Premiership Team of the Season: David Campese hails ‘exquisite’ Finn Russell as Springboks ‘machine’ powers Bath to the title

Following Bath’s Premiership success in 2024/25, Wallabies legend David Campese selects his Team of the Season.

For the second season in a row we have partnered with eToro, the official investing and trading partner of Premiership Rugby, to bring you a best XV from every Premiership round, each one chosen by a famous face from the world of rugby.

Firstly, I want to say that watching the Premiership this season has been absolutely wonderful.

I hate to say it but the ambition in Pommie rugby these days is to be applauded and the product they’re putting out is so much fun to engage with.

The Premiership Final itself- well, whilst I resonate with Leicester Tigers and Michael Cheika, a man I know very well and have huge regard for, Bath Rugby deserved the title after a thrilling season where they demonstrated their ability to break almost any defence down.

For the purposes of my team, I have made a couple of changes to the one Premiership Rugby selected themselves, and I’ve also talked through my views on the other contenders.

So without further ado, here’s my Team of the Season, hope you’ll enjoy it.

eToro Premiership Team of the Season

15 Santiago Carreras (Gloucester Rugby): An absolute flying machine at the back – it’s not only about his ability to break defences down, but it’s about the opportunities he creates for others. My runner-up is Sale’s Joe Carpenter – a very Aussie style of 15 who dominates the air, and a mention for Tom de Glanville, a player that has been crucial for Bath but rarely gets the plaudits.

14 Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers): There is no substitute for gas. That’s a rugby adage as old as the game itself and Radwan has gas to burn. I find it incomprehensible that England have ignored him once again. If he was a Saffer he’d have 40 caps by now. Tom Roebuck is my runner-up, an outstanding aerialist and super powerful wing who is completely different in style to Radwan.

13 Kalaveti Ravouvou (Bristol Bears): In full flow, the most devastating runner in the Prem this season. The try against Bath in the semi-final, when on the wing, demonstrated that. He takes the shirt over my runner-up, Tigers’ Solomone Kata is my back-up man, a player in a similar mould to Ravouvou.

12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears): The Poms must be cursing their luck that this fella got some nothing cap for the junior Boks around the Ice Age. But they’d waste his brilliance, so he’s best off waiting for Rassie! The other guy I really enjoyed at 12 or 13 was Bath’s Max Ojomoh, a man who came back superbly from injury, so he’s my runner-up.

11 Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears): My third and final Bear back – a testimony to how they’ve ignited the Prem all season. Absolutely fantastic, hungry and electric – he and Radwan would rip it up! Will Muir is a different style of player and he’s been a star for Bath all season.

10 Finn Russell (Bath Rugby): I watched him on Saturday and his stretch passing – and by that I mean passing to the fingernails so the receiver doesn’t break stride – was next level. Absolutely exquisite. There’s a host of candidates to back him up but on balance, I’ll take George Ford by a whisker over Handre Pollard as my second choice.

9 Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby): Ok, ok, I am aware my runner-up Tomos Williams won Prem Player of the Season, but answer me this? Would Bath have won the Prem without Spencer? He is the nearest thing England have to a French game controlling nine and they’ve never known how to use the bloke, which is shambolic. He still has another World Cup cycle in him and the Poms need to let him run a match.

The Forwards

8 Tom Willis (Saracens): A thundering season saw him make 239 carries, score five tries and beat 88 defenders, worldie stats. My runner-up is Miles Reid, the brilliant Bath all-rounder who can play anywhere in the loosies.

7 Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears): I wanted Harding in there because I want an Aussie-style openside who can link, and his work rate and ability in that area is second to none. Guy Pepper was in the PRL team and I’ll have him as my runner-up. There’s a bit of Richie McCaw about him, methinks.

6 Juan Martin Gonzalez (Saracens): I simply couldn’t believe that the so-called Prem experts didn’t have this guy in. His stats are miles ahead of my runner-up and their first choice, Ted Hill. Seven tries, 82% tackle success, and even a 50/22. World-class in every aspect.

5 Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby): The quiet rock that the Bath pack is built around, Ewels is abrasive, powerful and, above all, a world-class leader. Ollie Chessum would be in here and I must mention Joe Batley, fantastic around the park for Bears.

4 Maro Itoje (Saracens): Even when you think he’s quiet the stats tell you otherwise. Massive, imposing and brilliant. A left-field runner-up is Sale’s flank/lock Ernst van Rhyn, such an unsung hero of their pack.

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath Rugby): A try-scoring machine who’s also a world-class prop. There’s not many of those around! My runner-up is The Tank’s teammate, the brilliant Will Stuart, who will surely be a Test Lion in July.

2 Julian Montoya (Leicester Tigers): Probably the best set-piece hooker in the world and it showed, but it was his leadership that impressed me most. He beats off Tom Dunn of Bath, who was their absolute heartbeat all season.

1 Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers): He gave du Toit a torrid time in the Prem final and just eased out the claim of one of my favourites, the wonderfully skilled Bevan Rodd of Sale Sharks/

So, there you have it. A team I’d be proud to play in and one that I reckon just shades the official PRL team.

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READ MORE: Bath: Ben Spencer claims ‘sky is the limit’ after securing historic treble