From Carreras to Wiese: the 2022-23 Premiership team of the season

15 Santiago Carreras (Gloucester)The 25-year-old Puma has had a remarkable past nine months. Helping Argentina to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand and England at Twickenham is a double to cherish and, having also worn the No 10 and 11 jerseys for Gloucester, the inventive playmaker had to be squeezed into this team somewhere. “It could sound quite arrogant but I want to be the best player in the world,” he said earlier this season. He is already an eye-catching talent.

14 Mateo Carreras (Newcastle)No relation to his compatriot but the Tucumán-born winger has made a similarly positive impression on English audiences. Along with Adam Radwan, his pace and footwork have left multiple opponents clutching at air; he is a runaway leader on the “clean breaks” list and his total of 13 tries is second only to Harlequins’ Cadan Murley. At 5ft 8in tall he is proof that top wingers do not always have to be massive. Aged only 23, he has an exhilarating future ahead of him.

13 Ollie Lawrence (Worcester/Bath)Serious respect is due to Lawrence for overcoming the trauma of Worcester’s demise as a Premiership side to re-emerge as a potent threat in a Bath team who finished the season with some belated momentum. For various reasons his international career has not taken off but the 23-year-old could yet force his way back into England’s midfield plans for this year’s World Cup. If he does it will be a fitting reward for his perseverance in adversity.

12 Benhard van Rensburg (London Irish)There are bigger-name centres out there but sometimes it pays to trust the evidence of your own eyes. Every time The Breakdown has watched Irish this season their straight-running South African has been central to their backline potency and he makes those