Ben Earl has set a new strike rate record for Gallagher Premiership top try-scorers with each of his 11 tries this season coming at an average of one every 93 minutes.
The England international’s first-half try in Bristol Bears’ 36-7 win over London Irish on Sunday saw him finish the regular season level with Gloucester winger Ollie Thorley at the top of the competition’s try-scorer charts.
In a total of 1,024 minutes on the pitch, the 22-year-old scored seven tries in nine appearances at Saracens before adding a further four in seven games whilst on loan at the Bears.
Ben Earl of Bristol Bears goes past James Grayson of Northampton Saints during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Match between Bristol Bears and Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate on 8 Sep. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK/Gallagher
He becomes the first top try-scorer since the current system of determining the champions was introduced in 2003/04 to boast a sub-100 minute average.
In sharing top spot, Thorley is the first Gloucester player to achieve the feat, although his 11 tries came at a rate of one every 108 minutes.
Thorley and team-mate, Louis Rees-Zammit (10 tries), were denied the chance to add to their tallies after Gloucester’s Round 22 game against Northampton was cancelled and forfeited by the Saints.
Chris Ashton had the best all-time strike-rate of any of the 15 individuals to previously win the top Premiership try-scorer accolade. His 16 tries in a stellar2009/10 season for Northampton came at a rate of exactly 100 minutes per try, according to research from
The Rugby Tipster.
The Premiership top try-scorer award has now been shared for the third season in a row, but Earl is unique in that his scores were split between two clubs.
A Bristol player has won the accolade before in David Lemi (2006/07) but Saracens have never had a representative until now, which is remarkable considering their long history of success in the competition.
In the entire history of the Premiership only two back-rowers have finished with the most tries in a single season – Thomas Waldrom with Exeter, twice, (2014/15 and 2015/16) and Neil Back before him with Leicester in 1998/99.
For more information about The Rugby Tipster www.therugbytipster.com, you can contact Jon Newcombe on 07947 364374 or email jon@headsupsportsmedia.co.uk
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RANKED | The 10 highest paid people in rugby union, 2020
Keep reading to see the top 10 highest-paid people in rugby union, ranked in ascending order of earnings.
9=. ANDY FARRELL £600k (Ireland)
The first of two Farrell's on this list, Andy received a significant pay boost when he took over from Joe Schmidt following the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
9=. DAN BIGGAR £600k (Northampton Saints)
The Welsh pivot has made the most of his big-money move from Ospreys to Northampton Saints, where he has shone consistently since joining in 2018.
8. STEVE LUATUA £650k (Bristol Bears)
Didn't make any friends within the All Blacks hierarchy when he decided to cash in on his extreme rugby talent, signing for Bristol in 2017. Has since signed a two-year contract extension. The All Blacks aren’t allowed by the New Zealand Rugby Union to pick exiles.
6=. OWEN FARRELL £750k (Saracens)
The England captain signed his deal a while ago. It's set to run until 2022 when he can expect to earn an increase again wherever he decides to play, assuming rugby hasn't completely decided to tighten its belt by then.
6=. EDDIE JONES £750k (England)
The highest-paid international rugby coach. His salary pales in comparison to Manchester City chief Pep Guardiola (£20million) and England football chief Gareth Southgate (£3m).
5. PAT LAM £800k (Bristol Bears)
The former Newcastle, Northampton and Samoa back-row will remain at Ashton Gate until at least 2023 after signing a bumper contract extension in 2019. The 50-year-old, as a result, became the highest paid rugby boss in the world.
4. MARO ITOJE £825k (Saracens)
Signed a new deal last year that was reportedly between £750,000 and £1 million. He's one of the front runners to captain the Lions
3. EBEN ETZEBETH £900k (Toulon)
The 28-year-old Springbok extended his stay at the French club in July by signing a new three-year deal with the club that will see him remain at the club until June 2023.
2=. CHARLES PIUTAU £1m (Bristol Bears)
The former New Zealand wing or full-back become British rugby’s first million-pound player when he signed for Bristol Bears. The former All Black speedster, who deserted his international ambitions at the premature age of 23, has consistently been one of the best players in Europe since 2015.
1=. HANDRE POLLARD £1m (Montpellier)
The World Cup-winning Springboks playmaker Handre Pollard became the joint highest paid rugby player in the world alongside Piutau when he agreed to leave the Bulls in Super Rugby to join Montpellier in the Top 14 last year.
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