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Northampton dominate Premiership team of the season with five players
By Josh Raisey
Five players from table-topping Northampton Saints have made the Premiership Rugby team of the season.
Curtis Langdon, Alex Coles, Courtney Lawes, Fin Smith and Ollie Sleightholme are the five representatives from the Saints, who boast the most players in the team.
Of that quintet, Lawes and Smith were nominated for player of the season, while Sleightholme finished as the league's top try scorer.
Newly crowned player of the season Henry Slade also makes the team alongside his Exeter Chiefs teammates Rusi Tuima and breakthrough player of the season Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Bath and Harlequins have two representatives apiece in the team, with each club putting forward a prop. Quins loosehead Fin Baxter is joined by Bath tighthead Thomas du Toit in the XV. In the backline, Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer features, as does Quins fullback Tyrone Green.
Ben Earl is the sole representative from reigning champions Saracens, with the loose forward having a particularly remarkable season in an England jersey.
Earl is joined in the back row by Leicester Tigers and South Africa No8 Jasper Wiese, who played his final game in the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday.
The final member of the team is Bristol Bears centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who was imperious in his side's late surge up the league table in the second half of the season.
The three sides to not have a representative are Gloucester, the winless Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks, despite the latter finishing third in the league.
Premiership Rugby team of the season
15. Tyrone Green (Harlequins)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
11. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
2. Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
3. Thomas Du Toit (Bath Rugby)
4. Rusi Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
5. Alex Coles Northampton Saints)
6. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
7. Ben Earl (Saracens)
8. Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)
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Latest Comments
Willis is incredible and probably the best of the bunch but in Underhill and Earl we have two excellent alternatives.
Willis is solid in the lineout but I don't think Borthwick would pick a backrow without a 6'5" blindside.
Go to commentsAs an ABs fan there’s nothing to justify
The Boks are the best and just know how to win
And their depth is incredible now
And when they don’t they lose late on by one point
The rest of us aren’t too far away (some closer than others)
But in reality if we include England Argentina and now Aus rugby looks greatly competitive
Bongis knock on and Lomaxes double bank
These things happen
The fact is the ABs overall have evolved with new players and others like Aumua Vaai and Williams who have progressed immensely
But by and large although it has improved overall our second halves are a massive work in progress
So a B- is about right provided there is no loss to Italy
A loss drops it to C- !!
Remember we could have lost all three games to England but were just slightly better that’s all
Go to comments