PREM Rugby Team of the Week: ‘Scary good’ England star drops latest ‘statement display’ as Owen Farrell ‘oozes class’
Ben Spencer (left), Owen Farrell (centre) and Asher Opoku-Fordjour (right) all feature in a strong PREM Team of the Week
Following the conclusion of round two of the new PREM season, here is the latest Planet Rugby Team of the Week.
The weekend’s action got underway in the West Country as Bath overcame monsoon conditions to beat Sale Sharks in an early title statement.
Saturday saw three games take place, with Exeter Chiefs and Saracens securing big wins over Newcastle Red Bulls and Bristol Bears respectively, while Leicester Tigers mounted a strong comeback to beat Harlequins.
Rounding off the weekend, Northampton Saints just about avoided a repeat of last weekend, as they held back Gloucester’s second-half fightback to take the spoils at Kingsholm.
Without further ado, here is who made our PREM XV this weekend!
Planet Rugby’s PREM Team of the Week
15 Tyrone Green (Harlequins): He’s been such a key weapon for Harlequins in recent years, and this weekend was another example of that. At times, he was untouchable, making 120 metres from his 15 carries, while also beating six defenders in the process, and his output played a key role in Quins getting into that early lead. Didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, if truth be told. Max Malins was a close second.
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs): He’s in scary good form right now, dropping another statement display at Sandy Park. His hat-trick alone, which was eerily reminiscent of the way Jack Nowell used to score for Exeter, it has to be said, deserves a spot in this side, but he was just a menace in all aspects of his game. Across the match, he notched 60 metres from 11 carries, beat two defenders and won two turnovers as well. Adam Radwan also impressed again for Leicester.
13 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints): Ollie Lawrence was in this spot for most of the weekend after his strong outing against Sale, and Nick Tompkins also left a mark for Saracens, but Hutchinson was on fire at Kingsholm and just edges him out of the side. The Scotland international dropped as close to a complete performance as you can get, making huge efforts on both sides of the ball. Across the game, he made 20 tackles, including that huge try-saver on Ben Loader, won four turnovers, made 50 metres ball-in-hand and grabbed two assists. A fine day’s work all round.
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens): He’s said he came back to Saracens to start enjoying his rugby again, and it seems he’s flourishing in the home comforts of North London. He just oozed class from the get-go, helping set the platform for his side’s rout of Bristol Bears with his distribution. He also grabbed an assist as a result. Nice to see him kicking off the tee again, too, as he slotted seven kicks in total. Will Wand played a crucial role in Leicester’s comeback with his brace.
11 Jack Bracken (Saracens): There’s a conveyor belt of talented English wingers in North London, and Bracken seems to be another one making a mark after a strong night’s work on Saturday. The youngster was a real threat throughout the match ball-in-hand, notching a game-high 146 metres while also making two line breaks and beating six defenders, and his brace was just reward for those efforts. He also got stuck into the defensive work, too, with 14 tackles and two turnovers. Fellow Sarries winger Rotimi Segun also caught the eye, as did Exeter’s Paul Brown-Bampoe.
10 Max Ojomoh (Bath): We really were spoiled for choice at fly-half this week, with George Ford, Harvey Skinner, Anthony Belleau and Fergus Burke impressing, but Ojomoh gets the nod here. It’s always going to be hard to replace Finn Russell in your team, but the way Ojomoh has gone about his business has been nothing short of spectacular, given he’d only played two senior games here before the start of the season. Friday night was another example of that, as he just let Bath play their customary game plan but still had some flashy moments for himself, too. He’s slotted in really nicely into this role, and it seems to be growing on him.
9 Ben Spencer (Bath): Another week, another Ben Spencer masterclass. He played the conditions extremely well on Friday night, nailing grubber kicks on the greasy surface while also forcing Bath into a slightly narrower shape just to keep possession. He was also automatic off the tee with four conversions. Ivan van Zyl wasn’t far off.
8 Tom Willis (Saracens): He might be linked with a move away from the club next year, but for now, he remains a real totem for Saracens. As you would expect, he just rolled up his sleeves and went looking for work, making 16 tackles and winning two turnovers in defence, while also notching 61 metres from his 13 carries and beating seven defenders on the other side of the ball. Miles Reid was also strong for Bath, as was Newcastle’s Amanaki Mafi.
7 Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs): Another man doing the business for Exeter this season is Fisilau, who was at his brutal best on Saturday. He seems to be thriving in the fluid back-row set-up they’ve got at the moment, and that freedom is allowing him to have those huge attacking impacts he’s capable of. On Saturday, he notched 15 carries for 52 metres while also beating three defenders. Guy Pepper also impressed for Bath, as did Harlequins’ Will Evans.
6 Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers): The back-row is such a strong area for England right now, but Emeka Ilione is pushing his name up the pecking order. He was a key part in Leicester’s comeback win on Saturday, hitting double figures for both tackles and carries (10 apiece) while notching 38 metres ball-in-hand and winning two turnovers. Fellow Tiger Joaquin Moro also left a mark.
5 Harry Wilson (Saracens): It might not have grabbed the headlines, but it was an incredibly industrious display from the lock. He led the way for both tackles (20) and turnovers (two) across the game, while also beating three defenders. Ollie Chessum was a welcome returnee for Leicester.
4 Cam Jordan (Gloucester): Dafydd Jenkins can feel slightly hard done by, but Cam Jordan played a key role in Gloucester’s inspired fightback on Sunday. Alongside an impressive brace, Jordan notched a team-high 12 tackles. Ben Bamber’s defensive efforts didn’t go unnoticed either.
3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks): Continues to take major steps forward in all areas of his game, and really made a mark at the Rec. He was so strong in the scrum, helping Sale turn that into a major weapon, and also got himself about the pitch with nine tackles. Afolabi Fasogbon was a close second.
2 Tom Dunn (Bath): Hooker was a strong position this weekend, with Nathan Jibulu, Joseph Dweba, and Theo Dan all going well, but Bath cult hero Dunn edges into this side. He just worked tirelessly in every department to get his side on the front-foot, making nine carries ball-in-hand and backing that up with a team-high 11 carries.
1 Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks): His scrummaging was pure nightmare fuel for tightheads across the league, giving talented Vilikesa Sela a horrendous time on Friday night. Around that, he again got stuck into the work around the park with 14 tackles and seven carries. Emmanuel Iyogun impressed for Northampton as well.