Aviva Premiership 2014/2015: XV of the season

15. Mike Haley (Sale Sharks)
Other than Danny Cipriani, Sale players rarely seem to get any plaudits. Young Englishman Haley has been a revelation at the back for the North Westerners, possessing aggressive acceleration and a handy boot. It has been a breakthrough year for the 20 year old – a man who surely has a big future ahead of him.

14. Sinoti Sinoti (Newcastle Falcons)
Quick feet and immense power – Sinoti is a winger straight out of the Samoan copybook. He has scored some absolute belters this season, and has benefitted massively from the Falcons’ more expansive game-plan. A genuine revelation.

13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
His ghosting outside break will become one of the abiding memories of this season, particularly before Christmas. He did for England in the Six Nations what he had been doing for Bath for months previously – namely ripping defences to shreds. A nod to Henry Slade and Elliot Daly, two young English tyros that have been similarly excellent.

12. Chris Wyles (Saracens)
Mr Utility or Mr Dependable – whatever you want to call him, the American jack-of-all-trades has shone this season, stepping in at 12 for the crocked Brad Barritt. He has also scored some seriously good tries, most notably against Quins at Wembley. A tip of the hat to Bath’s Ollie Devoto, who has looked classy when given the chance at 12 this season.

11. Dave Strettle (Saracens)
He might not have scored as many as his fellow wingman Chris Ashton, but Strettle has provided more moments of sheer class than possibly anyone else this season – his volley at Wembley against Harlequins and the offload last weekend against Exeter are but two examples. A consummately brilliant Premiership operator.

10. George Ford (Bath Rugby)
Ford has always been known for moments of brilliance, possessing great pace and an eye for a gap that allows him to make eye-catching line breaks. But what has impressed most this season is his consistency – it is difficult to remember a poor performance of his in the Premiership this year, and that has been a key reason why Bath find themselves in the top two come the end of this season. Mention must go to Northampton’s Stephen Myler, who never gets the plaudits that Ford does but is equally as consistent.

9. Joe Simpson (Wasps)
Ben Youngs has had a fine season at Leicester, but in a similar vein to Ford, Simpson has added a solid dependability to his game to go along with the electric breaks for which he has become renowned. And there have been plenty of them this season too, most recently a scorching 60 metre solo score against Exeter. All in a day’s work for the livewire scrum-half.

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins)
A potentially eyebrow-raising selection, given where Quins sit in the table and the struggles their pack have had at times, but Marler has not been the one to blame. Most notably in the first half of the season, the England prop and Harlequins captain was a pillar of physicality in an otherwise underwhelming front five, and for performing so well in that unit, he deserves credit.

2. Jamie George (Saracens)
When Schalk Brits was crocked before the season even began, Saracens fans were remarkably calm given one of their best players was gone. We now know why. George has been a revelation this season, years of learning from the likes of Brits and John Smit percolating through him to the point where he is almost a hybrid of the two – relentlessly physical, but still hugely mobile. He could develop into some player.

3. Thomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs)
Francis’ season has been so stirling that it has seen England and Wales squabbling over who should get his services in the international future. Wherever he ends up, there is little doubt that this powerful, but surprisingly mobile, tighthead has been one of the finds of the season.

4. Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers)
Before an injury curtailed his game time recently, Kitchener had been a rare shining light in a Leicester team that had criminally underperformed. After losing Ed Slater and Geoff Parling to injury early on, Kitchener really stepped up and filled in not only the lineout but also the leadership void. A name that should be mentioned far more often in England debates.

5. Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints)
It might not have been as eye-catching a season for the American behemoth, but that is perhaps just because we have come expect so much from the man. He has been at the heart of the Saints’ powerful pack all season, always a reliable ball-carrying option and one of the most superb off-loaders in the league. The Premiership will be so much poorer without him next year.

6. Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs)
Ewers is a mountain of a man and one of the most difficult players to bring down in the league, always keeping his legs pumping to make valuable yards even after he’s been tackled. He has handled the move to blindside with no fuss whatsoever, dovetailing superbly with Thomas Waldrom at number eight.

7. Calum Clark (Northampton Saints)
One of the most abrasively physical back-rowers in the league, Clark has added a snaffling ability at the breakdown to his repertoire this year and is an underrated but key part of a Northampton side that has charged to the top of the table. But for the entrenched options ahead of him, he would have plenty of England caps by now.

8. Nathan Hughes (Wasps)
This is probably the most hotly-contested spot in the team, with Thomas Waldrom’s try-scoring form and Billy Vunipola’s sustained excellence making them very unlucky to miss out. But in terms of game-changing moments, no one has been as consistently brilliant as Hughes in the number eight shirt this season. Every game he seems to bust through tackles and make an eye-catching break – the only tragedy is that we won’t get to see him play in the play-offs.

By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images