Toulon's Steffon Armitage gets final chance to impress England coach Stuart Lancaster Having been overlooked once again for the England squad selected for next month's tour of South Africa, Armitage was named on Sunday as the Top 14 player of the season - ahead of such luminaries as Thierry Dusautoir, Aurélien Rougerie and Wilkinson, who retired from international rugby last December. I think he is probably up there with the likes of Richie McCaw in terms of his work at the breakdown. He is by far the best openside in the league and was our best signing. Azam, the former Gloucester front row forward, admits Armitage was not an instant hit when he arrived at the club from London Irish last year after losing his place in Martin Johnson's England squad. But he insists any previous concerns about Armitage's conditioning and work-rate are no longer relevant given the consistently outstanding performances of the 26 year-old. "It took Steffon a couple of months to make the Top 14 team and get going, but since Christmas he has been outstanding for us," Azam said. He has been playing better and better and is now one of the best players in the whole of the league. He is by far the best openside in the league. He is on top of his game and back to the form he showed with London Irish when he was selected for England. He is very sharp on the ball and is scoring a lot of tries and playing nearly 80 minutes every week in a league that is very tough and very physical. Northampton rugby director Jim Mallinder has agreed a new contract with the Aviva Premiership club which will keep the 46 year-old at Franklin's Gardens until at least 2015.