15 Willie le Roux (Wasps)
Twenty-one try assists in 19 games, as well as four tries, reflect the South African’s influence on Wasps’ attacking game. The Springboks are reportedly keen to have him back for the 2019 World Cup andas with Kurtley Beale, Le Roux’s pace and eye for a gap will be conspicuously missed when he is gone. Jason Woodward and Telusa Veainu also make the podium.
14 Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons)
If Newcastle have startled some by finishing in the top four this season, the 34-year-old Goneva’s continuing impact is no surprise. The Fijian has now scored 53 career Premiership tries and his Alan Shearer-style celebration after scoring against Northampton at St James’ Park was among the season’s best images. In company with his team-mate Sinoti Sinoti, he retains a rare ability to terrify defenders.
13 Henry Trinder (Gloucester)
One of the unluckiest players in Britain deserved a change in fortunes and, finally, the injury-plagued centre has had a season to remember fondly. The 28-year-old has been at the heart of many of Gloucester’s best moments and with Bath’s Jonathan Joseph injured, his footwork and offloading skills have at least put him in the frame for England’s summer tour of South Africa.
12 Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Has mostly filled the 13 jersey for the Chiefs but such is his midfield versatility it is hard to look past an entirely Henry-dominated midfield. If Exeter do retain their Premiership title, Slade’s skill-set will have been among the reasons why and he remains determined to feature in England’s 2019 World Cup plans. Another player for whom the coming weeks could prove highly significant.
11 Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors)
Worcester have not endured the easiest of seasons but there has been one consistent success story throughout. Currently the Premiership’s joint top try-scorer with 13 tries in 20 games, the Welsh wing has also made his Test debut and, at only 23, potentially has plenty of improvement still left in him. Sale’s Denny Solomona makes the bench.
10 Danny Cipriani (Wasps)
Due to leave Wasps again at the end of the season but is signing off with a genuine flourish. The extra dimension he brings in attack – ball in two hands, constantly keeping opponents guessing – has been a pleasure to watch at times, not least last weekend in front of Eddie Jones. Leaving aside his occasional capacity to rub some people up the wrong way, he remains the most watchable English fly-half of his generation.
9 Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks)
The best scrum-halves are constantly involved and De Klerk has been a wonderfully busy presence for Sale all season. He has played in every game, kicked goals on demand and blazed a trail for pint-sized No 9s everywhere. Sale are an improving side and the South African has rapidly established himself as a crucial cog.
1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
Had it not been for their loosehead’s lengthy injury lay-off, Leicester might not have found themselves outside the Premiership’s top four for the first time since 2004. There are a lot of good up-and-coming looseheads out there – Alec Hepburn at Exeter, Beno Obano at Bath – but Genge’s bullocking ability in the loose makes him the scariest of the lot when the force is with him.
2 Schalk Brits (Saracens)
Another player whose season has been disrupted by injury but seven tries in 11 league games is some strike-rate for a hooker. About to fade into retirement but has been as popular an overseas recruit as any in the Premiership’s history. At 36 he is still capable of producing ridiculous skills, his fizzing display on the season’s opening weekend against Northampton a particular highlight.
3 Nick Schonert (Worcester)
When Schonert is on the field – and he has spent more time than he would prefer on the physio’s table – the Warriors’ scrum is as strong as any in the league. South Africa-reared but English qualified, there must be every chance of the powerful tighthead featuring on England’s summer tour back to his homeland. Could yet be a World Cup squad bolter.
4 Donncha O’Callaghan (Worcester, capt)
Any retiring player would love to walk away into the sunset with O’Callaghan’s fistful of honours: to feature in 18 Premiership games in the second-row in your late 30s also takes some doing. Included here for his inspiring determination to keep on raging against the dying of the light, even for a non-Irish club in the table’s lower reaches.
5 Joe Launchbury (Wasps)
Some people are still prone to underestimating Launchbury but his stamina and work-rate are reliably world-class. Combining the captaincy of Wasps with playing in the engine room for England has had its obvious challenges this season but rare, even so, are the days he does not complete the full 80 minutes for his club. A real Trojan.
6 Don Armand (Exeter)
Quite obviously head and shoulders above some of those picked in England’s back row under Eddie Jones but still awaiting a senior Test start. Exeter will be perfectly happy if Jones keeps omitting him: it saves them the bother of having to make up for the endless lineouts claimed, metres gained, mauls driven and tackles made by their Zimbabwe-born force of nature.
7 Sam Simmonds (Exeter)
As with Armand, it does not particularly matter what number Simmonds wears on his back. Has only been a Chiefs regular for a little over a year but the ‘Teignmouth Torpedo’ and his fly-half brother Joe have arguably been the country’s two most improved players. If, as with Exeter, there are others on hand to add close-quarters power, his pace and footwork will stand out even more.
8 Jono Ross (Sale)
This is fast becoming the era of the English-qualified, South Africa-reared forward. Ross is the latest contender to emerge, having impressed everyone in Manchester since arriving from Stade Français. Hard, durable and consistent – he has played in every one of Sale’s league games – he must be a contender for Jones’s summer squad, either at No6 or No8.
Replacements
L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter), B Obano (Bath), V Koch (Saracens), N Isiekwe (Saracens), J Polledri (Gloucester), D Robson (Wasps), O Farrell (Saracens), D Solomona (Sale).
Director of rugby: Dean Richards (Newcastle)
Still possesses the canniest of eyes for rugby talent and, ably assisted by Dave Walder, has done a top job of revitalising the Falcons. Guiding the club to the play-offs in such competitive times is a serious achievement.
