After a fantastic regular season, the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals certainly live up to the billing.
The action kicked off on Friday night, as Northampton Saints welcomed defending champions Saracens to Franklin’s Gardens. The Londoners took a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter, however a try from Burger Odendaal and 17 points from the boot of Fin Smith set Northampton on their way to their first final since 2014.
It was then the turn of Bath and Sale, as they faced off at the Rec on Saturday afternoon. Bath led 18-3 at one point, but a spirited fightback from the Sharks saw them 23-21 ahead going into the final 10 minutes. This wasn’t the end of it though, as a late Niall Annett try snatched victory for the West Country outfit, booking their spot in the final for the first time since 2015.
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But with so many high profile names in action, which ones stood out above the rest? With that in mind, here are our six standout players from the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals.
Six standout players from Gallagher Premiership semi-finals
Finn Russell
Another fly-half who nabbed a big haul this weekend. Russell kicked 16 of Bath’s 31 points on their way to victory, and he was as joué as ever in attack too. His calmness to keep his team in the game amidst a Sale storm was also a huge factor in their late comeback.
Curtis Langdon
Surely he has to be in the England squad this summer? Curtis Langdon was brilliant in all aspects of his game against Saracens. He fronted up in defence, really grabbed the bull by the horns in attack and provided a solid set-piece platform too. The scrum, in particular, was also a massive defining factor in the game, and it proves he has what it takes to scrummage at the highest level.
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Burger Odendaal
South African centre Burger Odendaal added so much punch to the Saints midfield, and really combined well with George Furbank and Fraser Dingwall in that channel. His try was also the catalyst that Northampton needed after an early Saracens onslaught.
Beno Obano
Bath prop Beno Obano has improved so much this season, and his performance against Sale probably epitomised this. He was fantastic in the scrum, which gave Bath a real platform early on. The loosehead made solid work for himself on both sides of the ball, and also took his try very well.
Courtney Lawes
Another monumental performance from the outgoing skipper. Lawes had said he would ‘run his blood to water’ in the week, and he did exactly that. He is immense in defence, and ultimately came up with the match-winning tackle. Lawes also made in-roads with ball in hand too.
Charlie Ewels
Probably not the headline grabber in the Bath team, but he is the embodiment of their improvements under Johann van Graan. Ewels did all of the ugly work so well against Sale, and was particularly effective in the lineout. A real workhorse performance which laid the foundations for a win.
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