Premier League returns, plans to capitalize on Six Nations’ feel-good factor Premier League

timeThe men’s Six Nations may be over, but another defining period in the club game is about to begin, both on and off the field. After a self-imposed famine – England’s top professional league has never voluntarily entered an eight-week mid-season hibernation – the next aim is to provide a spring feast of Premiership rugby, like the National Team’s last two games against Ireland and Ireland Just as appetizing. France.

With six regular-season rounds to go and just a few points separating the seven teams fighting for a spot in the top four between second and eighth, some delicious basic ingredients are already in place. But there’s another level involved, one that Harlequins’ enterprising chief executive Laurie Dalrymple ably articulated this week. “We are coming off a very positive Six Nations campaign,” Dalrymple said ahead of Quinn’s big London derby against Saracens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “From an England perspective, if we don’t capitalize on that feel-good factor and bring it into club games then we’re failing.”

How many such missteps have there been over the past 20-plus years, from the financial crisis and COVID-19 disruption to the salary cap saga and scorelines between club and country? How many other businesses, already facing a shortfall in matchday revenue due to the streamlining of the 10-club league, would respond by closing shop – except for friendly matches – at the exact time of year when their product is at its best? Best condition. The most popular nationally? “Rugby league is brilliant when it comes to suicide,” Newcastle’s director of rugby Steve Diamond put it succinctly this week.

Well, now is a good time for the sport to look up and commit to putting its best foot forward over the next 11 weeks. If the weather vaguely hardens the pitch and encourages teams to go big, there should be some real enjoyment. Around 60,000 fans are expected to watch Sarris take on Quinn, which once again emphasizes that if club rugby is presented in an entertaining and accessible way, then spectators will come to watch. Owen Farrell v. Marcus Smith is just one of many great subplots.

So let’s stand aside, for now, as ongoing negotiations over a major new professional game partnership deal take place – with the latest deadline to finalize the Championship structure and prospects for promotion and relegation etc being mid-April – while some clubs remain daunted – Induced Balance sheet. Instead, it’s time to delve into the recesses of memory and recall who was looking good when the music suddenly stopped in late January, especially Northampton, who were seven points ahead of their rivals after 12 games.

Three more wins in their last six games, plus a handful of bonus points, should be enough to hold off chasing teams, especially with their international squads all back. The other three semifinal spots, though, will depend on brief micro-moments and the freshness of certain key players. For example, will Bath welcome back a tired Finn Russell or a rejuvenated match-winner? Their next four opponents are Sale, Quin, Exeter and Saracens: they will likely have to beat two of them – with Sale and Salris at home – to progress.

With some big-name players set to leave to distract them, Sarri must travel to Northampton, Bath and Bristol. On paper they should be in the top four, but will need to improve significantly to secure a home semi-final. Exeter? The Chiefs’ rebuild is well underway, but it’s entirely possible they’ll have to beat Leicester City away on the final day to reach the play-offs. Before that, they must face newly-promoted Newcastle United at Sandy Park, with Diamond confident the bottom-placed Falcons will pick up at least one win in their remaining fixtures. Not only is a new deal pending, but Diamond has promised to pay out of his own pocket if they win this weekend, allowing the team to spend the night in Devon and celebrate.

Sale? The Sharks reached the finals last year, but even four wins in their final six games might not be enough to finish in the top six. Perhaps the key deciding factor in the entire equation, however, is the mighty Quinn. They have been working hard in the Algarve, retaining a combination of youth and experience. Players such as Oscar Beard have greatly increased their confidence after being exposed to the English environment; Luis Linna is now a test player for the Italian national team and has not yet tasted the failure of the blue jersey.

Smith, Danny Kyle, Andre Estehuizen, Tyrone Green, Nick David, Kaden Mulley…it’s not easy to surpass Quins. Unless, of course, the likes of Saracens can shut them down at the source, as they did so well in a 38-10 demolition at Stoop in November. Whether it was Puma standout Juan Martín González, Scotland’s Andy Christie, Samoa’s Theo McFarland or France-bound Billy Vunipola, Sarris could stop anyone in the back row.

So wait for the fireworks at Tottenham Hotspur and I’d suggest the winning side join Northampton as home semi-finalists. And, doing so could help Dalrymple achieve his club’s desire to win more neutrals and “raise all boats” commercially. “There are a lot of positives about the sport at club level. It’s about focusing on some of the things we do really well and getting more and more crowd support. If we don’t really achieve that growing popularity and With the growing interest we would have wasted an opportunity.” No pressure, lads.