PREM Rugby Team of the Week: Springbok proves himself ‘the best around’ as Henry Slade leaves Steve Borthwick with ‘ultimatum’
Ben Redshaw (left), Henry Slade (centre) and Ted Hill (right) feature in the latest PREM Rugby Team of the Week
Following the conclusion of round 18 of the 2025/26 PREM Rugby season, here is the latest Planet Rugby Team of the Week.
There were big wins for Bath, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester, Harlequins and Sale Sharks on the final day, as the final league table was settled following a breathtaking regular season campaign.
Without further ado, here is who made our PREM XV!
PREM Rugby Team of the Week
15 Ben Redshaw (Gloucester): A hat-trick against Newcastle Red Bulls sees the former Falcon get in ahead of Olly Woodburn this weekend, but it’s a richly deserved inclusion. Redshaw was just everywhere for his side in their thumping win over the North East outfit, popping up in just the right spots to score and contributing a healthy tally of 79 metres from seven carries, three linebreaks and five defenders beaten. James Pater also caught the eye for Northampton Saints.
14 Ben Loader (Gloucester): Pretty much did everything except score a try, really. The former Stormers man was another huge contributor in the Cherry and Whites’ win over Newcastle, notching 106 metres from his 10 carries while also beating eight defenders and making four linebreaks, and got involved in the defensive efforts with seven tackles and a turnover too. A pretty complete performance, which sees him beat Cassius Cleaves into the team.
13 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs): This display will surely leave Steve Borthwick with an ultimatum heading into the Nations Championship. When Slade plays like he did against Saracens on Saturday, there is no better English outside centre. The classy back was the beating heart of their win at Sandy Park, tallying 17 of Exeter’s 32 points alongside 17 carries for 70 metres, which drove his side to victory. There will be riots on the streets of Exeter if he is not included in England’s starting XV this summer, you feel.
12 Len Ikitau (Exeter Chiefs): This partnership is peaking at just the right time, with Ikitau pretty much matching the impact of his number 13 against Saracens. Seemed to channel all the pent-up frustration from his injury absence into this effort, adding proper punch to their midfield with 10 carries for 30 metres, and again added a touch of flair with his offloading. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White went well for Sale as well.
11 Tom O’Flaherty (Sale Sharks): Arron Reed might have been in the tries for Sale, but O’Flaherty’s work across the park was a major factor in their win over Bristol. The winger just consistently made positive things happen for his side ball-in-hand, posting 116 metres from his 14 carries while beating three defenders and making two linebreaks, and that just allowed Sale to play on the front-foot across the game.
10 Marcus Smith (Harlequins): Normally in the headlines for his attacking output, but it was his defensive work that sees him come in over Harvey Skinner this week. The England international was kept really busy on that side of the ball, but dealt with the demands to post 16 tackles at a 94% completion rate.
9 Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs): Jonny Weimann was really close to the side this week, but Varney’s second-half effort was a real driving force behind Exeter’s win and he just gets in ahead. His try at the death served as the final nail in the coffin for Saracens, but his play across the half swung the game on its head and dragged Exeter over the line.
The forwards
8 Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins): A proper Gritty, industrious effort from the Quins skipper, on a day where it was needed the most. Packed a proper punch in the tight with 12 tackles, three turnovers and eight carries for 22 metres, and got the rewards for that with two tries. Leicester Tigers man Olly Cracknell and Bath’s Alfie Barbeary were not far behind, though, while Kane James made a strong cameo off the bench for Exeter.
7 Will Evans (Harlequins): Like his back-row partner, Evans was a real menace in the tight in Harlequins’ win over Northampton and just gets in ahead of James Venter in the process. Evans’ defensive efforts, contributing 17 tackles and winning three turnovers, helped lay the foundations for that victory at the Stoop, and serve as a reminder of what he can do at his very best.
6 Tom Hooper (Exeter Chiefs): Arguably his best outing in a Chiefs shirt, which is some doing considering just how brilliant he has been this season. Had the bit between his teeth across the 80 minutes and took the fight to Saracens, ending with a ridiculous stats sheet of 15 carries, three defenders beaten, two turnovers and eight tackles. Hanro Liebenberg went well for Leicester.
5 Ted Hill (Bath): An understated but big effort from the England hopeful, who gets in ahead of JJ van der Mescht in the process. Did all the ugly stuff superbly well for Bath in their win over Leicester Tigers, ending with a healthy 22 tackles, a turnover and six carries, as he continues to show himself as the jigsaw man in this pack.
4 Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks): Dafydd Jenkins can probably feel hard done by to miss out, but the towering Bamber gets the nod this week. The lock threw his body around with no real regard for his own safety at times against Bristol, ending his shift with 21 tackles for good measure, and contributed well to the lineout as well.
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath): Proved himself as the best tighthead around on Saturday, producing an outright blockbuster against Leicester. His hat-trick will dominate the headlines, and deservedly so, but it was almost the embodiment of his career in the West Country, as he left a notable mark on the Rec. Josh Iosefa-Scott enjoyed a decent outing against Saracens, in keeping with his recent form of late.
2 Seb Blake (Gloucester): A second successive inclusion in the Team of the Week for Blake, who has ended the PREM season with a real bang. Again, let his defensive work do the talking with a strong count of 12 tackles at a 100% completion rate. Harry Thacker was a standout for Bristol Bears in their loss against Sale.
1 Will Hobson (Harlequins): This felt like a really mature performance from the young loosehead prop, and he gets in ahead of Scott Sio in the process. Like his fellow Quins inclusions, it was his defensive work that gets him into the team this week, posting a healthy 13 tackles across his shift.
READ MORE: PREM Rugby semi-finals confirmed: Fixtures, dates, kick-off times and how to watch