After a busy third weekend, who makes our Gallagher Premiership Team of the Week? Unsurprisingly, Gloucester and Exeter stars headline our selection…
Gallagher Premiership Team of the Week
Fullback: Telusa Veainu (Leicester Tigers)
Winger: Joe Cakanasiga (Bath Rugby)
Finished superbly for his first try, almost did it again a couple of minutes later and added a second in the second half. Made more than 150m with ball in hand.
Centre: Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
His fend, step and pass to set up Jack Maunder's 49th-minute try was outstanding and effortlessly ripped through the Sharks' defensive line. Slade is a classy outside-centre with all of the skills, he looks razor-sharp right now and so do Exeter Chiefs.
Centre: Jamie Roberts (Bath Rugby)
Had much more punch with his carries than in rounds one and two. Mixed up his play well by bringing others into the game and scored a try against his old team.
Winger: David Strettle (Saracens)
There is life in the old dog yet. Strettle may be the oldest winger in the Premiership but, at the grand old age of 35, he rolled back the years to snatch a Saracens victory with two tries in three minutes.
Fly-half: Lima Sopoaga (Wasps)
Former All Black Lima Sopoaga received rave reviews for a match-winning goal kicking performance on his English rugby debut. The 27-year-old kicked 17 points in Wasps' 41-35 win over the Leicester Tigers in their Midlands derby in Coventry on Sunday
Scrum-half: Sonatane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons)
Prop: Nathan Catt (Bath Rugby)
Hooker: George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons)
Prop: Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
Lock: Ed Slater (Gloucester)
Lock: Will Skelton (Saracens)
Flanker: Jake Polledri (Gloucester)
Up against his hometown club where he started out in the Academy, flanker Jake Polledri produced a monstrous performance. The statistics are incredible. He made 20 carries. The 87 metres he made was more than any other player on the pitch and he beat twice as many defenders as anyone else, going past 10 players. These are the sort of statistics more often associated with outside backs.
Flanker: Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester)
Number 8: Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)
Mercer scored two tries and carried with real venom all afternoon for Todd Blackadder’s side. And in a game that finished up being decided by the smallest of margins, it was the 21-year-old Mercer who took the plaudits.
