Thomas du Toit props up Premiership Team of the Year
Bath’s South African prop Thomas du Toit was voted the best No 3 in England’s Premiership Team of the Year. He is one of three South Africans included in the XV.
Veteran utility back Robert du Preez, who has played most of the season in the No 13 jersey, was selected in the midfield alongside another South African, Benhard Janse van Renburg, who plays for the Bristol Bears.
Du Preez, elder brother of Springbok loose-forwards Jean-Luc and Dan, previously played for the Stormers and Sharks in South Africa. He has been consistently good for Sale’s Sharks since joining them from the Durban-based Sharks.
Du Preez started all 18 matches in the Premiership for Sale and also started all five of Sale’s Investec Champions Cup matches. In the Premiership, he started 10 matches wearing No 13, six matches wearing No 10 and two matches wearing No 12. He scored 108 points and played every minute of the league campaign, with a total 1440 minutes on the field. He could not have played more minutes in the league.
Du Toit, who has played 49 matches for Bath in the past two seasons, was part of Bath’s EPCR Challenge Cup title win. Bath, coached by South African Johann van Graan, won 14 from 18 Premiership matches, to finish top of the table. They will host Janse van Rensburg’s Bristol Bears on Friday night, while Handre Pollard’s Leicester Tigers will host several South Africans in the Sale Sharks line-up.
Du Toit has scored 20 tries in two seasons for Bath, which is a remarkable return for a prop forward, while Janse van Rensburg has been the form no 12 in the league.
Du Toit will play his 27th match of the season, with 15 of them having come in the Premiership league stages. His 27 matches included two Tests for the Springboks last November.
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Saracens, England and British & Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje was a popular choice at No 4 lock, as was Du Preez’s club teammate Ben Curry at No 7.
The biggest reward was for Gloucester and Wales halfback Tomos Williams, who was also voted the Premiership Player of the Year.
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