15 Santiago Carreras Gloucester
The 25-year-old Puma has had a remarkable past nine months. Helping Argentina to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand and England at Twickenham is a double to cherish and, having also worn the No 10 and 11 jerseys for Gloucester, the inventive playmaker had to be squeezed into this team somewhere. “It could sound quite arrogant but I want to be the best player in the world,” he said earlier this season. He is already an eye-catching talent.
14 Mateo Carreras
Newcastle
No relation to his compatriot but the Tucumán-born winger has made a similarly positive impression on English audiences. Along with Adam Radwan, his pace and footwork have left multiple opponents clutching at air; he is a runaway leader on the “clean breaks” list and his total of 13 tries is second only to Harlequins’ Cadan Murley. At 5ft 8in tall he is proof that top wingers do not always have to be massive. Aged only 23, he has an exhilarating future ahead of him.
13 Ollie Lawrence
Worcester/Bath
Serious respect is due to Lawrence for overcoming the trauma of Worcester’s demise as a Premiership side to re-emerge as a potent threat in a Bath team who finished the season with some belated momentum. For various reasons his international career has not taken off but the 23-year-old could yet force his way back into England’s midfield plans for this year’s World Cup. If he does it will be a fitting reward for his perseverance in adversity.
12 Benhard van Rensburg London Irish
There are bigger-name centres out there but sometimes it pays to trust the evidence of your own eyes. Every time The Breakdown has watched Irish this season their straight-running South African has been central to their backline potency and he makes those around him look good as well. Seb Atkinson at Gloucester is clearly one to watch while Rob du Preez and Sam James have both had cracking seasons for Sale but, at a time when Irish need all the love they can find, Van Rensburg just shades it.
11 Cadan Murley
Harlequins
Jack Nowell’s international career has been a pleasure to watch and England, should they so wish, now have a ready-made replacement. It is not just the fact that Murley heads the league’s try-scoring charts with 15; it is the enthusiasm with which he plays and the strength in the tackle that has caused defenders, not least Max Malins, plenty of problems at certain times. Anthony Watson has also re-emerged from injury looking close to his best while Elliot Daly is certain to feature somewhere in England’s World Cup plans but Murley’s rise to prominence feels well timed.
10 Owen Farrell
Saracens
A fraction early to make this particular call, with George Ford still hoping to guide Sale to Premiership glory, but Farrell has been excellent in a Sarries jersey all season. His kicking has not always been spot-on but the rest of his game has been sharp and decisive and his steely competitive will remains undiminished. A nod, too, to Handré Pollard at Leicester and young Fin Smith at Northampton, clearly a shooting star of the future.
9 Harry Randall
Bristol
Harsh on Alex Mitchell at Northampton, clearly, but Randall has the pace and crispness of pass to rival anyone in the league. What has occasionally been missing is the tactical composure to match but his style is perfect for any team wishing to play at pace. Will he be among England’s three scrum-halves for the World Cup? Judging by his performance for Bristol against Gloucester last Saturday, he is another candidate making a well-timed late burst for recognition.
1 Val Rapava-Ruskin
Gloucester
Some players are more than good enough to be international regulars but, for some reason, it never quite happens. In the case of Rapava-Ruskin there used to be question marks over his work rate and his penalty count but, increasingly, his ability over the ball allied to his obvious strength is obvious for pretty much everyone to see. That said, competition is intense in his position and the welcome return of the fit-again Beno Obano at Bath has added further to Steve Borthwick’s loosehead propping options.
2 Julián Montoya
Leicester
The third Argentina international to make this list and perhaps the best hooker in the world right now. If England supporters think their opening World Cup pool game against the Pumas in Marseille in September is a foregone conclusion they have clearly not been paying attention to Montoya’s reliable impact at the breakdown and his relentless appetite for the hardest yards. If anyone deserves an off-season break it is him, but his old Leicester coach Borthwick will still be extremely wary of his ability this autumn.
3 Nick Schonert
Sale
A tight call at tighthead where Dan Cole’s resurgence has given hope to mature props everywhere. In the past Schonert has suffered from ill-timed injuries but he has started regularly for the Sharks this season and has been one of the forward pillars that have helped to propel Alex Sanderson’s side to the top two in the table. Although Cole may yet have something to say about that when Leicester travel to Salford on Sunday.
4 Jean-Luc du Preez
Sale
Another big reason why Sale have been such a compelling force this season. The Du Preez family are clearly a hard-nosed bunch but the lock resembles one of those 4x4 vehicles that show their true value when the going gets tough. Relentless, physical and a force of nature, he is a perfect example of the formidable talent that leaves South Africa for more lucrative pastures. Has to be included in this team, even if it was his brother who was officially shortlisted for Premiership player for the season.
5 Ollie Chessum
Leicester
Deservedly established himself in England’s pack this season and would have been a key man in Leicester’s run-in had injury while on international duty not cruelly sidelined him. Leicester have plenty of other physical options in their squad, with George Martin among those finishing the season strongly, but Chessum is clearly the type of player that Borthwick particularly likes. While Rob Simmons at London Irish has been quietly influential and Sale’s Jonny Hill could yet add another Premiership medal to his collection, the 22-year-old Chessum has every chance of a lengthy Test career.
6 Tom Pearson
London Irish
Picked ahead of some highly talented alternatives but anyone who has watched London Irish this season will not be at all surprised. Maybe there will be tougher days ahead, but if England are searching for a World Cup squad bolter they need look no further. Rangy, athletic, hard-working and a strong ball carrier, Pearson almost feels like a throwback to an era when English back-rowers were the envy of the world; his development from here will be fascinating. A warm mention in dispatches, too, for Saracens’ Theo McFarland, Bath’s Ted Hill and Irish’s Juan Martín González.
7 Ben Earl
Saracens
As with Pearson, it is impossible to leave Earl out of this year’s team. Which makes it all the more ironic that England, under Eddie Jones, opted to ignore him. Clearly there is massive competition in the shape of the Curry twins, Sam Underhill and Jack Willis but none of them are as quick off the mark as Earl, who could probably play Test rugby as a centre. When he plays well, so do Saracens, and his probable duel with the excellent Lewis Ludlam will be a key battle in Saturday’s Sarries v Saints semi-final. Leicester’s Tommy Reffell also deserves a special mention.
8 Jasper Wiese
Leicester
You could pick Billy Vunipola or Sam Simmonds or Alex Dombrandt and still feel pretty happy with life as a selector. That said, if you measure your No 8 by the amount of apprehension he generates among defenders when he bursts off the back of a scrum, there is only one possible pick this season. Wiese would run through brick walls all day if necessary and Leicester have been the fortunate beneficiaries. As with Montoya, you just hope he is allowed a few weeks off to recharge his batteries. If the Tigers retain their domestic title, the South African will be one of the key reasons why.
