A number of star performers in the Gallagher Premiership put their hands up for a potential call-up ahead of the fast approaching 2023 Rugby World Cup.
#1. Tom Pearson (London Irish)
- Age: 23
- Position: Flanker
During London Irish’s crucial 37-22 bonus-point home win over Northampton Saints, Pearson was named man of the match. The flanker, who is in his second season with London Irish, was one of the try-scorers for the victorious team.
London Irish’s Premiership renaissance has been impressive, having won six out of seven matches, allowing them to jump from bottom place in December to fourth place in the league, overtaking Northampton Saints.
Pearson emerged through the Cardiff Met university pathway, which has also produced Alex Dombrandt and Luke Northmore.
As an openside flanker, Pearson’s performances have been notable with flashes of brilliance, featuring prominently in relevant stats such as being second for Premiership tackles this season and sixth for turnovers.
What sets him apart is his ability to judge when to compete for the ball and his skill to be in the right place at the right time.
He said after the game: “Fourth v fifth today, we always knew it was going to be a big game. To come away with five points, we’re so happy with that.
“We know they’re strong in attack so we knew we had to nullify that, and we knew that if we could keep them under a certain number of points, tries will come from our end – we’ve had no problem with that all season.”
