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Teams

• Gloucester
• London Wasps

Players

• Tom Rees

Wasps youngster Tom Rees and Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan have respectively been named Guinness Premiership Player and Head Coach of the Month for October.

The award for the 22-year-old flanker comes after performances such as the one delivered in Wasps' 35-15 win against Newcastle Falcons last month, which earned Rees the man-of-the-match award.

And Rees' form has also received international recognition, England head coach Andy Robinson including him in his squad for Sunday's Test against New Zealand.

"I am delighted to have won the Guinness Premiership award for October," Rees said. "I am pleased with where I am at the moment but I know there is more to come from me.

"I've been lucky enough to work with lots of great people at Wasps, and I couldn't have done this without all the help, good advice and support I've received from them."

Meanwhile Ryan's award comes after Gloucester's flying start to the season, the Cherry and Whites sitting proudly on top of the Premiership table courtesy of an unbeaten record.

Furthermore, the club's success has come from a young side fashioned by Ryan, with 20-year-old centre Anthony Allen making his international debut against the All Blacks at Twickenham.

"We have built some momentum in the Guinness Premiership and our aim is to continue that to the best of our ability," Ryan commented.

Voting panel Chairman and Sky Sports commentator Miles Harrison added that Ryan's award reflected the promise shown by his side early in the season - a case in point being their recent 33-24 win at Worcester.

"Dean Ryan's young Gloucester team has continued to show much promise in the early part of this Guinness Premiership season," he said.

"The winning performance at Worcester in October was the perfect illustration of how these young players are fast maturing."