Chris Hewetts Premiership team of the season chris hewetts premiership team of the season

Christian Wade Wasps 14 Jonny May Gloucester 15 Alesana Tuilagi Leicester 11

The express-paced newcomer ran in nine tries, nishing second in the scoring list. Not bad for a rst full season amongst the grown-ups, especially playing in a losing side.

A little tough on the ultra-consistent Mike Brown of Harlequins, but the youngster, positively smothered in X-factor, was the true bums-on-seats merchant. Kick badly to this bloke at your peril.

Still scary after all these years, the Samoan provided rich entertainment - a WWF-style character with muscles where normal people rarely have places. Ten metres from the line in a little space? Unstoppable.

Brad Barritt Saracens

12

George Pisi Northampton

13

The naturalised South African did what he has been doing since he arrived. No more, no less. The di erence this season? England noticed. A hard-tackling, no-nonsense, mid eld go-to man par excellence.

The seasons best signing? Probably. The Saints are not great ones for chopping and changing in selection, but the moment the Samoan arrived, the long-serving Jon Clarke was on borrowed time.

Haydn Thomas Exeter

Rival half-backs were more eye-catching, but the Devonians are not much interested in the cult of the individual. Their man was perfect for them: reliable, resilient and harder-working than the average Trojan.

Freddie Burns Gloucester

10

Some outside-halves played with more control the percentage game remains a mystery to him - but when it came to the bright-spark, box-of-tricks stu , the West Countryman had the edge over all-comers.

Rich Baxter Exeter Chris Robshaw Harlequins

When Englands captain was captaining Quins instead, they almost always won. This tells us something. The hardest-working forward in the country is now reaping his just reward. Good on him.

8 Steve Ma Leicester 6
A major contributor to the Midlanders cause, in more than one position. The Tongan put in full 80-minute shifts in a dozen league games, performing at his best when it mattered most.

The local farmer has played some 400 games for his club, but inclusion here is not a reward for long service. Rather, it re ects his quiet, thoughtful yet ruggedly e ective contribution.

Matt Garvey London Irish

Christian Day Northampton

There are precious few locks who can do a reasonable turn on the open-side ank, but the 24-year-old from Thurrock managed it in his rst season as a Premiership regular. Promising.

The Saints often struggle when their internationals are away and but for the Blackpool-born lock, they would have been hard pushed to make the play-o s. Outstanding in the crucial victory at Exeter.

James Johnston Harlequins

Scott Lawson Gloucester

Marcos Ayerza Leicester

Something went right up front for the Londoners and that something was the Samoan. A liability on the penalty front, but a serious force in the scrum and on the drive.

The Kingsholmites elded several folliclychallenged forwards, possibly as a ruse to blind opponents when the sun was out, but the hooker was the most e ective of them. Excellent around the eld.

Far and away the outstanding loose-head prop in the competition, the Argentine provided the platform from which the Tigers launched their surge into the semi- nals. Worth his weight in gold.