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Known as the Aviva Premiership for commercial reasons the English league will get underway on Friday. The competition includes the top 12 clubs from the country. The return of Bristol for the first time since 2009 will once again see the west country becoming a focal point of English rugby. Together with Bath and Gloucester the three clubs are joined by Exeter to the south-west and Worcester to the north making make the region increasingly populous with high level rugby.
Moving east into the Midlands are perennial powers Leicester and Northampton, and now joined by Wasps, who have abandoned the lights of London for Coventry. Put together this makes for a vastly changed landscape than that of prior years. Indeed while there were five London teams only a few seasons ago there are now just two – Harlequins and Saracens. Meanwhile Sale Sharks fly the flag for Manchester and further north are Newcastle Falcons.
Existing rivalries are furthered by the extreme challenge of the competition. It is tough both to make the playoffs and also to avoid relegation. Powerful clubs have fallen in the past including Northampton and the Harlequins, and last season it was London Irish. There are no easy games in the Premiership, which contends with the Top 14 for the title of the best domestic competition in the Northern Hemisphere.
PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
Saracens
The defending Premiership and European champions must be favorites again this year. The club features a world class roster which few if any in England can claim to match, which includes Americas stars Titi Lamositele, Juan Figallo, Marcelo Bosch, and Chris Wyles. Out go veterans Jacques Burger and Charlie Hodgson, but in come Springbok legend Schalk Burger and Scottish international Sean Maitland. The club is all but certain to stride into the semi-finals and is a safe bet to have home advantage.
Exeter Chiefs
Many were surprised by Exeter’s appearance in the final last season. Theirs is a story of a club based on hard work and club ethos, supplementing local talent with international players short on star power but high on quality. Names like Jack Nowell and Henry Slade have risen from the ranks to full England honors, while players considered past their best like Thomas Waldrom and Moray Low have been revitalised with a move to Sandy Park. With a tight-knit group and few alterations, Exeter will again have it in them to knock over any opposition on their day.
Leicester Tigers
The strongest supported club in England is found at Welford Road, the hallowed fortress of the Tigers, one of the most intimidating grounds in European rugby. Despite being short of their absolute best the club has still reached the semi-finals for the past three seasons. That is a step down for Leicester, who were champions or runners-up every year from 2004-2013. In recent years the number of top England players has decreased though there are still many top internationals, including Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole, Manu Tuilagi, and the Youngs brothers. Notable recruits for this season include Super Rugby standouts Matt Toomua and JP Pietersen. A semi-finals appearance looks a sure thing once again.
Wasps
This is a club to watch closely. Rising from the ashes after talks of administration and relegation, the move to the Ricoh Arena has been a smashing success and with it the club has been revamped with a bevy of world stars. Last season’s third placed finish was the best since 2008, and this year could prove even more fruitful. Charles Piutau is a big but inevitable loss, but his replacements in the form of Kurtley Beale and Willie le Roux are known the world over. Danny Cipriani and Kyle Eastmond further boost an incredibly potent backline, while savvy additions up front include hooker Tom Taylor, lock Matt Symons, and Irish tighthead Marty Moore. A spot in the final could well be at hand for a side bristling with exciting talent.
MID-TABLE STOCKHOLDERS
Northampton Saints
The East Midlands club won the Aviva Premiership in 2015 and finished second in 2014. Last season, though, the club was not as competitive as it missed out on the playoffs. Some better luck on the injury front is due, but there is a sense the club have not been busy enough in the off-season. French no8 Louis Picamoles is at long last a suitable replacement for Samu Manoa, and Nic Groom is an interesting choice to take the spot of Samoan scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali’i. There remain holes, however, and a question of depth. All going well the club will push for the semi-finals but the club is just as likely to finish mid-table.
Gloucester
One of England’s heartland clubs, Gloucester has lacked the consistency of the past. At the turn of the millennium the club was the best in England. Yet since Rugby World Cup 2011 it has finished 9th on four occasions, the exceptions being being 5th in 2012-13 and 8th last season. With few bona fide stars in the team outside Scottish scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw and a team that looks adequate but not exceptional, it’s hard to see how Kingsholm will be launching fireworks any time soon.
Harlequins
A turnover in coach has seen Conor O’Shea depart and John Kingston handed the wheel, but steering them to glory looks an impossible task. This past season Quins finished 7th, one place better than that of the 2014-15. An aging side that features several former greats entering the twilight of their career, it would take a considerable resurgence for them to challenge for a playoff spot. The club will very likely have a similar season to last with the real target qualifying for the 2017-18 European Champions Cup.
Bath
Surely this season cannot be worse than the last. Somehow the club’s strong form prior to the World Cup evaporated as Bath finished in the lowly position of 9th. A number of club stalwarts have departed and while Welsh leading Welsh forwards Luke Charteris and Taulupe Faletau are impressive signings, they are still desperately thin in the backs, an area of traditional strength for the club. The recent arrival of new coaches Todd Blackadder and Tabai Matson from Canterbury is a major boost to club morale but they have their work cut out for them if they are to turn around the club’s fortunes in double-quick time.
Sale Sharks
The Greater Manchester club is another that lacks a bit of star power, especially with poster boy Danny Cipriani leaving for Wasps in the off-season. A decade ago the team had players like Jason Robinson, Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, and Sebastián Chabal on their books. Only a dedicated rugby fan would be familiar with today’s roster. Rising star Josh Beaumont has been handed in the captaincy while US Eagles flyhalf AJ MacGinty will replace Cipriani, but they will need some overachievers to step up if they are to challenge the top half of the table.
RELEGATION
Bristol
With the club newly back from the Championship it is certainly going to be penciled in for the relegation battle. In the case of Bristol the mere fact that it took the club so long to regain a place in the Premiership is concerning. That said supremo Andy Robinson has built solid foundations and has plenty of financial backing to keep them up in the top flight. The question is whether a squad large in numbers is sufficient in quality to avoid an immediate drop. Deciding on their top XV early in the season will be essential to achieve even middling success.
Newcastle Falcons
The Falcons have staved off relegation in recent seasons but how long can they hold out? In an effort to improve the club has looked to recruit from far and wide and has ‘trimmed the fat’ somewhat with several older internationals departed, some of whom were questionable signings to begin with. The club has added steel up front in South African hooker Kyle Cooper and Canadian lock Evan Olmstead, with Fijian ace Vereniki Goneva a major upgrade to the backline and Dom Waldouck set to sign a permanent deal. On paper this is the strongest Falcons side in some time but they have some convincing to do in the early stages of the season.
Worcester Warriors
Another club who have scraped by without really making a move up the ladder. Worcester were dealt a surprise blow when head coach Dean Ryan resigned in the summer, and his absence could well be a telling one. Francois Hougaard’s recall to the Springboks does not help their chances either, with the influential scrumhalf now set to miss much of the early season. The addition of Ben Te’o in the midfield will help but the rest of the side looks patchwork at best. Their Round 5 match against Falcons at Sixways could well be an early indicator of their fate.
