The 2015/16 season is officially in the books and supporters' thoughts are already turning to the competitive aspirations of Sale for next year. But before we get too invested in arguing which side of the scrum Kieran Longbottom will see the most time at, let's take a retrospective look at the Sharks' top performers in each position from this year's campaign, one that culimated in a top-six finish for the third time in five seasons. N.B. The players listed below are not necessarily the best at their position at this current time, but the ones who impressed the most in their individual circumstances between September and May. Loosehead Prop - James Flynn We begin with arguably the most controversial selection on the list. Neither Ross Harrison nor Eifon Lewis-Roberts had as impactful a season as both have had previously, whilst Flynn, who admittedly saw less action than either, impressed early in the season with a number of powerful performances in both the loose and as a scrummager (as part of the Flynn-Briggs-Mujati bench combination). Now 22 and with Lewis-Roberts likely entering his last year of professional rugby, expect to see Flynn make another step up and enter direct competition with Ross Harrison for the incumbent loosehead jersey next season. Hooker - Tommy Taylor Probably Sale's player of the season. An easy choice. Tighthead Prop - Vadim Cobilas Despite not being asked to replicate the herculean effort of last season when Cobilas was the only trusted tighthead prop in the entire squad, Vadeeeeem still produced a masterclass in propping excellence this season, the arrival of Brian Mujati helping to ensure the Moldovan was able to retain maximum effectiveness as an industrious ball-carrier and a sturdy scrummager even as the season wore on. Will be a massive loss next season. Lock - Bryn Evans Probably Sale's other player of the season. Evans' doughty performances all season allowed the Sharks to survive the entire year with only three first team locks - an impressive, but precarious feat. Lock - Andrei Ostrikov The 'grunt' alongside Evans' athleticism in the Sharks' second row, Ostrikov, in his fifth season at Sale, finally managed to earn Steve Diamond's complete trust this year, having worked hard to dramatically reduce his exciting but erratic ball-carrying tendencies and the ill-discipline that in previous seasons had made the Russian something of a 'penalty machine'. Ostrikov and Evans's fruitful partnership will likely be restored in their second season together, especially now with the non-arrival of Juandre Kruger. Blindside Flanker - Cameron Neild One of two breakthrough academy graduates this season, Cameron Neild, whether his long-term future is at hooker or flanker was a wonderful addition to the Sale backrow this season. Perpetually atop the Sharks' tackling charts week-in, week-out, Neild impressed mightily with his tenacity not only as a diligent tackler, but also at the breakdown and in the loose (his ability to spin out of tackles is currently unparalleled in the Sale squad). Neild's emergence is a bright silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud that is losing Tommy Taylor to Wasps. Openside Flanker - TJ Ioane A 'fetcher', a first receiver, a roaming tackler T.J. Ioane did it all for Sale this season. oane's energy in defence, in taking the line on even with play moving backwards, and pressuring the ball-carrier at the breakdown has seen him rapidly ascend to the status of fan favourite. It's hard to leave David Seymour out of this side, but Ioane's unwavering dynamism and energy in all facets across the entire season makes it impossible to not select the Samoan international as Sale's best flanker this season. Ioane's lead-by-example approach could also see him become an outside shot for the vacant captaincy next season. Number Eight - Josh Beaumont Although a magnificent season which saw Beaumont earn his first full England international selection was disappointingly cut short by a dislocated shoulder suffered against Worcester in February, Beaumont's authoriative performances at Number 8 in the season' first half are enough to earn him a spot on the team of the year. It would not be surprisingly in the least if the 23-year-old becomes Sale's next captain such is his influence on the team. Scrum-half - Peter Stringer Continues to provide a steady and efficient influence even at 39. Won the starting scrum-half jersey from Chris Cusiter by mid-season as a result of some impressive early season form and having the perfect complimentary skillset to serve as facilitator in Paul Deacon's new-look attacking system. Fly-half - Danny Cipriani Even with the dodgy place kicking statistics, this one picks itself. Winger - Tom Arscott Continued his notable form of recent seasons with a number of exciting runouts at both wing and fullback this season. Although opportunities were limited this season by a combination of Nev Edwards' early season try-scoring form and a season-ending knee injury suffered against Northampton in March, Arscott's all-round game, especially that of his kicking and defence this year, has steadily improved to remove any weaknesses and he remains one of Sale's two most dependable wingers in any given situation. Inside Centre - Johnny Leota Johnny Leota and Sam Tuitupou both shared the 'platoon' at inside centre this season but Leota's try-scoring record (six in the Premiership, joint-top with Nev Edwards) narrowly shades this selection in the Samoan international's favour. Outside Centre - Sam James Received his first Premiership start against Saracens in the opening round of the 2015/16 season and never looked back. An incontestable figure for the outside centre shirt, James, be it his attacking creativity, powerful line-running, or improving drift defence, flourished in all areas during his first senior season. A deserved callup to the Saxons' tour to South Africa followed at the end of the season and it won't be long before James is a fully-capped international for the senior England side. Winger - Will Addison The most potent attacking force in the Sale squad bar none this season. Although his influence on creating attacking opportunities (especially from coming into the midfield off the wing) didn't necessarily translate to the try-scoring charts, make no mistake - Addison was the driving force behind many of the Sharks' most threatening attacks. A relatively injury-free season for the first time since breaking into the first team in 2012 finally allowed Addison to make good on his immense potential and he was criminally overlooked for international honours at the end of the season. Fullback - Mike Haley An easy decision considering the lack of competition, but that should not undermine Haley's accomplishments this season. A superb season (in both the maturation of his decision-making and his indefatigable form at 15) saw Haley enshrine himself as one of the very best fullbacks in the entire Premiership at only 21, and as with Sam James, full international recognition is imminent. Replacements: Eifon Lewis-Roberts Neil Briggs Brian Mujati Jonathan Mills David Seymour Chris Cusiter Joe Ford Neville Edwards Lewis Hughes really hopes you disagree with his selections. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks.
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