4. Val Rapava-Ruskin (Gloucester)
Gloucester’s loosehead prop Val Rapava-Ruskin has been tipped for England honours, but his first outing of the season was far from ideal.
Having dealt with knee issues, the Georgian-born prop struggled in the contest against Sale Sharks. In his 40 minutes on the field, Rapava-Ruskin was driven backwards in several collisions, including one sequence where two Sale defenders easily wrapped him up.
He also conceded a costly scrum penalty, a clear indicator that he’s not yet back to his best. For a player with ambitions to break into the England squad, this was a disappointing display.
5. Ted Hill (Bath)
Ted Hill had a rollercoaster afternoon against Bristol. The back-rower thought he had crossed the line for a try, only for the TMO to rule that he had lost control of the ball in the act of grounding it.
His woes were compounded when he gave away a needless penalty for pushing Ellis Genge off the ball, an error that proved costly as it gave Bristol momentum. The biggest blow came when Hill was caught out defensively, biting on the inside line and allowing debutant Santiago Grondona to slice through for a crucial try. From there, the game slipped away from Bath.
