The champions of the PREM, United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific were decided this past weekend, across a blockbuster few days in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
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The action began on Friday night in Dublin, as Leinster successfully completed their URC title defence at Croke Park against the Vodacom Bulls. Leinster and Ireland fly half Sam Prendergast took a starring role in the one-sided victory for the Dubliners, as he scored one of five Leinster tries in the 36-7 win.
Next up was the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Final, as an all-New Zealand decider played out between the table topping Hurricanes and the second placed Chiefs. Whilst a close encounter was predicted on paper, Hurricanes blew away the Hamilton side, for a thunderous 60-5 hammering in Wellington. Ruben Love scored the most points from any player in a Super Rugby Final, as the Hurricanes man contributed 25 points to the insurmountable tally.
All eyes then turned to Twickenham, as Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs did battle for the PREM Rugby title at the Allianz Stadium. After a cagey first half with the lead changing hands, the men in green black and gold found their footing upon the match, with Henry Pollock at the heart of the 26-17 triumph.
Following the three season finales, we have compiled a combined Team of the Week from across the URC, Super Rugby and PREM Rugby Finals – here’s who shined on the biggest stages.
TEAM OF THE WEEK: FINALS EDITION – URC, PREM RUGBY & SUPER RUGBY FINALS
15. HUGO KEENAN (LEINSTER)
We kick things off with the back-three, with Hugo Keenan continuing his stunning run of form to claim the full-back spot upon our combined Team of the Finals. With an honourable mention in store for the soon-to-be Harlequin George Furbank, who starred upon his last appearence for Northampton, Hugo Keenan was tremendous in Leinster blue and looks set for a long awaited return to Ireland’s green shirt.
His line-break and assist for Reiko Ioane’s try was the moment of his match, yet Keenan was also featured in the air, with some incredible work under the high-ball. Ireland fans were devastated to see Keenan miss out on the 2026 Six Nations following a fractured thumb in the pre-competition training camp, with Andy Farrell and co excited to unleash the in-form flyer for the inagural Nations Championship next month.
14. JOSHUA MOORBY (HURRICANES)
We head down to New Zealand for our next entry, whilst also giving the plaudits to two hot-stepping Tommys, following their respective finals. Tommy Freeman and O’Brien were both in fine form for the Saints and Leinster respectively, yet it’s Hurricanes man Josh Moorby who takes the 14 shirt following a blistering display in the Super Rugby Pacific Final.
Moorby was simply electric in the New Zealand capital, with little the Chiefs could do to halt his surging runs along the touchline. Moorby bagged himself a brace of tries against the down-trodden visitors, as he opened up the scoring after just six minutes before grabbing his second score early in the second half. The 27-year-old has never featured for the All Blacks, yet his recent run of hot form could put him into the mix as Dave Rennie irons out the cracks of his newly taken over side.
13. REIKO IOANE (LEINSTER)
From a man who’s pushing for a maiden All Blacks inclusion, to another hoping to return to the fold after some time out of New Zealand. Reiko Ioane ended his season-long sabbatical on a high, as the midfield maestro put in an impressive try-scoring performance for Leinster against the Bulls. Ioane had plenty of work to do after gathering the pass from Keenan, yet the All Blacks man weaved his way past the final line of defence, and wrestled his way over the try-line at Croke Park.
Ioane has willingly been out of the All Blacks fold for the 2025/26 season, as he departed the Blues for a one year break away from Super Rugby. Ioane’s time at Leinster may not have reached the dazzling heights like fellow All Blacks superstar Jordie Barrett did the year prior, but Ioane certainly ended his year on a high. Ioane needs to maintain this form ahead of a stacked Summer in the black jersey, as New Zealand follow up their Nations Championship campaign with an eight-match tour of South Africa.
12. JORDIE BARRETT (HURRICANES)
We keep it all-things Kiwi for the Team of the Finals, with Jordie Barrett named in the centres along-side his long-time All Blacks midfield partner Reiko Ioane. Barrett had another outstanding shift for Hurricanes, albeit in what was quite the one-sided final victory over the Chiefs. Barrett was on hand to dive across the whitewash for a try from close range, as the Wellington side extended their lead mid-way through the second half, and tightened their grip upon the Super Rugby trophy.
11. GEORGE HENDY (NORTHAMPTON SAINTS)
Coming in on the left wing is Northampton Saints wing George Hendy, as the ginger-haired dynamo lit up the Allianz Stadium with a brilliant brace of well-taken tries. Hendy was at the heart of Northampton’s second half resurgence, with a stunning finish in the corner coming off the back of Fin Smith’s quick thinking to spot the gap in the Exeter Chiefs back-field.
Hendy raced away to be first to the loose ball, and the wing dotted down the five pointer to send the ‘shoe army’ into a frenzy. Hendy wrestled his way across the line for his second try, for back-to-back scores in less than 10 minutes. The Twickenham touchline was certainly the weakspot for the Chiefs, as miss communication from Manny Feyi-Waboso and Olly Woodburn proved costly on multiple occassions. There’s an honourable mention for Fehe Finianganafo, as the Hurricanes man bagged his 17th try of the Super Rugby season, and ended the campaign top of the rankings.
10. SAM PRENDERGAST (LEINSTER)
The fly half spot was the toughest position to assign this week, with Leinster’s Sam Prendergast and Ruben Love of the Hurricanes both well matched with two outstanding out-half efforts. Whilst Love’s record-setting personal contribution to a Super Rugby Final is worthy of the spot, the deflated Chiefs did not put up much of a fight once the tries began to leak – which lessons the impact of Love’s performance.
All the while, Sam Prendergast kept Leinster’s back-line firing at a thunderous rate of knots for the URC Grand Final, and was at the heart of some eye-catching attack and defensive plays. Prendergast was a man possessed as he tracked back and recovered the ball, from beneath the boots of a Bulls player that only had eyes for the try-line. Couple this with his well-taken try against the hard-hitting Bulls, and some outstanding kicks to touch, and Prendergast’s Player of the Match performance gets him the 10 shirt.
9. ALEX MITCHELL (NORTHAMPTON SAINTS)
Completing the back-line for this year’s Team of the Finals, is Alex Mitchell of Northampton Saints. After being named on the bench following an arduous recovery from injury, few watching on at the Allianz Stadium would have expected the England international to make his entrance quite as soon as he did – given the fine form of Archie McParland, who’d excelled in Mitchell’s absence.
Howevever, an early injury to McParland flung Mitchell into the fold after just 11 minutes of the PREM Final, with the experienced Test match halfback not missing a beat to steer the Saints back to the summit of the Premiership. Mitchell oozed class in green, gold and black, and reminded England fans to the seamless partnership he can form alongside his brother-in-arms Fin Smith. Plenty of excitement for a solid international return for Mitchell this Summer.
1. JERRY CAHIR (LEINSTER)
We move onto the forward pack now, and begin back up in Croke Park from one of the undoubted stand-outs of the clash in the GAA strong-hold. Jerry Cahir stepped up to the plate for the URC Grand Final, with Andrew Porter left out of the squad with another untimely injury set-back. Cahir rose to the occassion, and the 25-year-old prop took on the bulkier Springboks-laden front row with an impressive confidence.
Whilst Cahir’s upcoming Leinster exit may not have been in the same media spotlight to that of James Lowe, Reiko Ioane or Luke McGrath, the soon-to-be Connacht man heads out West with plenty of big-match experience. Stuart Lancaster has bagged a star signing that will form a nice prop pairing with Finaly Bealham, and give young Billy Bohan a run for his spot at loose-head.
2. CURTIS LANGDON (NORTHAMPTON SAINTS)
Next up is Northampton Saints hooker Curtis Langdon, who delivered another top performance at the heart of the green, gold and black forward pack. With an honourable mention handed to Ronan Kelleher, who held down the Leinster front row against the Bulls, Langdon’s efforts can’t be overlooked.
It’s been a tough season for Langdon, as the hooker fought back from injury set-backs, with the show-piece match being only his eighth match of the season. Langdon will be pushing for selection within Steve Borthwick’s England squad for the Nations Championship Summer Series, and the hooker has certainly given his head coach plenty to consider as a two-time PREM Rugby champion.
3. JOSH IOSEFA-SCOTT (EXETER CHIEFS)
We move onto the tight-head of the scrum now, with an incoming entrant from a losing side from this weekend. Whilst this will be little consolation to the dejected Exeter Chiefs fans, who’s hopes of a first PREM title since 2020 were dashed by the Saints, there was no denying how impressive Josh Iosefa-Scott was at the home of English rugby. With 11 tackles in a 47 minute contribution, and a series of nice spins around defenders and thumping carries through contact, Iosefa-Scott emptied the tank around the park.
4. ALEX COLES (NORTHAMPTON SAINTS)
Alex Coles played his part within Northampton’s successful title triumph, with some incredible carries from the towering second row. The engine on the lock defies belief at times, with a handful of line-breaks witnessing the 6ft 9″ England international canter free like a giraffe across the plains.
Coles also put his body on the line to rack up a solid tackle count, as he easily surpassed double digits of attacking disruption in the final. With Maro Itoje reportedly set to miss the Nations Championship with a rest period lined up, Coles will likely have a leading role in the England engine room next month.
5. JOE MCCARTHY (LEINSTER)
Joining Alex Coles in our combined Team of the Week for the three latest finals, is Leinster lock Joe McCarthy. The Ireland international continues upon his hot run of form ahead of a return to the Ireland squad this Summer, with plenty of excitement around Leinster resident line-out commander. The man with the mullet also emptied the gas tank around Croke Park, with an impressive work rate better witnessed by the midfielders of the Championship Final Hurling teams. A lung-bursting shift by the lock.
6. MAX DEEGAN (LEINSTER)
Another tough position to call this week, with an honourable mention lined-up for the returning Devan Flanders of the Hurricanes, who marked his comeback from concussion with a try in the Super Rugby Final. However, you can’t look beyond Max Deegan for this week’s blind-side flanker spot, as the number six ruled the skies with a series of line-out disruptions that bewildered the Bulls set-piece attack.
Deegan’s passion was evident at Croke Park, as the back row gave a mighty roar and first bump to the crowd upon each of his line-out steals in the season’s show-piece match. Deegan’s successes were not limited to the line-out, as the hard-working back-row battler put in plenty of bruising tackles against the almighty Bulls forward pack, and chopped them down to earth like a player half his size. Sensational work.
7. HENRY POLLOCK (NORTHAMPTON SAINTS)
Now, we appreciate how Henry Pollock did in-fact take up the number eight spot for the PREM Final win over Exeter Chiefs, yet we have called upon his back-row versatility for the Team of the Finals. So, we’ve unleashed Pollock at the open-side flank, following his incredible Player of the Match contribution to Northampton’s title-securing victory, with Pollock growing all the more affiliated with big moments at the home of English Rugby.
Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny him. Henry Pollock has once again been sensational this season, with England fans set to once again come to verbal cross-roads over the internet as he stars upon this July’s Nations Championship. Pollock proved once again that you need to believe the hype, and that his 2024/25 run into the Lions squad was by no means a flash in the pan.
8. JACK CONAN (LEINSTER)
We end the Team of the Finals – and also the last club rugby Team of the Week for the 2025/26 season – with Jack Conan of Leinster in the eight jersey. It was all-stations go after just six minutes at Croke Park, as Ireland and Leinster captain Caelan Doris suffered a devastating foot injury in the early goings of the final. Whilst it is heart-breaking news for Doris to miss out on the Nations Championship tour of Australia and New Zealand next month, Jack Conan stepped up to fill in for the injured captain.
Conan was tremendous upon his call, as he immediately got Leinster go-forward field position with some brutal looking carries at Croke Park. Conan delivered a nice five-pointer, as he forced his way beyond the Bulls try-line mid-way through the first half, as the Dubliners began to etch their dominance on home soil.
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