Team of the Week: PREM Rugby Round 1

Harlequins and Bath then lit up the Stoop as Saracens clashed with Newcastle Red Bulls for the Friday night fixtures, as the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final put a hold on any Saturday matches in the PREM. Sunday witnessed Exeter Chiefs complete ‘mission impossible’ with a dramatic draw in Northampton, before Leicester Tigers and Bristol Bears pulled out all the stops for a barnstorming clash.

A stand-out performance for the Scotsman upon his Prem Rugby debut with Bristol Bears, Tom Jordan had a stellar performance in the back-field at Ashton Gate. Jordan was everpresent as Bristol's defensive sweeper, and relished the opportunity to return fire upon the Tigers. Two penalties and four conversions built a healthy personal points haul of 14 for the former Glasgow Warriors man.

Back in action for the Chiefs following a turbulent end to the 2024/25 season, it was great to see England wing Manny Feyi-Waboso back flying for the Devon club. Feyi-Waboso had not bagged a try since December, yet the Exeter University Medical Student put on an attacking clinic, as he grabbed a brace in Exter's incredible comeback draw against Northampton.

Saracens fans rejoiced as their beloved brotherhood of Nick Tompkins and Owen Farrell took up the midfield mantle, for the Londoners trip up to Newcastle. Both Tompkins and Farrell were in fine form, Anglo-Welsh axis named in our Team of the Week. Tompkins scored twice upon the ice-cold astro-turf of Kingston Park, as Sarries handed Newcastle their first defeat in their Red Bulls era.

Owen Farrell looked like he hadn't lost a step in a Saracens jersey, as the former England captain slotted back in seemlessly to Mark McCall's back-line. Whilst Farrell's Saracens return destination may not have been the fine weather destination like his time in the French Top 14, Farrell certainly brought the heat to England's most northerly Prem club. The Saracen slotted three conversions and two penalties, whilst also getting a bloodied nose from a brutal collision.

From one Racing 92 returnee to another, Henry Arundell wasted no time getting his Prem Rugby return off the mark. Making his league debut in the blue, black and white of Bath, after a couple of previous hit outs in pre-season friendlies and the Prem Rugby Cup, this was Arundell's best effort yet for the Somerset club. Two tries in the high-scoring win over Harlequins stamped his intentions to return to the England fold for the Autumn Nations series.

The masterful linchpin who's enjoyed a recent resurgence with England this Summer, George Ford rolled this momentum back into his club rugby with a stunning first Prem outing with Sale Sharks. Ford played his teammates into space with a classy ease and slotted a handful of kicks through the uprights, to keep the match out of reach for Gloucester. Two conversions and a penalty sees Ford off the mark for the new Prem Rugby season, as he commences his own intentions to return to the England camp this Autumn.

It was certainly a weekend for the England internationals as the Prem kicked back into gear, as Jack van Poortvliet put in a strong performance upon a losing effort with Leicester Tigers. JVP ignited the Sunday clash with Bristol Bears with a well taken try after just five minutes, and kept the Tigers' intensity hight upon the attack with solid distribution from the base. Having narrowly missed out on a space upon the Lions tour after training with the extended squad, van Poortvliet will be gunning for a Test match return.

The first of two Bath props who make our team of the week, Beno Obano put out a real statement of intent to the rest of the aspiring England loose-heads. Obano impressed in Bath's end-to-end win over Harlequins down at the Stoop, as he crossed over for a try, and was a solid pillar for the blue, black and whites at scrum time. Obano would have been eyeing up the Allianz during his time in Twickenham, with all sights set on an international return before the year is out.

At just 22-years-old, Nathan Jibulu is steadily plying his trade up in the front row following his recent transfer from Harlequins to Sale Sharks. The move out of the capital looks to be a solid one so far for the young hooker, as he former a solid front row trio along with Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour. Jibulu got his name upon the score-sheet against Gloucester, with a statement made to Sale, England and British & Irish Lions hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, ahead of the front rower's return from injury.

Taking it back to Bath, we could well have implemented a full blue, black and white front row into this Team of the Week, had it not been for the stellar efforts of Nathan Jibulu. Whilst hooker Tom Dunn missed out, there's no overlooking the seismic shift from young tight-head Vilikesa 'Billy' Sela. The prop has steadily been shadowing England and Lions stalwart Will Stuart in Somerset, with Sela improving upon each passing match. Sela grabbed a nice try at the Stoop to amplify his first team claims.

Whilst it was a frustrating afternoon for the green, gold and black faithful, as Northampton threw a heavy first half lead for an eventual 33-33 draw with Exeter, lock Alex Coles was a standout of the Saints side. A constant threat in the tight exchanges upon both sides of the ball, Coles wrestled at the breakdown and imposed his dominance upon the Chiefs forward pack. Coles capped off his afternoon with a well-taken try, before Exeter rallied back for an unforgettable finish to the match.

A stand-out from Newcastle's losing effort up in the North East, the Red Bulls gained a definite shift as Freddie Clark was deployed from the bench. The replacement lock was entrusted to up the intensity as Saracens began to run away with proceedings, with the second row on hand to scoop up a try and keep the faith alive for the Red Bulls. The 32-year-old left his lock name-sake Arthur Clark at Kingsholm in the Summer in what looks like a promising career move away from the West Country.

We round off the forward pack for our first Team of the Week for the Prem Rugby season, with two Harlequins flankers who were both excellent against Bath. Despite the men in the famous quarters taking a home defeat to start their new season, Jack Kenningham was in stand-out form for Harlequins with a breathless work rate against the blue, black and whites. Kenningham worked his way over the try-line for his first score of the season, as he emptied the tank around the park.

Joining Jack Kenningham from the same back row, Will Evans put in a phenomenal performance against Bath, albeit before the visitors ran away with the high-scoring win. It's rare to see a player bag a hat-trick of tries and come away without the overall victory, yet just that happened to Will Evans, as he muscled his way through the blue, black and white wall in the first, eighth and 29th minutes. Setting the tone of this non-stop attacking following his sub-60 second score, Evans' trio of tries and breakdown intensity earns himself a spot in our first Prem Rugby Team of the Week for the new season.

Last but by no means least, Exeter Chiefs number eight Ross Vintcent closes out our Team of the Week, for the opening round of the 2025/26 Prem Rugby season. The Italian international was at the heart of the frantic fray, which saw Exeter execute their own mission impossible, and overcome a 26-point deficit much to the chagrin of Northampton Saints. Vintcent crossed for two second half tries to keep the Chiefs in the fight, with ample defensive work also impressing all onlookers at Franklin's Gardens.