defenders beaten.
1 Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears): Remarkable effort across two stints, pipping Nicky Smith into the Team of the Week in the process. His try, a solo charge from 50 metres out, was arguably the highlight of the match, but he backed that up with some proper steely efforts in the tight, notching 11 carries and 10 tackles.
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READ MORE: Ellis Genge praised for wonder try as Bristol Bears boss gives verdict on Louis Rees-Zammit
