It's a Bristol one-two in Gallagher Premiership monthly awards

Free-scoring Bristol Bears winger Gabriel Ibitoye has been named Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month for October.

Ibitoye, who was nominated along with Gloucester scrum-half Tomos Williams, Saracens No 8 Tom Willis and Leicester Tigers backrow Olly Cracknell, won just under half the public vote (48%).

Ibitoye is the Bears’ second consecutive winner after Max Malins was voted as September’s Gallagher Player of the Month.

After six rounds of the Gallagher Premiership, Ibitoye is joint top of the try-scoring charts having added four tries during October . This included a breathtaking nine-minute hat-trick in Bristol’s remarkable comeback victory over Exeter Chiefs in Derby Weekend.

The 26-year-old also ranked top for metres made in October and was among the top five players for defenders beaten, clean breaks and offloads in what was a stunning ‘highlight reel’ month for the winger, with England head coach Steve Borthwick noting his impressive form in recent interviews.