The Premiership team of the season

The Premiership team of the season

• 1/15

  1.Marcos Ayerza - Leicester: 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-finals. Worth his weight in gold

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• 2/15

  2. Scott Lawson - Gloucester: The Kingsholmites fielded several follicly challenged forwards, possibly as a ruse to blind opponents when the sun was out, but the hooker was the most effective of them. Excellent around the field

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• 3/15

  3.James Johnston - Harlequins: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

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• 4/15

  4. Matt Garvey - London Irish: There are precious few locks who can do a reasonable turn on the open-side flank, but the 24-year-old from Thurrock managed it in his first season as a Premiership regular. Promising

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• 5/15

  5. Christian Day - Northampton: 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-offs. Outstanding in the crucial victory at Exeter

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• 6/15

  6. Steve Mafi - Leicester: 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

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• 7/15

  7. Chris Robshaw - Harlequins: When England’s 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

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• 8/15

  8. Rich Baxter - Exeter: The local farmer has played some 400 games for his club, but inclusion here is not a reward for long service. Rather, it reflects his quiet, thoughtful yet ruggedly effective contribution

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• 9/15

  9. 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

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• 10/15

  10. Freddie Burns - Gloucester: 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 stuff, the West Countryman had the edge over all-comers

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• 11/15

  11. Alesana Tuilagi - Leicester: 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

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• 12/15

  12. Brad Barritt - Saracens: The naturalised South African did what he has been doing since he arrived. No more, no less The difference this season? England noticed. A hard-tackling, no-nonsense, midfield go-to man par excellence

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• 13/15

  13. George Pisi - Northampton: The season’s 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

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• 14/15

  14. Christian Wade - Wasps: The express-paced newcomer ran in nine tries, finishing second in the scoring list. Not bad for a first full season amongst the grown-ups, especially playing in a losing side

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• 15/15

  15. Jonny May - Gloucester: 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

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