The Premiership players making a

ELLIS Genge has paid tribute to Tom Youngs’ “massive resilience” in opting to captain Leicester Tigers’ Aviva Premiership play-off drive while coping with his wife’s illness.

Youngs’ wife Tiffany has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, leading brother Ben to withdraw from the summer’s British and Irish Lions tour.

England prop Genge hailed hooker Youngs’ focus this week as Leicester gear up for Saturday’s play-off semi-final trip to Wasps.

Former Bristol front-rower Genge believes many top stars find solace and strength in their rugby - and hopes Youngs can do the same.

“I think rugby has helped people through a lot of difficult things in their lives, and I really hope it’s helping him through at the moment,” Genge told Press Association Sport.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy to understand what’s going on in someone’s life, things like that are so personal. But you can certainly try to appreciate the magnitude of what he’s going through.

“Off the field, rugby’s just as hard as it is on the field sometimes.

“So you’ve just got to be there for each other. We’re all here for him and that’s because he’s always there for us.

“Tommy’s a great man, he has massive resilience and bags of character. He’s been so good to me in helping me learn and progress, as have all the senior guys at the club.

“Tom’s got all the boys behind him and his family, and he’s got his brother at the club too, which I just hope it can all help to be honest.

“But this weekend there’s a big game for us and it’s where he wants to be.”

Genge will start today’s semifinal at Wasps in Leicester’s frontrow. LOVE it or loathe it, the Principality Premiership season draws to a close this weekend with the Tier One and Tier Two finals.

Merthyr and Aberavon will contest the former at the Talbot Athletic Ground while ex-giants of the Welsh club scene, Neath and Newport, clash in the latter at The Gnoll.

It’s fair to say the new format in the Principality Premiership in splitting up the three-year ring-fenced 16-club division into two sections of eight midseason, with play-offs in both groups, has divided opinion the length and breadth of the Welsh game.

And whether the same format continues in years to come remains to be seen.

But what cannot be criticised is the contribution new boys RGC 1404 and Merthyr have made this season in upsetting the old Premiership order that saw defending champions Ebbw Vale not even make the eight-club Tier One teams contesting the crown this term while seasoned silverware grabbers Pontypridd missed out on the top flight play-offs.

And the Premiership this season has thrown a few new faces into the mix, alongside the regular headline grabbers, to be in our end of season best players in Wales outside of regional rugby squad.

Here’s our selection of the players who have shone in the 2016-17 campaign...