Following the conclusion of the latest chapters of the Premiership, URC, Top 14 and Pro D2, here’s Planet Rugby’s British and Irish Lions Team of the Week.
British and Irish Lions Team of the Week
15 Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers): He’s building a really nice run of form together just at the right time, which will more than likely have caught the attention of Andy Farrell. Steward yet again showed his intent to get involved in attack, with nine carries to his name for 39 metres (4.33 metres per carry) and chipped in with two assists for good measure. Blair Murray was a close second.
14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints): If he wasn’t already on the plane, he surely is now after his brace against Bristol Bears. On top of his try-scoring antics, he again made himself regularly available for work with 55 metres to his name ball-in-hand, and also made two linebreaks and beat five defenders in the process. You’d think the form he’s in right now is pushing him into Farrell’s Test side.
13 Chris Harris (Gloucester): He might not be in the Scotland picture at the moment, but Harris is playing his way into possible Lions bolter territory for Gloucester right now. He was again superb for the Cherry and Whites in their win over Exeter, nabbing a try and matching that with some outstanding defensive efforts too. Midfield is a heavily congested area for the Lions, with the likes of Bundee Aki, Huw Jones and Garry Ringrose all in the mix, but Harris is already a Test Lion and knows exactly the sort of standards expected on tours like this. He couldn’t, could he?
12 Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints): We’ve shifted him slightly over here, but Dingwall is also playing his way into the Lions picture with some classy performances of late. His attacking IQ is clear for all to see, and that again came to the fore in Northampton’s win over Bristol. There really is a lot to like about the way he plays.
11 Tom Rogers (Scarlets): Another bolter call here, but Welshman Rogers was superb in the Scarlets’ win over Leinster. He was a consistent threat ball-in-hand throughout the 35-22 win, notching two linebreaks from his six carries, and again got himself on the scoresheet.
10 George Ford (Sale Sharks): My goodness, he’s in good form right now, isn’t he? It seemed everything he touched turned to gold in Sale’s vital win over Saracens, as he again got them playing some scintillating attacking rugby. He also nabbed a tidy try of his own, which capped off a fine display. He might not have featured for England that much in the Six Nations, but he’s possibly pushing ahead of the rest of the English lot in the Lions conversation right now.
9 Tomos Williams (Gloucester): This feels harsh on Northampton’s Alex Mitchell, who was at his very best for the Saints on Saturday, but Williams was utterly spellbinding for the Cherry and Whites in their mammoth win over Exeter on Sunday. Things just seemed to magically happen around him whenever he touched the ball, which in turn created chaos for the Chiefs defence and allowed Gloucester to run riot.
8 Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff): Balled out, hard. Just oozed class in Cardiff’s win over Munster, returning to that totemic figure that spearheaded Wales to so many Six Nations titles in years gone by. Got stuck into the battle up front with 17 carries for 67 metres (3.95 metres per carry) and 20 tackles, and threw in a couple of silky offloads for good measure. Dazzling display from the back-rower.
7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints): The hype train continues for the Englishman, who yet again displayed his Lions credentials. The back-rower was again superb with ball-in-hand, making 15 carries for 74 metres (4.93 metres per carry), which included two linebreaks as well, and took names with four defenders beaten as well. On top of that, he again showed his defensive steel with 11 tackles and one turnover. Rounding off a fine showing, he grabbed a try and an assist. Will he?
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6 Jack Willis (Toulouse): Yet again reminding us of his Lions credentials as he starred for Toulouse in their 52-6 win over Castres. Across his shift, the flanker posted 17 carries for 69 metres (4.05 metres per carry), two defenders beaten and one turnover. These are even more impressive when you factor in that he was only on the pitch for 50 minutes. Some player.
5 Teddy Williams (Cardiff): An understated yet brutal performance from the young Welsh lock, who played a crucial role in his side’s win over Munster. He was a consistent presence in the tight, helping thwart Munster’s power game when they looked like breaking away, and was always available to make dents in their defensive line too. A really mature performance all round.
4 Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers): A typically classy Chessum performance, which came at just the right time, Lions-wise. The Leicester lock was imperious in defence and added some serious stability to the set-piece too. All the hallmarks of a proper Lions Test player.
3 Will Stuart (Bath): He might have been on bomb squad duties, but Stuart yet again showed why many see him as the Lions tighthead-elect. Upon his arrival, he simply tore into the Falcons scrum and helped Bath run away with the game. This is also the latest in a long line of scrummaging masterclasses.
2 Dewi Lake (Ospreys): A really strong showing from the Welshman, who continues to show exactly why many see him donning the Lions jersey this summer. He again showed his brutality up-front with 10 carries for 27 metres (2.7 metres per carry) and 10 tackles as well. Lake’s lineout throwing was also on-point, which helped his side set a platform for the big win over the Dragons.
1 Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers): Welshman Smith has possibly flown under the radar a touch with regard to the Lions, but he gave himself a major boost with his work on Saturday. On top of his superb scrummaging, he chipped in with a tidy try assist and made a turnover as well. These sorts of efforts in the loose could be the difference at the end of the day, in what is a decent depth chart at loosehead.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/british-and-irish-lions-team-of-the-week-totemic-number-eight-balls-out-while-hype-train-continues-for-english-forward
