The Wales wonder wing was voted the best player in the Allianz Premier 15s by The Daily Telegraph in a list of the top 30 players in the tournament. She was one of five Welsh internationals to make the list.
This is what the complier of the list, Fiona Tomas, had to say about the double-Olympian, who thrills the fans at Bristol every time she pulls on the jersey at the club.
- Jaz Joyce (Bristol Bears / Wales)
Great Britain women’s sevens star Joyce lit up the Tokyo Olympics with her dazzling footwork and scorching speed. Always one to track back in defence, she is known as the Welsh Wizard for her blistering pace and is one of the most feared attacking players in the women’s game.
Just outside the Top 10 is her Bears and Wales team mate Alisha Butchers, while the other three to make the grade are Saracens forward Georgia Evans (24th), another Bears player, Courtney Keight (27th), and Gloucester’s Hannah Jones (30th).
- Alisha Butchers (Bristol Bears / Wales)
A talismanic leader in Wales’ squad, Butchers is one of the game’s most creative flankers. Last season she played an instrumental role in shining a light on the gap in insurance care for semi-professional players.
The breakdown of players and their clubs was as follows:
7Â Bristol Bears; 5Â Wasps; 4Â Exeter Chiefs; 4Â Saracens; 4Â Loughborough Lightning; 3Â Harlequins; 3Â Gloucester-Hartpury
Top-of-table Bristol host Gloucester at Shaftesbury Park on Saturday (8 January) in a game that is being shown live on the BBC iPlayer (from 12.15pm). While Joyce is missing, there is plenty of other Welsh interest in a game that is bound to attract the attentions of Welsh Women’s head coach Ioan Cunningham.
Butchers and fellow back row star Manon Johnes are also both on the sidelines, but Wales kipper Siwan Lillicrap and lock Natalia John feature up front. There are Welsh half backs for Bristol in Keira Bevan and Elinor Snowsill, while Courtney Keight will be seeking to add to her nine league tries to date this season and the wing and Kayleigh Powell lines-up at full back
Gloucester have six Welsh players in their starting XV and more on the bench. Cara Hope and Cerys Hale pack down in the front row, Sisila Tuipulotu and Gwen Crabb join forces in the second row and Bethan Lewis is in the back row. Llechu George features at No 10 in a head-to-head battle with Snowsill.
Two of the weekend fixtures have been lost to COVID, Wasps v Loughborough Lightning and Harlequins v Worcester Warriors, but newly capped Wales hooker Kat Evans will get the chance to shine in the back row for Saracens when they host bottom of the table DMP Durham Sharks.
The other game sees Sale Sharks entertain Exeter Chiefs. Lisa Neumann features on the wing for the Sharks, who have another Welsh international Molly Kelly at hooker and Jess Roberts and Gwen Pyrs on the bench. The Chiefs have Wales lock Abbie Fleming packing down in their second row.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH’S TOP 30 PLAYERS IN THE ALLIANZ PREMIER15Sby Fiona TomasÂ
1. Jaz Joyce (Bristol Bears / Wales)2. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury / England)3. Abby Dow (Wasps / England)4. Poppy Cleall (Saracens / England)5. Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning / England)6. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears / England)7. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins / England)8. Marlie Packer (Saracens / England)9. Zoe Harrison (Saracens / England)10. DaLeaka Menin (Exeter Chiefs / Canada)11. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins / England)12. Alisha Butchers (Bristol Bears / Wales)13. Meg Jones (Wasps / England / GB Sevens)14. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears / England)15. Cliodhna Maloney (Wasps / Ireland)16. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning / England)17. Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning / England)18. Simi Pam (Bristol Bears)19. Sachiko Kato (Exeter Chiefs / Japan)20. Leanne Infante (Bristol Bears / England)21. Jade Konkel (Harlequins / Scotland)22. Kate Zachary (Exeter Chiefs / USA)23. Sam Monaghan (Wasps / Ireland)24. Georgia Evans (Saracens / Wales)25. Linde Van der Velden (Exeter Chiefs / Holland)26. Claire Molloy (Wasps / Ireland)27. Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears / Wales)28. Rachel Malcolm (Loughborough Lightning / Scotland)29. Kelly Smith (Gloucester-Hartpury / GB Sevens)30. Hannah Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury / Wales) Â
