The Premiership Rugby season is back. A season which promises to be competitive, not only at the top end but also for the fight to stay up. Will Bristol have enough to stay up? Will their strong recruitment be enough to beat the likes of Worcester to maintain a place in the top flight of English Rugby? Will any of the other teams be able to touch the likes of Saracens and Exeter who seem to be in a league of their own? Who will finish in the top 4? The top 6? Tonight marks the start of 9 months of rugby, where at the end, all of our questions will be answered.
How will the table look at the end of the season? Here's my prediction:
1. Saracens
I can't see Saracens being beaten. They have a great pool of young talent and have proved their strength the last couple years. Under coach Mark McCall the team have a real direction and Saracens would be disappointed with anything less than another premiership title.
2. Exeter
Similarly to Saracens, Exeter have proven to be able to compete at the top over the last few seasons. A team which has built itself on solid foundations, I find it hard to see them not making the final. A quality group, with internationals mixing with home grown players, a squad which many teams desire.
3. Gloucester
A team that has had the best recruitment in my opinion. Bringing in quality players like Danny Cipriani, who will really get the team attacking and Matt Banahan who is just such a great member to have in a squad, whilst also beefing up the pack with some outstanding signings from South-Africa. Ackermann has had a full pre-season with his squad and I predict Gloucester to be a real force this season.
4. Bath
After a poor season last year Todd Blackadders men will really be looking to prove themselves this season. A squad which was plagued by injury seems to be recovering, although key players Watson, Obano and Joseph are all still out. I feel that there is no excuse for Bath not to be competing at the top end with the quality squad that they have.
5. Leicester
A team which under performed by their own standards. I feel that Leicester need to move on from the history that has defined them. Instead of being a team famous for their forward pack, they now have one of the best back lines in the premiership and Kyle Eastmond joining the club confirms this. To me Leicester are a bit of an uncertainty and they could well prove me wrong and finish in the top 4 once again.
6. Wasps
A quality team with outstanding attacking ability. However, they find themselves in a spot of bother before the season has even started. Jimmy Goperth is injured and the new star signing Lima Sopoaga is yet to arrive at the club. This leaves the team without a top quality play maker at the start of the season.
7. Newcastle
A team who showed great promise last season. A great set up and squad means that Newcastle have the ability of beating any team, like they have proved. They have signed a good number of proven players and have a growing fan base making away trips to Kingston Park a daunting prospect for any team.
8. Sale
A very underestimated team. They showed what they were capable of last season. Chris Ashton will miss the first 6 games of the season due to being red carded in a pre-season game which could impact the team and Faf De Klerk is away on international duty. Despite this they have a great squad with quality players with more of these players starting to get recognised at international level.
9. Bristol
Pat Lam seems like such an inspirational coach. Adopting a model similar to Exeter in the fact that they want to breed home players, I believe that Bristol will be very competitive this season. Some big signings and a really good vibe suggests that Bristol will take the scalps of some big names.
10. Harlequins
New coach Paul Gustard has a lot of work to do. A team that has the ability and potential to do well but failed to do so last season. Some great players in the club but it seems that it is when they go away on international duty that things really start to slide. Gustard will sort out the teams defence and I think build the squad back to competitive ways in the next few seasons.
11. Northampton
Chris Boyd is set with the task of bringing Northampton back from darkness. The signing of Dan Biggar will help this but the squad will have to adapt and change massively from their ways of last season if they wish to compete for mid table rankings. Another team which needs to build for a few seasons before they are realistically competing for top 6 positions.
12. Worcester
A team which has struggled to pick up any star signings. A shame as the crowd is always there to cheer the team on but there is a lack of continuity in the team year in year out. I see them going down to the championship and then coming back stronger after a season of re-establishing the culture and squad.
Of course this is only my opinion. If you disagree then let me know what your predictions are! With a World Cup just around the corner the players will be fighting for spaces in international squads, which means that we are going to witness some great, competitive rugby. I can not wait.
How will the table look at the end of the season? Here's my prediction:
I can't see Saracens being beaten. They have a great pool of young talent and have proved their strength the last couple years. Under coach Mark McCall the team have a real direction and Saracens would be disappointed with anything less than another premiership title.
2. Exeter
Similarly to Saracens, Exeter have proven to be able to compete at the top over the last few seasons. A team which has built itself on solid foundations, I find it hard to see them not making the final. A quality group, with internationals mixing with home grown players, a squad which many teams desire.
3. Gloucester
A team that has had the best recruitment in my opinion. Bringing in quality players like Danny Cipriani, who will really get the team attacking and Matt Banahan who is just such a great member to have in a squad, whilst also beefing up the pack with some outstanding signings from South-Africa. Ackermann has had a full pre-season with his squad and I predict Gloucester to be a real force this season.
4. Bath
After a poor season last year Todd Blackadders men will really be looking to prove themselves this season. A squad which was plagued by injury seems to be recovering, although key players Watson, Obano and Joseph are all still out. I feel that there is no excuse for Bath not to be competing at the top end with the quality squad that they have.
5. Leicester
A team which under performed by their own standards. I feel that Leicester need to move on from the history that has defined them. Instead of being a team famous for their forward pack, they now have one of the best back lines in the premiership and Kyle Eastmond joining the club confirms this. To me Leicester are a bit of an uncertainty and they could well prove me wrong and finish in the top 4 once again.
6. Wasps
A quality team with outstanding attacking ability. However, they find themselves in a spot of bother before the season has even started. Jimmy Goperth is injured and the new star signing Lima Sopoaga is yet to arrive at the club. This leaves the team without a top quality play maker at the start of the season.
7. Newcastle
A team who showed great promise last season. A great set up and squad means that Newcastle have the ability of beating any team, like they have proved. They have signed a good number of proven players and have a growing fan base making away trips to Kingston Park a daunting prospect for any team.
8. Sale
A very underestimated team. They showed what they were capable of last season. Chris Ashton will miss the first 6 games of the season due to being red carded in a pre-season game which could impact the team and Faf De Klerk is away on international duty. Despite this they have a great squad with quality players with more of these players starting to get recognised at international level.
9. Bristol
Pat Lam seems like such an inspirational coach. Adopting a model similar to Exeter in the fact that they want to breed home players, I believe that Bristol will be very competitive this season. Some big signings and a really good vibe suggests that Bristol will take the scalps of some big names.
10. Harlequins
New coach Paul Gustard has a lot of work to do. A team that has the ability and potential to do well but failed to do so last season. Some great players in the club but it seems that it is when they go away on international duty that things really start to slide. Gustard will sort out the teams defence and I think build the squad back to competitive ways in the next few seasons.
11. Northampton
Chris Boyd is set with the task of bringing Northampton back from darkness. The signing of Dan Biggar will help this but the squad will have to adapt and change massively from their ways of last season if they wish to compete for mid table rankings. Another team which needs to build for a few seasons before they are realistically competing for top 6 positions.
12. Worcester
A team which has struggled to pick up any star signings. A shame as the crowd is always there to cheer the team on but there is a lack of continuity in the team year in year out. I see them going down to the championship and then coming back stronger after a season of re-establishing the culture and squad.
Of course this is only my opinion. If you disagree then let me know what your predictions are! With a World Cup just around the corner the players will be fighting for spaces in international squads, which means that we are going to witness some great, competitive rugby. I can not wait.
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