France-bound Tom Willis to depart English Rugby with PREM's highest honour

Saracens have landed a PREM Rugby awards double, with Tom Willis named Player of the Year and Noah Caluori Breakthrough Player of the Year, as voted for by their fellow players.

Bordeaux-bound Willis, 27, is ineligible for England now that his time at Saracens is over, but the No.8 signed off from his time in the PREM in style.

The eight-cap international, who is due to play for the Barbarians this month before crossing the channel, was ranked first for carries (229) and made the most post-contact metres (338) after appearing in all 18 games of the regular season.

Meanwhile, England hopeful Caluori has enjoyed a sensational debut season in the PREM, finishing top of the try-scoring charts.

An outstanding competitor in the air and a supreme finisher, Caluori crossed for 18 tries – the most scored by a back in the history of the competition.

The 19-year-old’s phenomenal tally included two five-timers against Sale Sharks – one on his first PREM start in October and again in April.

Northampton Saints’ Phil Dowson walked off with the Director of Rugby of the Year award, having steered his side to the top of the table by playing an entertaining brand of rugby.

Saints became the first team ever to break 100 tries in the regular season, but only one of their players made it into the end-of-season Dream Team chosen by TNT Sports – wing Tommy Freeman, who accounted for 16 of his side’s final total of 104 tries.

Freeman is joined in the back three by two other England internationals, fellow wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Leicester full-back Freddie Steward, both of whom will miss this weekend’s Play-Offs due to injury.

Saints’ Fraser Dingwall will have had a good claims on the No.12 jersey, but England new boy Benhard Janse van Rensburg has got the nod, with Exeter’s Henry Slade outside him.

Bath captain Ben Spencer’s commanding performances have been rewarded with the No.9 slot, while Billy Searle, who played such a big role in Leicester’s successful play-off bid until injury struck, is named at 10.

Bristol’s Ellis Genge has Leicester hooker Jamie Blamire and Bath tight-head Thomas du Toit for company in the front row.

Du Toit, in particular, has enjoyed a sensational campaign, and in last week’s 24-22 win over Leicester, the Springbok became the first prop in Premiership history to score a hat-trick.

Ollie Chessum has proved to be an inspirational choice as Leicester captain and is paired with Exeter’s Andrea Zambonin, one of the signings of the season, in the engine room.

Tom Hooper, who has been equally as impactful as Zambonin in his first season at the Chiefs, and Bristol’s warrior-like captain, Fitz Harding, are the flankers, with Willis rounding off the team at the back of the pack.

Josh Kemeny’s weaving run to the line against Sale in Round 7 was voted Try of the Season by the public, while scrum-half Tom James made it a Northampton one-two by claiming the Community prize.

Joe Heyes was voted England Men’s Player of the Season, while Ben Kay picked up the Blythe Spirit award on behalf of fellow RWC 2003 winner Lewis Moody, who wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony.

Moody, who was diagnosed with MND last year, has been working tirelessly to continue the legacy of Doddie Weir and raise funds to find a cure for the condition.

Gallagher PREM Team of the Season:
1 – Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
2 – Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers)
3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath Rugby)
4 – Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
5 – Andrea Zambonin (Exeter Chiefs)
6 – Tom Hooper (Exeter Chiefs)
7 – Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears)
8 – Tom Willis (Saracens)
9 – Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
10 – Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers)
11 – Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
12 – Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
13 – Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
14 – Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
15 – Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)