Wednesday 11 May 2016 08:08, UK
We have put the best of the Aviva Premiership up against the best in the Guinness PRO12 in our head-to-head teams of the season.
Players must have played at least 10 games in their domestic leagues this season to be included. Who wins?
Despite the wealth of stock the All Blacks boast on the wing, it's hard to imagine that Charles Piutau would not have boasted a World Cup winners' medal, had he opted to stay in New Zealand in the long run. Instead, he opted for a stint in Europe, and Wasps were the immediate beneficiaries of that decision as he lit the Ricoh Arena up from day one. He will be missed when he heads to Ulster.
Dan Evans' stats for the season are incredible. He carried the ball more than any of his team-mates, making 1,601 metres in the process - almost double the next best, which was 845m from Sam Davies. His six tries were also the most of any of the Ospreys.
When Eddie Jones announced his England training camp squad on Sunday, there was room for Semesa Rokoduguni, and after the season he's had with Bath, it's easy to see why. It's always tough to catch the national coach's eye when your side isn't quite firing, but with 12 Premiership tries - more than a quarter of the team total of 47 - the Fijian-born flyer has done just that.
Connacht finished second in the PRO12 standings after scoring the fourth-most tries out of any of the teams, with Matt Healy leading the way. The 27-year-old touched down nine times for Pat Lam's men, and made 1,294 metres with ball in hand - the second-most after 1,455 from Tiernan O'Halloran.
Elliot Daly's rise to prominence saw him capped by Eddie Jones in this year's Six Nations, but there were many calling for his place in the England set-up months beforehand. The 23-year-old has been in superb form for Wasps throughout the season, breaking up midfield defences as well as offering a long-range boot for clearances and three-pointers.
Bundee Aki was named Players' Player of the Year at the Guinness PRO12 awards, and had already been named as Connacht's player of the year, by both fans and his team-mates, after an outstanding season that saw him score six tries in 26 appearances. His season has gone from strength to strength - a vital key to the Connacht cause.
Johnny Leota has benefited from the slick distribution of Danny Cipriani to notch up six tries, but he's been just as useful in setting up tries through midfield devastation. Daly proved that size isn't everything with the way he unlocked defences with his subtle touches, but Leota certainly showed that bulk counts for a lot.
Ben Te'o was another award winner at the end of the season, winning Leinster's Players' Player of the Year. He will certainly have awoken some interest from Eddie Jones, but time will tell if the England boss will pick the league convert.
There are not many players in the Premiership who create the same buzz as Christian Wade with ball in hand. His defence has drawn a fair amount of criticism, but he's made opposition defences look chaotic at times with his sidestep and pace off the mark. He's been the ultimate finisher on the wing for Wasps all season.
Craig Gilroy topped the Ulster stats in tries scored, metres made, defenders beaten and clean breaks - an enormous contribution. With a semi-final clash coming up against rivals Leinster, Ulster will want their top performer to bring his best game to Dublin.
Owen Farrell may be No 12 in Eddie Jones' England, but he's been the stand-out fly-half in the Premiership this season. He's slotted 75% of his attempts on goal and marshalled the Saracens attack to the top of the table and a home semi-final. His steely nerves will serve his club well in the play-offs.
With Dan Biggar at Ospreys, there is no shortage of quality at their disposal, but Sam Davies proved that there is depth at the club too. Biggar edged Davies in goal kicks, his 72% success rate slightly better than Davies' 69%, but the way Davies was able to pull the strings while in charge was impressive.
The Chiefs have made it into the semi-finals for the first time in their history, and though there were many factors that took them there, the tempo at which they play the game has played a major part. Will Chudley's ability to get his side on the front foot has dismantled teams visiting Sandy Park, and has set up an interesting play-off tussle with Wasps in two weeks' time.
Livewire scrum-half Kieran Marmion has pushed his side from the get-go this season. Calm in delivery, the No 9 ensured that Connacht's exciting backs were able to unleash attacking phases while opposition defences scrambled to keep up.
Mako Vunipola has been in a tussle with Joe Marler for the England No 1 jersey, and he's pipped his rival in our Premiership team of the season. The loosehead prop was in the top five forwards in carries for the team in the domestic competition with 75, and was invaluable in the set piece. Saracens earned their reputation playing a simple game, and that game starts upfront.
Rob Evans cemented himself as one of Warren Gatland's faithful tight five with a good showing in the Six Nations, despite an under-par showing by Wales overall. The strong loosehead has continued that form, though he could not help Scarlets retain their top-four status as they slipped out of semi-final contention.
Harry Thacker's work in the loose has been exemplary, but crucially for Richard Cockerill's side, it does not come at the expense of the set piece. He's thrown the ball in 107 times and only lost seven, a completion rate of 94% which would made a Leicester hooker of any generation smile.
Tom McCartney may not boast the same lineout success as his Premiership counterpart in this case, but to have a 91% lineout completion when you've thrown the ball in over 200 times speaks volumes. Connacht's backs may be stealing the headlines, but their forwards were laying the foundations from September.
It hasn't been the most memorable season for the Cherry and Whites, but John Afoa has shored up the scrum in the No 3 jersey. He was also in the top 10 for tackles made by Gloucester players throughout the campaign.
Edinburgh struggled this season, but were once again more than solid at the set piece, with WP Nel at the heart of it all. The Scotland international kept opposition scrums behind the advantage line, while also making it into the top 10 for Edinburgh tacklers over the course of the PRO12 season.
Another Saracens lock who stole the ball seven times during the season, and another Saracens lock who has risen to prominence during this season's campaign. His stock in English rugby has risen sharply, with four Test caps the reward for outstanding domestic and European form. Despite his youth, he is already a senior player in the Saracens dressing room.
Leone Nakarawa features for Fiji in the Paris 7s this weekend, which is testament to the style of play he employs as a second rower. He's been a favourite son in Glasgow for some time, helping them to a PRO12 title last season, and a semi-final at the least this year. He is off to Racing 92 at the conclusion of this campaign, so the Warriors faithful will hope he goes out in style.
In an interview with Sky Sports last week, Kruis said despite the Grand Slam, improvement was the order of the day. It's the kind of attitude that has ensured he and Maro Itoje have formed a formidable second-row pairing for club and country. Kruis has become a menace in the lineout on opposition throws, stealing seven throws while taking the ball 43 times from a Saracens feed.
The flair brought by Nakarawa would be perfectly balanced with the hard-working Muldowney. The Connacht second rower ensured the tight five and pack as a whole were full of grit, but also possessed the skill to contribute in the loose. He will likely face off against Nakarawa in the semi-finals, and as they say in boxing, styles make fights...
Clifford is another young star of the English game. In terms of top individual performers for Harlequins, the 23-year-old was in the top 10 for carries, metres made, defenders beaten and tackles. It's been an all-round contribution from Clifford on the side of the scrum.
A fantastic season for club and country, from CJ Stander. Ireland were a shadow of their 2015 selves in this year's Six Nations, but the burly loose forward did all the difficult things all day long. He plays the same role for Munster, throwing his body at a line of defenders several times per game, which earned him this season's Zurich Irupa Players' Player of the Year award.
It's hard to imagine that Smith retired from international rugby - for the first time - in 2010. He has arrived at the Ricoh Arena and dominated the breakdown for Wasps, topping the table for steals in a Wasps jersey. The Australian has been a big figure on the field, and will need to step up twice more if he's to contribute to Premiership silverware this year.
Sam Underhill is an undoubted talent for the future. Just 19 years old, the flanker has at times out-performed some of the seasoned loose forwards in Wales, including the likes of Justin Tipuric and Sam Warburton. A menace when the ball is on the ground, and a thundering tackler too.
Nathan Hughes qualifies for England next month, and everything points to him featuring for Eddie Jones' team almost immediately. He will have to tussle with Billy Vunipola for international honours, but in domestic competition he has stood above all others. He carried more times than any other Wasps player with 235 - the second highest being George Smith with 83 less - and proved near impossible to stop with the ball. There's plenty more to come from Dai Young's battering ram.
From battering ram to wrecking ball. The style of Nick Williams may not have been to everyone's taste, but it was almost impossible to stop. Fearless and unwilling to take a backward step, the big No 8 terrorised the fringes of each ruck and maul, and was no slouch with ball in hand either. A loss to Ulster as he heads for Cardiff to play for the Blues.
