#4. Max Lahiff (Bristol Bears)
Bristol’s loosehead prop was a powerful pillar in the front row, and was pivotal in grinding out the 15-13 win over Bath. Shining against his former club, Lahiff reminded Bath as to what they had lost in the scrum. Unfazed by the presence of Beno Obano, Lahiff matched his opposite man at the set-piece, and out-performed the England capped Obano in moments at the Rec. A stand-out in the Somerset derby, Lahiff deserves the accolades from his performance.
Bristol Live awarded Lahiff an 8/10 player rating: “The former Bath man was nothing short of mighty in the scrum. On paper the hosts should have had a significant advantage in the scrum with Lahiff matched-up against Beno Obano but that was not what transpired on the night as the England international loosehead had very little joy at the coalface.”
#5 Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs)
Josh Hodge had a stand-out performance for Exeter Chiefs, as the young fullback scored twice in the win over Sale Sharks. He was on flying form all match, and at just 22-years-old, he is making waves across Devon during Stuart Hogg’s international absence. Hodge’s first try saw him capitalise on Exeter’s two man advantage, as Sale had suffered two yellow cards in quick succession.
Hodge pinned his ears back and darted for the corner, to score Exeter’s second try and draw them level just before half-time. He outpaced the trailing defence of George Ford, and dove in the corner to score. His second try came shortly after and sent Sandy Park into a frenzy. Skipping free of three tackle attempts, Hodge found a gap on the Sale 10m line and back his ability to score a fantastic solo try.