Premiership Team of the Season: Bath and Sale dominate 2024/25 best XV

The Premiership regular season has finished, and now is the perfect time to reflect on what has been a great season. 

Bath, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and Bristol Bears finished as the top four after some final-day jeopardy to decide the last two teams, with Sale cutting it very fine in a must-win against Exeter Chiefs. 

Naturally, these four teams have had numerous players who have stood out and put in some great performances. 

Outside of the play-off teams, players have managed to stand out despite disappointing seasons. 

Charlie Elliott picks his Team of the Season from the Premiership’s regular season. 

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15 Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks) 

Carpenter has been an extremely solid and often times underrated member of Sale’s side this season. 

The fullback is so good at running from deep and making the right decisions on the ball, alongside good defensive ability. 

He has really struck up a formidable back-three partnership with Tom Roebuck and either Tom O’Flaherty or Arron Reed, depending on who is playing. 

Steve Borthwick has taken notice and recently selected him as part of the recent training camp ahead of the tour to the Americas. 

14 Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers) 

Given that the main objective of a winger is to score tries, both Hassell-Collins and the main who finished joint-top of the try scorers list with him deserve a place in this team. 

The Tigers man has been an outstanding finisher all season and notched 13 tries this campaign. 

A rapid player who can take players on for fun, Hassell-Collins has had a brilliant end to the season following Adam Radwan’s arrival at Welford Road. 

It could well have been one more try as well for him on the final day, as he had a wonder try disallowed rightfully for an infringement, but he was so close to being the outright top try scorer. 

13 Kalaveti Ravouvou (Bristol Bears) 

Ravouvou is the perfect Pat Lam centre, courtesy of his unbelievably powerful running and great ability to rampage through defences. 

On so many occasions this season, he has flown past defences like they are not even there. 

He has played with lots of confidence as well, exemplified by his behind-the-back assist for Gabriel Ibitoye against Leicester Tigers. 

The number of metres that he will have gained in total this season will be through the roof. 

Also capable of playing as a winger, which he has done on a number of occasions, his versatility has also been instrumental in the Bears’ swashbuckling play that has earned them a play-off berth. 

12 Seb Atkinson (Gloucester) 

Another centre who has been a key part of an ultra-attacking team, Atkinson’s performances helped the Cherry and Whites defy many people’s expectations, only just finishing outside of the play-offs. 

The 23-year-old has been a playmaking sensation, using his relatively diminutive and speed to accelerate and weave past defences, whilst also showing a strong game intelligence to pick out the right pass when needed. 

Solid defensively too, the youngster is another who was rewarded with a training camp spot for England recently. 

11 Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears) 

As mentioned in Hassell-Collins’ position, two players were the joint top try scorers. 

Ibitoye is the other man who notched 13 tries, scoring a brace on the final day to draw level with the Tigers man. 

Overall, he is the perfect player for Bristol, with their expansive play, as he can make anything happen with the ball in hand and is as good an attacker as anyone in the league. 

His defensive work is sometimes lacking, but given that the Bears play all-out attacking rugby, that is not a significant issue. 

That’s the reason why he hasn’t made the step up to Test rugby, but in the Prem, he has been outstanding this season. 

10 Finn Russell (Bath) 

Arguably, the hardest position to pick in this whole team given that two players were nominated for Player of the Season, with Russell being joined by George Ford. 

Ford has been unbelievable for Sale and is a very close second to the Scottish maverick that is Russell. 

Bath’s physicality has been their greatest asset, but having such a technically brilliant fly-half like Russell is really what has separated them from the rest. 

The Scotland international can make something out of nothing with his passing and kicking, and knows exactly what to do and when to do it. 

He also has the most points scored in the Prem this season, with a mighty 156. 

9 Tomos Williams (Gloucester) 

Another extremely difficult position to choose, scrum-half has been a very good position across the board this year. 

Jack van Poortvliet and especially Ben Spencer could both stake their claims as being in this position, but Williams just about edges past them. 

He has rediscovered his form at Gloucester this season and has been the focal point of their attack, creating chances, scoring tries and being an entertaining player to watch. 

Nine tries scored and some great overall play, it is no wonder that the Wales international has been shortlisted for Player of the Season. 

1 Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks) 

In truth, any of Bath’s looseheads could consider themselves unlucky not to be included, but while they have been part of an outstanding front row, individually, they haven’t been better than Rodd. 

The Sale loosehead has been one of the top scrummagers all season and has popped up with the occasional crucial try for the Sharks. 

His side has been one of the most physically dominant this season, and he has been crucial in that. 

2 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks) 

Hooker is another position with quite a few contenders, with Gabriel Oghre, Jamie Blamire and Tom Dunn to name a few. 

Cowan-Dickie’s sheer impact for Sale gets him in here, as he has been key to their set-piece dominance from the lineout, especially. 

Unbelievably accurate in his throws, his work has been a big part of their positive season. 

Not only that, he delivers plenty in play too, being defensively brilliant and able to pop up offensively when required. 

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) 

In many ways, a representation of Bath’s entire ‘Bomb squad’, du Toit has been the best of the lot in ensuring that Johann van Graan’s side have been able to blow their opponents away physically. 

A mix of appearances as a starter and off the bench shows how valuable his versatility is to the team, given that he can play at both loosehead and tighthead. 

Extremely powerful, he has been one of the top scrummagers and has also brought a huge amount of power in the carry to bring crucial metres for Bath. 

He has also added a try-scoring ability to his game, something previously undiscovered before his move to The Rec. 

4 Maro Itoje (Saracens) 

The new captain of the British and Irish Lions, Itoje, has been a shining light in a pretty disappointing season for Saracens. 

Hugely experienced, his work at the breakdown has been second-to-none as it so often has been. 

He is also brilliant at taking lineouts, both offensively and defensively, and is such a hard worker and clearly a great leader. 

5 Charlie Ewels (Bath) 

Ewels is another who has been great in the Bath ‘Bomb squad’ and is a well-deserved addition given his work in Blue, Black and White. 

Defensively brilliant and very physical, he has brought Bath’s second row to another level, and his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

6 Hanro Liebenberg (Leicester Tigers) 

What a season Liebenberg has had. The South African has progressively got better as the year has gone on and has stepped up when it matters to get the Tigers up to second place. 

A player who can do it all, the flanker has brought plenty of tackles and work at the breakdown. 

Also, someone who has stepped up attacking-wise on numerous occasions, his carrying is great and will be a huge asset going into the semi-finals. 

7 Ben Curry (Sale Sharks) 

Possibly the most underrated player in the league this season, Ben Curry has turned up week in, week out with no fuss and has gone about his business in a hugely professional manner. 

Like Liebenberg, he has done absolutely everything that his position requires and has been so well-rounded in his play. 

Lots of tackles, work rate and offensive work when needed, it has been a great season for the flanker, and he was unlucky not to be called up for the Lions. 

8 Tom Willis (Saracens) 

Willis has been such a dominant player and is another who is unlucky to have missed out on the Lions. 

His ball-carrying is outstanding, he has tackled like a madman all season, and his work at the breakdown is amongst the best in the league. 

Deservedly nominated as Player of the Season, the number eight has been the best player in arguably the best back row in the league for Sarries. 

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