With this year's Aviva Premiership (now the Gallagher Premiership) season well and truly over, here's my post-season analysis of the best 15 players from throughout the year.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on who you think should be included in the 'Team of the Season' and if you don't agree with any of my inclusions, you're very welcome to argue your case below!
15 | Full-Back | Jason Woodward (Gloucester Rugby)
Woodward made the switch over to Gloucester from the relegated Bristol at the end of last season, and it has to be one of the best signings over the season. He has been an absolute nightmare for opposition defence, with scintillating footwork, a great turn of pace, as well as some beautiful offloads all being stored in his locker.
Rightfully so, he is now receiving international recognition from Eddie Jones and the England squad. With Daly proving to be very poor in his little stint at Full-Back, surely Woodward is the long-term option as Mike Brown's replacement.
14 | Wing | Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons)
Very difficult not to include the Premiership Player of the Season into my Team of the Season, and the Fijian winger was undoubtedly the key component in the Falcons' play-offs finish.
He finished as the league's joint highest try-scorer, successfully crossing the whitewash 13 times throughout the season, and having been released by Leicester back in 2016, the 34-year-old has certainly shown that he is still a world class quality winger and that Leicester made a huge mistake in letting him go.
13 | Outside Centre | Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby)
Being a Gloucester fan, this might be seen as being a little biased, but Trinder has had unfortunate injury setbacks over the past couple of seasons that has prevented him in showing his real ability at the highest level.
Trinder is a different type of Outside Centre, has a much better game than the typical big, strong 13 that purely runs lines. His footwork matched with his playmaking ability gives the Gloucester attack a different edge, and it won't be long until he receives his first competitive England Cap after his inclusion in the BaaBaas game.
12 | Inside Centre | Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Henry Slade has played pretty much exclusively at 13 this season for Exeter Chiefs, but both Henry Trinder & Henry Slade have played far too well this season to exclude either of them.
I bet every single Inside Centre wishes that they had the skillset of Slade, with the ability to produce outrageous touch-finders (e.g. last season's final), beat defenders at ease, produce some highly-skilled offloads and also put in a big defensive shift (albeit being smaller than most of the modern centres).
11 | Wing | Olly Woodburn (Exeter Chiefs)
Undoubtedly the best finisher in the Premiership this season, I keep on wondering what more Woodburn has to do to be recognised as a legitimate option within the England setup.
Woodburn finished in the top 3 in the metres gained, most carries & clean breaks stats throughout the season, and has proved that he can consistently play at the highest level. Often overlooked and probably one of the most underrated players playing in the Premiership, even though May provides a more pacier option for Eddie Jones, Woodburn would be in my England starting XV.
10 | Fly-Half | Danny Cipriani (Wasps)
Cipriani had very little competition for his inclusion, with only Marcus Smith & Joe Simmonds providing a challenge - although both players arguably had good breakthrough seasons, but not top quality seasons in general.
He's done himself a big favour with his form this season in terms of his international career, and I am so pleased for both Gloucester and Cipriani that he made the decision to stay in England and fight for that 10 shirt. I'm not a big fan of George Ford, so I'd love to see Cipriani being involved much, much more.
9 | Scrum-Half | Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks)
The signing of the season, no questions asked.
The biggest asset that I like about de Klerk is the speed that he brings to the Sale side; he's quick to the breakdown and has a nice little pass on him, meaning that the Sharks can play an exciting, expansive game of rugby. He's not very tall, but his tackling ability is incredible for someone of his size.
His form also warranted a recall to the Springboks side that beat England in the recent test series (2-1), and he definitely did himself justice during the three games.
8 | Number Eight | Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
Simmonds has transformed the role of a Number Eight in the Premiership this season, being a brilliant & quick ball-carrier that mostly operates in the wide channels and proves to be especially effective in the latter stages of matches (when players are a little tired).
Simmonds was ultimately very lucky that an injured Exeter favourite Thomas Waldrom needed someone to replace him, and his form at the start of the season was rewarded with an England debut and Six Nations inclusion. He's able to play at 6,7 & 8 and will certainly be a very useful asset to both Exeter Chiefs and England going forward.
7 | Openside Flanker | Jake Polledri (Gloucester Rugby)
I wrote a post before the Six Nations where I dubbed Polledri as the future 'Parisse' to the Italy setup, and his form this season was unbelievable - there was just no stopping this fella when he really started moving, such a joy to watch!
Italy had undoubtedly the best 6,7,8 partnership of the Six Nations with Negri, Polledri & Parisse (although Polledri's services weren't called upon for every game), and the irreplaceable Parisse has almost definitely been replaced. I back Polledri to have an even better season next year, and I honestly can't wait to see what he can produce in the re-branded Gloucester shirt.
6 | Blindside Flanker | Jack Willis (Wasps)
With so many good, young breakthroughs this season I think Jack Willis hasn't claimed the plaudits that he deserves. He has cemented himself into the Wasps matchday squad and is a real jackal when it comes to the breakdown.
I've also included him as a feel a little sorry that he's suffered a horrific injury and is set for a 12-month layoff that won't do his development any favours at all.
The possibility of Willis cementing his place as Robshaw or Iskiewe's superior as England's top Blindside Flanker will have to be put on hold.
5 | Lock | Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Saracens did win in the final and it would be quite unfair not to include a Sarries player in the Team of the Season. Saracens hit rock bottom at the end of December and I witnessed a dismal defeat at the hands of Exeter Chiefs at Allianz Park continuing their 9-game losing run. Their big-name stars didn't perform well consistently, and Isiekwe was one of the few Saracens players that were always present.
He's now starting to be included in the England squad by Eddie Jones, but a very poor performance in the first of the Springboks tests will probably keep him out of the England setup for at least the next couple of seasons.
4 | Lock | Calum Green (Newcastle Falcons)
The undisputed king of lineouts this season, he has dominated in the skies - whether it be from the hands of Kyle Cooper or from the hands of the opposition's hooker. He only missed one game this season and played over 1500 minutes at lock.
It's very easy to give plaudits to the Newcastle backs, but Green was definitely one of the standout men for the Falcons. He found it difficult to break through at Leicester behind the likes of Ed Slater & Geoff Parling, and his switch over to Newcastle has been magnificent.
3 | Tighthead Prop | Vincent Koch (Saracens)
Koch's form this season has been rewarded by a new contract from Saracens and rightfully so; he has agreed to stay at the Allianz Park-based outfit until 2022. He has been a menace in the scrum and during play and for that reason he gets a spot in my Team of the Season.
2 | Hooker | Kyle Cooper (Newcastle Falcons)
Cooper is undoubtedly the best hooker in the Premiership, and Dean Richards has found an absolute gem from the Cell-C Sharks. His accuracy at the lineout matched with his abrasive ball-carrying ability, along with the effort at the breakdown that has given 20 turnovers to his name, is the reason Cooper is such a beast.
He had a lot of competition to this spot, with Bath's Tom Dunn and Wasps' Tom Cruse having superb seasons at their respective clubs, but Cooper is definitely first pick.
1 | Loosehead Prop | Beno Obano (Bath)
Another breakthrough player included in the Team, with Obano being promoted from the Academy ranks at the start of the season, since establishing himself as a first-team regular.
Obano is an absolute machine, and at the scrum is very reminiscent of any French prop in the strength that he provides. He is also brilliant in defence, and it is the mixture of the two that put him in contention in the England setup before injury.
Thanks for reading!
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