The final round of the regular Prem season is nigh, with the playoffs yet to come. Here is the Guardian’s 2025-26 team of the season with players needing to have appeared in at least nine league fixtures to get the nod.
15 George Furbank (Northampton)
Such a good all-round footballer who unlocks doors for those around him. Overcame an injury-disrupted start to the season to re-emerge as a key cog in Saints’ slick backline and must be in pole position to regain the starting England No 15 jersey. Has the ability to make a major difference when he joins Harlequins this summer but it will be odd not seeing him in black, green and gold.
14 Noah Caluori (Saracens)
Is it a high-flying bird? Or a plane? No, it’s a 19-year-old with the aerial ability to soar above everyone else in the league. In three games alone against Sales (twice) and Newcastle he contributed 14 tries and his overall haul of 18 tries in 12 Prem games places him at the top of the scoring charts. Still has stuff to learn but his “ceiling”, as all the cool kids now insist on saying, is sky high.
13 Tommy Freeman (Northampton)
Shifts to outside centre in this XV to accommodate Caluori on the strength of his brilliant performance at 13 in Northampton’s spectacular win at Bath just after Christmas. Also boasts an enviable strike rate, with 16 tries in 13 league matches, an excellent return in the wake of a long, intense British & Irish Lions season which left him, by his own admission, mentally drained.
12 Rory Hutchinson (Northampton)
Plenty of contenders here – Exeter’s Len Ikitau, Bath’s Max Ojomoh and Leicester’s Orlando Bailey have all caught the eye at various times – but Hutchinson narrowly wins the vote ahead of his estimable clubmate Fraser Dingwall. When Saints’ backs are purring there is no better sight in the league, underpinned by Hutchinson’s ability to cut smart angles and inject vital pace at the right moments.
11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter)
His return after a lengthy injury absence has underlined how dangerous he can be when allowed any kind of space. Kicked off the season with five tries in the opening two rounds but has looked even sharper lately as Exeter have roared back into form. The 23-year-old’s consistent ability to leave defenders for dead and surge past contact edges out Adam Radwan and George Hendy.
10 Billy Searle (Leicester)
Sidelined by injury in recent weeks but a revelation at 10 for Tigers this season. Has had an itinerant career, most recently in France, but his move to Leicester has worked out superbly for all concerned. Searle’s confidence has increased, his skillset has been underpinned by a competitive edge and he is now on England’s radar.
9 Ben Spencer (Bath)
Pushed all the way by Northampton’s fast-emerging Archie McParland but, once again, Spencer’s all-round contribution to Bath has been massive. There is no better kicking scrum-half in the league, nor one who controls the tempo of a game so expertly. Potentially starting to feel the effects of a long campaign after 27 matches for club and country this season but still pivotal to Bath’s fortunes.
1 Nicky Smith (Leicester)
These days clubs like to rotate their prop forwards to keep them as fresh as possible. Not in the case of Smith, who has started every one of Leicester’s regular season games. Small wonder the Wales loosehead has been handed a long-term deal by Sale. The ever-improving Manny Iyogun of Northampton Saints also deserves a big shout-out.
2 Gabriel Oghre (Bristol)
There was a moment in Bristol’s game against Leicester in March when Oghre threw into the lineout, collected a return pass and then drilled a beautiful 45-metre kick to touch near halfway off his left foot. Even the great Schalk Brits would have been impressed. There is not a more multidimensional hooker in this season’s league, with his darts more consistently accurate than anyone’s.
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath)
Possibly the first name on this team sheet. A large part of the reason why Bath’s pack have prospered under Johann van Graan and an ominous sight on the bench when employed as an impact sub. The South African is heading back home after this season, leaving a sizable hole to fill. Has arguably been even more valuable this season in the injury absence of England’s Will Stuart.
4 Andrea Zambonin (Exeter)
Not many had the big Italian down as the overseas signing of the season but that is history now. Rob Baxter knows a classy lineout forward when he sees one and Zambonin, still only 25, has slotted in perfectly at Sandy Park. His match-clinching try wide out on the left at Leicester last week was merely the latest illustration of his all-round impact.
5 Alex Coles (Northampton)
His England colleague Ollie Chessum might otherwise have nipped in but with Coles one particular stat sticks out. Did you know Northampton have yet to lose a league game this season in which the 26-year-old has featured? Great hands and athleticism, a serious work-rate and the physical stamina to match – no wonder Coles is fast becoming an England regular.
6 Ethan Roots (Exeter)
Possibly the hardest selection of the lot. Bath’s Josh Bayliss consistently goes under the radar, the Leicester pair of Hanro Liebenberg and Joaquin Moro have given the Tigers extra steel, Northampton’s Josh Kemeny is lighting quick and Exeter’s Tom Hooper has also been a valuable signing. When Exeter are at their best, though, the durable Roots is inevitably at the heart of it.
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton)
Love him or hate him – and in South Africa they are already licking their lips – it is impossible to ignore the black head-banded flanker. Six tries in 12 Prem appearances may not appear a massive return but his performance against Bristol last month – he contributed 18 carries, 16 tackles a try, two turnovers and two linebreaks – suggested we have not heard the last of him this season.
8 Tom Willis (Saracens)
Exactly the sort of gainline-threatening No 8 that English rugby needs, which makes it even more regrettable that he is relocating to France this summer. Willis will be sorely missed by both club and country. Carries, defenders beaten, offloads ... the 27-year-old tops this year’s stats in multiple categories. They will absolutely love having him back in Bordeaux next season.
