With the Rugby World Cup onto the knock out stages the domestic season can get under way. England were dissappointing but its time to forget about that and knuckle down to the wonderful world of club rugby.
The 12 teams will all be playing their first matches this weekend. We kick off on Friday night with three games. Newboys Worcester Warriors hosting last years table topping Northampton Saints and then there is a massive game already at the Stoop with Quins taking on arch rival’s Wasps. Lastly Gloucester are in the North East facing the Falcons. After a big opening night there’s no stopping with the Chiefs at Bath and Sarcens hosting Sale on Saturday before Irish welcome the Tigers on Sunday.
So how do I see each team doing this year.
Bath Rugby 2nd
Bath fell at the final hurdle last year and that stage will be the minium again this year. They have a back line that is full of flair and with a couple of good purchases in Priestland and Matawalu that will only strengthen that line. There ageing pack is only getting older and with that they have lost some experience up front so will have to be careful about having the ball cut off before it gets to the backs. However another strong season but I don’t think they will challenge for the title as well as getting knocked out in the Semi’s.
Exeter Chiefs 4th
This is the year that I think they could take anothe huge step for the small SouthWest club that just seem to push on year on year. There must be something in the water done there because what they are doing is phenomenal. The mix they have of experience and youth is working a treat. The backs have some great emerging talent that have another year and for some, England experience under their belt. Losing Munm is a big loss even though Parling should fill that gap nicely. With Salvi also joining the back row will be beneficial. They seem to be turning into a team that take all the experience Tigers players which is going to be very interesting because it is Tigers that they are going to replace in the top 4.
Gloucester Rugby 9th
To me nothing is going to change for Gloucester this year. They haven’t brought any real quality in and will have another nothing year. They may be threaten with relegation even though they will survive with ease in the end. One thing you know is that we are going to have some amazing tries because that’s want the speed demon May is capable of. But this season will be classed as another year of rebuilding but will no moves forward.
Harlequins 6th
Well my beloved Quins. They have had the best summer of transfers of almost any team in years. They have bought in serious proven quality in Horwill, Jones, Roberts, Visser as well at Stanley and Luamanu. I was really please to see Swiel bought on a perment bases because I see him as the long term replacement to Evans. We may have lost some good players as well with the legend that is UUUUUUUGGGGGOOO retiring being sad to see. I will miss screaming that at the Stoop. However I am really excited to see Quins play this year and think that we will be climbing back up the table causing some big stirs on the way. Even though this is suppose to be the transition year the stirs will start with Wasps.
Leicester Tigers 5th
Well Tigers always seem to end up in the top 4 no matter what. They pushed it last year with a dodgy 6 months but that didn’t stop them pushing everyone out the way to get into the top 4. However for me this is going to be the year that they will fall short. I think this is the year that they are going to be pipped and loss out on that play off spot which could also signal the end of Cockralls managerial reign at the club. They have lost some big players in Allan, Salvi, Parling and Thorn without really replacing them.
London Irish 10th
How the hell Irish manage to scope Ben Franks is beyond me. What must he be being paid. Whatever it is, it is the purchase of the summer. Signing Maitland, McKibbin, Tikoirotuma will also give them some much needed experience to help the load of young players they are now coming through. This Irish team will not be pushovers this years and will show so great sparks while pushing forward and starting to show some of that investment that has come in. There is a lot of work to be done but it looks like things could be heading in the right direction.
Newcastle Falcons 11th
Newcastle seem to be ever improving without actually improving their position. I like the fact that they have a go at teams regardless who it is and Richards has given them belief they can threaten the big boys. However they are still going to struggle with results. They have lost some big players with Blair, Clegg and in particular Brookes all moving on. They have brought in a few fringe players of which some of them could force their way into the first team. Venditti and Botha are both good acquisitions that should help fill the void of the out going players. They will struggle again this year with the teams at the bottom get better and better as well as closer and closer but I will enjoy watching them as always and they will just about have enough to stay up.
Northampton Saints 3rd
The Saints grasp on the Premiership is going to slip this year. They are not going to be the same force they have been over the last couple of years. They should easily be in the playoffs and with a game spare. I also see them in the final but I just don’t think they are going to be the league runaways this year and they will have to fight hard for that 3rd. Brookes, Matfield have been brought in to replace the out going Ma’afu, Manoa and Dowson with future Irish star JJ Hanrahan coming in replace the out going Hooley. They look good on paper but I just feel that there’s something missing, like they have lost an edge they had over everyone else. However that edge could just be the vacating Manoa.
Sale Sharks 8th
Sale have lost some big names this year and that is going to affect them. I think they will only slip one place but are going to along way behind in turns of the standard to the teams above. There is going to be a divide in the Premiership with Sale be the leader team on the bottom set of teams. Cueto, Hines, Di Marchi and Mclean have nearly 250 caps between them so that is ridiculous loss of experience in one go. They brought very few in, other than Stringer and they will feel this. This could be a turbulent year for them and they will have to rely on their forwards to get them from looking over their shoulder.
Saracens 1st
I think they are going to top the table and win the playoffs. They are a team with incredible quality through out and a huge amount in depth as well. They will miss Strettle but he has had enough waiting for England to come calling and has now gone for his pay day in France. They haven’t really dabbled into the transfer market both for incoming and for letting players go which shows that McCall is happy with his squad and after their play off win last year they will know that they can do it again. They are the only team to have made the knock out stages of the Champions Cup for the last four years with two Semi’s and one final in that and their is a reason for that.
Wasps 7th
Wasps had a good surprising year last year and even though I don’t think that year was a one off I do think that they won’t be able to reach the heights of the Champion Cup again. They have changed quite a lot of the squad, losing some experience in Goode, Bell and Varndell. They having a nightmare Champions Cup group so will not have enough to fight at the top level on both domestic and European fronts and that will cause them to slip this year.
Worcester Warriors 12th
Worcester are going to make sure they are counted this year. They are not going to be a London Welsh. This club has a big history in the Premiership and will be kicking and screaming all year. They will pick up some wins and cause the teams just above them to think twice, however they have a tough run in at the end which will bring to a stop the points they will need to stay up at a time it matters. They will be great to watch because you can see them catching teams by surprise with their play and with the ever amazing Pennell leading their back line they have a very dangerous weapon. They have been incredibly busy in the summer getting lots of players in and out. I think this could disrupt them a bit too much because like Welsh last year those new players were not settle in by the time things got rolling. The one benefit there though, is that with the season starting late they have longer to gel together.
SweetEngland 