Ranked! The 5 best Premiership signings of the season

Wildcard of the season having come from university rugby. As a powerful player in a breakthrough season he’s right up there. His work-rate is exceptionally high.

I know he gets a lot of stick about his physique – even from his own coaches – but that’s only going to get better over the next few years. His ball carrying’s fantastic already, so make him more of an athlete and he should become a superstar.

One of this season’s biggest success stories, McConnochie has transitioned from playing full-time sevens with ease. An Olympic silver medallist, the back has scored try after try and was easily Bath’s player of the season. Possibly getting more playing time than originally anticipated, long-term injuries to Anthony Watson and Semesa Rokoduguni allowed McConnochie to thrive for Bath, filling the void left by Matt Banahan admirably.

Great in the lineout, but his stats are phenomenal in terms of the amount of times he wins collisions. He’s usually top of the charts for tackles or carries because he’ll put himself in the position to make the tackle and then he’ll get straight back up and go again so he might make three tackles in succession.

Not wanted by Leicester, Thacker has really found a home at Ashton Gate. Easily one of the best front-row forwards in the loose, Thacker has scored seven tries for Pat Lam’s side in the Premiership, with one of those scores being the deciding factor in the hooker’s return to Welford Road.

Gloucester have handled him really well by allowing him to run the whole system. The time that he’s bought himself to make decisions and fire the ball into those outside channels…. I don’t think there is anyone who passes the ball like he does in the Premiership.

Undoubtedly the signing of the season.