Three England stars voted in Top 14 team of the season

Former England centre Manu Tuilagi has been voted in the Top 14 team of the season after only his first season in France.

The English powerhouse brought his international career to a close at the end of the 2024 Six Nations ahead of a move to Bayonne.

Despite breaking his arm in his first match for the Basque outfit during pre-season, the 34-year-old rebounded to make the team of the season, voted by the public, alongside his centre partner Fiji’s Sireli Maqala, who both helped their club finish the season in fourth place.

Tuilagi has also been joined by his former England team-mates Jack Willis and David Ribbans in the XV.

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Willis continues to be one of the standout players in Europe, and showed his class in the Top 14 final with two tries as Toulouse won their 24th league title against Bordeaux-Begles.

Toulon skipper Ribbans has been monumental in the Top 14 after making his move to France following the 2023 World Cup, and led the side to a third-place finish in the league.

The team is unsurprisingly dominated by French players, with nine players making the XV, but there is also room for Argentina and Toulon No.8 Facundo Isa, as well as Bordeaux and Tonga tighthead Ben Tameifuna.

Top 14 team of the season will be a galling read for England head coach Steve Borthwick, who is unable to select any foreign-based players due to the current rules in place. Then again, with the immense depth England have in the back-row currently, Willis’ absence isn’t felt as keenly as feared when he signed a new deal at Toulouse to put his international career on hold for the time being.

While ineligible for England, Willis was available to be selected for the British & Irish Lions this year, but was overlooked by Andy Farrell despite his club-mate Blair Kinghorn getting the call. Ribbans and Tuilagi were also in the conversation to be selected, though outside bets.

Top 14 team of the season
15. Thomas Ramos (Toulouse)
14. Damian Penaud (Bordeaux-Begles)
13. Sireli Maqala (Bayonne)
12. Manu Tuilagi (Bayonne)
11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Begles)
10. Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles)
9. Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux-Begles)
1. Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon)
2. Maxime Lamothe (Bordeaux-Begles)
3. Ben Tameifuna (Bordeaux-Begles)
4. David Ribbans (Toulon)
5. Thibaud Flament (Toulouse)
6. François Cros (Toulouse)
7. Jack Willis (Toulouse)
8. Facundo Isa (Toulon)