4. Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs)
Exeter Chiefs fans would have been frustrated from their side’s performance, as they were clear second best to Saracens on Sunday. However, a stand out positive for what was a definite under-par performance for Rob Baxter’s men, was the contribution of flying fullback Josh Hodge. The 24-year-old ran in two tries in the defeat against Sarries, with his first seeing him make something out of nothing.
Hodge charged down a clearance kick, with the ball collected by his Chiefs teammate Olly Woodburn. The ball was returned to Hodge who showcased his pace, and cantered away for the try amongst a sea of black jerseys. Hodge’s second score was a walk-in finish, and he reinforced Exeter’s chasing points tally with some solid kicks off the tee. Despite enduring the long coach ride back to Devon after a defeat, Hodge keeps putting his name forward for England contention.
5. James Dun (Bristol Bears)
This fifth and final spot should really be shared between the Bristol Bears locks, as both James Dun and Joe Batley were seriously impressive in the win against Bath. Personifying what it means to battle for the hard yards, Dun and Batley dug deep and were spotted in each and every ruck, maul and battle for the ball. Whilst Batley exploded around the park with spotlight grabbing carries, a glint of red from Dun’s scrum cap was often seen amongst the scraping boots, as the lock never faulted in his defensive effort.
We decided to stay consistent and give the nod to Dun, after he surpassed Batley to a spot in the locks for our Team of the Week for round three. Dun is certainly enjoying life in the West Country in what is his second spell for the Bears, either side of a two year run with former Championship club Jersey Reds. Uncapped for England but building momentum week after week, Dun could well be a shout to fill in if Maro Itoje or Ollie Chessum goes down injured this Autumn.
