bath
No one can question the quality of the rebuilding job carried out by Johann van Graan since his arrival in 2022. (Beno Obano) fired early. Van Graan said he felt “comfortable” that the team had done their best: could they do better now? The signing of Springbok Thomas du Toit has been a huge success – he top-scored with 12 tries in 25 games last season – while Scotland flyback Finn Russell Finn Russell also fits in perfectly. Former Worcester captain Ted Hill and England’s Sam Underhill provide motivation in the back row, while van Graan’s ability to get the best out of his players appears to be improving. Exciting times are ahead: the opening games against Northampton and Leicester City will set the tone.
last season second place Expected to end this season first place key person Sam Underhill
Bristol
Patlin’s team has been plagued by inconsistency in recent seasons, but when the offense happens, they can’t compete. The team’s progress has been fitful under the former Samoa international, making them difficult to predict, but fans will feel some tangible progress, such as when they lifted the Challenge Cup in 2019-20. Already late. They may struggle to challenge the teams ranked above them last season (Saints, Bath, Sale, Saracens), with Quins and Leicester aiming to overtake the Bears this time around . Regarding the financial pressure felt by Premier League clubs, Bristol chief operating officer Tom Tanton told the BBC last month: “It’s a really challenging time and we can’t continue on this path… This is professional rugby It may be at a crossroads for the business. Bristow is not alone in having a difficult time, and Tanton’s honesty should be welcomed.
last season fifth place Expected to end this season No. 9 key person Ellis Genge
Exit
Rob Baxter’s coaching wisdom was on display last season, when an inexperienced and much-changed squad achieved some encouraging results domestically and in Europe. Finishing seventh in the Premier League was ultimately disappointing as it was all in the running-in period. But it arguably reflects the progress made by a young group of players who have been expertly managed by the league’s longest-serving senior manager and inspired by the resurgence of England’s Henry Slade. Unfortunately for Chiefs, Slade will miss the first few months of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, while Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins is also out following knee and shoulder surgery. Powerful lock Ross Molony joins from Leinster and is a player who fits the Chiefs template very well. Sandy Park is no longer the fortress it was a few seasons ago and another rebuilding campaign seems likely rather than a challenge for the top of the table.
last season No. 7 Expected to end this season No. 8 key figures Dafydd James
gloucester
Lifting last season’s Challenge Cup was more than just a bonus for George Skivington’s side – who were overwhelmed by the Sharks in May’s final – but it arguably papered over some worrying cracks . Consistency throughout the league season must be the goal for Skivington in what feels like a make-or-break year, with the talented manager already seeing some goodwill in his early years at Kingsholm due to the side’s frustrating back-and-forth Impermanent and disappeared. Wing player Christian Wade has been playing in the NFL for many years. After the unexpected departure of Louis Rees-Zammit, he joined from Racing 92 to pursue his football dream. Wade says he wants a title and an all-time Premier League try record, but if Skivington can’t crank up the engine room every week and mount a proper attack in the playoffs, then his presence will only be skin deep.
last season No. 9 Expected to end this season No. 7 key figures Zach Mercer
clown
You must have heard Quins’ DNA: flashing attack power, high-priced offloads and all that jazz. But director of rugby Billy Millard and his coaching staff know that trying to outscore opponents is rarely a recipe for sustained success, and the quality of Harlequins’ defense will determine whether they can repeat their memorable win in 2020-21. André Esterhuizen’s dynamism will be overlooked in midfield, but 35-year-old evergreen full-back Leigh Halfpenny has arrived to bolster a side led by the 37-year-old A defensive unit led by evergreen defender Danny Care. Players are hoping Marcus Smith can complete his journey to becoming a complete Test fly-half. Will Collier joins Castells, but young England international Fin Baxter and back-row Chandler Cunningham-South also return There is a lot of room for improvement.
last season sixth place Expected to end this season sixth place key figures Marcus Smith
Quick guide
Luke McLaughlin’s predicted Premier League standings
exhibit
first place bath
second place Saracens
third place northampton
fourth place Leicester
fifth place Sale
sixth place clown
No. 7 gloucester
No. 8 Exit
No. 9 Bristol
No. 10 Newcastle
Leicester
“I hope this is my best coach yet,” Michael Cheika said when he arrived at Welford Road in June. If he pulls that off, it should be a worry for Tigers’ rivals, as the Aussie’s resume has plenty of merit. His records with Leinster, NSW Waratahs, Australia and Argentina speak for themselves. But over the course of his peripatetic career, Cheika has become something of a rugby league equivalent of Jose Mourinho – a talented but demanding and temperamental coach whose old-school methods threaten to become obsolete. Does he have what it takes to get Leicester City back to the top? The former Argentina manager has a close relationship with Julian Montoya and is happy to work with the likes of George Martin, Tommy Reiffel and Freddie Stewart. Springbok back-row Jasper Wiese has left for Japan, but if Cheika brings the best from a talented team and gets the best out of herself things, they would be dangerous.
last season No. 8 Expected to end this season fourth place key figures George Martin
Newcastle
They lost 18 of 18 games last season and finished 27 points behind second-bottom Gloucester. Director of rugby Steve Diamond says things will be different this time and believes a pre-season emphasis on fitness will improve discipline and make the Falcons harder to beat. Given Diamond’s experience, there is reason to be optimistic that, from an overall perspective, Newcastle’s progress will be good for the Premier League’s reputation. Given the lack of drama in so many games, the relegation suspension is a bad sign for a sport that should be a prerequisite for elite sport. But a team that holds up the standings so far has been unable to compare to other teams, and is in even worse shape. The mere chance of a fresh start, coupled with the potential of former Sale and Leicester half-back Kieran Wilkinson and the lightning pace of winger Adam Radwan, are reasons to rejoice .
last season No. 10 Expected to end this season No. 10 key figures Jamie Blamire
northampton
The list of Premier League champions in the past five years is as follows: Exeter, Harlequin, Leicester, Saracens, Northampton. No club has defended the title since Sarris in 2018-19, and you might wonder how anyone would respond to a Courtney Lawes-shaped hole in their squad. Saints finished on the same number of points as Bath last season, when just six points separated the top five. They deservedly won the title but it was tight until the final moments of the final against 14-man Bath. It will be interesting to see how the new professional game partnership – an agreement between the Rugby Football League and clubs – shakes out in reality, and whether it puts clubs with more English players at a disadvantage. Alex Mitchell’s energy and vision in the scrum have made him a worthy England number one, but recent history suggests Saints may not repeat their Championship trick.
last season first place Expected to end this season third place key figures Alex Mitchell
Sale
A semi-final defeat in Bath in June could have gone either way and Alex Sanderson, who finished third last season, will be aiming to reach next summer’s final. The visionary coach signed a new three-year contract in May this year as Sale celebrated the Sharks’ 25th anniversary, rather than regular old Sale Football Club. Manu Tuilagi has traveled to Bayonne, while Waisea Nayacalevu has crossed the English Channel in the opposite direction from Toulon and is one of the few One of the first high-profile players to arrive in the Premier League rather than leave it in the summer. The last mid-season slump in form proved costly, but there’s no reason to believe Sale can’t continue to be more than the sum of their parts: especially with the incomparable George Ford orchestrating attacks from the front half. Sharks stalwart Sam James joins Racing 92; academy product Will Addison returns after six years with Ulster.
last season third place Expected to end this season fifth place key person George Ford
Saracens
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall made his customary reference to DNA when announcing Maro Itoje as captain, replacing Owen Farrell. ). “From the early days when he entered our academy at age 14, we knew we were watching the development of a special person,” McCall said. “Maro has Saracen in his DNA.” The 29-year-old England second-rower has been back to his best destructive form for some time and with Mako Vunipola leaving StoneX alongside Farrell, Itoje’s leadership will will be tested in the coming months. However, Saracens’ squad has no shortage of big-game experience with the likes of Jamie George, Ben Earl and Elliot Daly, while the return of Wales’ Reece Carre is also a welcome one . The 2022-23 championship team is another team that’s lost more fame than it’s gained, but McCall’s teams will always be competitive with or without Farrell.
last season fourth place Expected to end this season second place key figures Ben Earl
