PREM Rugby predictions: ‘Apex predator’ Bath backed to ‘build a dynasty’

Louis Chapman Coombe 24 Sep 2025 10:37 AM

A two layered image of Bath celebrating their title win and George Ford — Bath come into the season as heavy favourites, but can they win a second successive title?

Following a full-scale rebrand over the summer, the PREM is entering a new era, and it’s already promising to be one of the best seasons in the league’s history.

The English game is in rude health on the field at the moment, despite its financial troubles, and the PREM is right at the forefront of that. Bath come into the season off the back of a historic treble, Northampton Saints will be buoyed by their run to the Champions Cup final, and elsewhere, Red Bull’s takeover of Newcastle already threatens to turn them into a serious force once again.

Here is our full team-by-team guide ahead of the new PREM season.

Bath

Johann van Graan’s side were the PREM’s apex predator last season, as they waltzed to the top of the table. A run of eight wins from their first nine games of the league season put them in pole position at the halfway stage, and they locked down top spot in the table by early May.

The play-offs proved a stern test, though, with Bristol Bears taking them to the wire, but they eventually came through to book their spot in the final.

Leicester also pushed them close at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, but they managed to hold on to secure their first title win since 1996.

Ones to watch: Arthur Green, Kepu Tuipulotu, Ciaran Donoghue

Star man: Finn Russell

Top signing: Henry Arundell

Prediction: 1st

Last year would have been a massive weight off their shoulders, given the heartbreak of the season before and their long title drought, but this could be the year Bath build a dynasty.

They have done some major bits of recruitment, again, but crucially, they all seem to either fill a hole in their starting XV or give that little bit of extra quality to their overall squad. These signings will also only increase the level of performance across the whole squad, even for those who were mainstays in the treble-winning side.

Around that, too, you’d expect Bath to be just as hungry for success this time around, and even with the new target on their back, they should thrive under the pressure of expectation. Could more silverware be in their future?

Bristol Bears

Pat Lam’s Bears came into the year as a fairly unknown entity following a mass overhaul of their playing squad, but they certainly brought the razzle-dazzle to the league with some ridiculous attacking displays. Buoyed by the likes of Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Kalaveti Ravouvou and Gabriel Ibitoye, the Bears won six of their opening nine games while averaging 34 points per game in the process.

A mid-season dip, caused mainly by injuries to key personnel, threatened to see them miss out on the play-offs, but they quickly got back on the horse to win two of their final three games and book a spot in the play-offs for the first time since 2021.

Clashes against Bath bring the best out of Bristol, it seems, and it did exactly that in the semi-final as the Bears pushed the hosts all the way, but they eventually fell to a defeat, and their season came to a close. Despite that, the 2024/25 Bristol side will forever be in that ‘streets won’t forget’ category, given their absolutely outrageous displays.

Ones to watch: Sam Worsley, Joe Jenkins, Benjamin Grondona

Star man: Benhard Janse van Rensburg

Top signing: Louis Rees-Zammit

Prediction: 5th

The Bears are such a tough one to call. On their day, they are simply exceptional, but they once again have one of the smallest squads in the league.

Bristol have recruited brilliantly, with Tom Jordan, Louis Rees-Zammit and Max Pepper all bringing some proper X-factor to the squad, and they all fit in with the current DNA at Ashton Gate. The Bears love to play attacking rugby, and these signings all flourish in systems that allow them to use their skills in this manner. Jordan and Rees-Zammit, in particular, will only ramp up the ambition to play fast, free-flowing rugby.

If you look at their strongest 23 on paper, it’s easily good enough to win the league, but if they picked up a few injuries at the same time, then that could derail their season. That said, if they can keep everyone fit, then they could be dark horses for the title.

Exeter Chiefs

For Rob Baxter’s side, the only way is up. Literally anything will be an improvement on last season.

A run of eight straight league defeats derailed their season before it had even begun, resulting in the departure of defence coach Omar Mouneimne, but things all came to a head in the latter stages of the season after a thrashing at the hands of Gloucester.

That defeat brought about further coaching changes, too, with Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter exiting the club and Rob Baxter returning to frontline duties.

The season still ploughed on after that, and even though performances improved, they ended the season on a run of one win from three.

Ones to watch: Paul Brown-Bampoe, Ben Coen, Kane James

Star man: Dafydd Jenkins

Top signing: Len Ikitau

Prediction: 8th

As mentioned above, anything is an improvement on last year, but they should climb up a couple of spots on the table by season’s end.

The return of Baxter towards the backend of the last campaign saw a turnaround in performances, but this season is all about results.

Exeter don’t have it easy in the opening rounds, with visits to Northampton Saints in round one and Bristol in round three, before three home clashes against Newcastle, Harlequins and Gloucester, but it gets even harder after that with visits to Sale and Saracens after the November break.

If Exeter can gel quickly, they could be a force to be reckoned with, but teams across the league do have a slight head start on them.

Gloucester

Last season proved a timely tonic for the Cherry and Whites after the disastrous 2023/24 season. Gloucester threw caution to the wind in an effort to change their fortunes in the Prem, but things didn’t get off to a good start. Five consecutive defeats to start their season threatened to bring an end to their season before it had begun, but a win over Newcastle in round six changed things for the better.

From there, Gloucester went on to win five of their next six before the Six Nations break, a run which put them back into play-off contention. They kept the fight going all the way to the final weekend of the season thanks to another run of four wins from seven, but they just missed out on a play-off spot as they finished two points behind fourth-placed Bristol.

Ones to watch: Charlie Atkinson, Afolabi Fasogbon, Arthur Clark

Star man: Tomos Williams

Top signing: Ross Byrne

Prediction: 7th

Gloucester will likely adopt a similar attacking style to the one that made them such a delight to watch at times last season, and while they have bolstered their ranks with some strong signings, it seems they might find themselves slipping down the table this year – through no real fault of their own.

The key for them will be to get off to a good start, but that’s easier said than done, considering they’ve got Sale, Northampton, Bath, Bristol and Exeter all in their first five games of the season. If they come through that unscathed, then they could push for those play-off spots again, but it’s such a tough run of fixtures to start your season with.

This also feels like the start of a fresh era at Kingsholm. Tomos Williams has been named club captain for the upcoming season, with Seb Atkinson and Arthur Clark taking over as vice-captains, and the departures of key men like Gareth Anscombe, Santi Carreras and Christian Wade also suggest a new playing style could be on the cards.

Gloucester have recruited well, mind, with Ross Byrne, Ben Loader, Will Joseph and James Venter all joining the club, but like Exeter, it just seems other teams already have a headstart on them.

Harlequins

Last year was another disappointing season at the Stoop, with Harlequins yet again finishing well below the top four. Danny Wilson’s men came into it looking to change their reputation and hone in on their defence, but in the process, they then lost their attacking edge.

A run of just three wins and a draw from their opening nine games at the start of the season looked to have already done damage to their play-off hopes, and even with a run of four wins from their next six, it proved that way come the end of the year.

Ones to watch: Ben Waghorn, Pedro Delgado, Jamie Benson

Star man: Marcus Smith

Top signing: Guido Petti

Prediction: 9th

You felt Harlequins needed to make a statement this pre-season if they were going to seriously challenge for the top four, and while Guido Petti is a rockstar signing and Stu Townsend and Harry Williams boast Prem-winning experience from their times at Exeter, have they really done enough to strengthen their squad?

The disruption from the departure of head coach Wilson on the eve of the season to Wales cannot be overlooked, either. Yes, Quins won a title in 2021 following major coaching upheaval, but the strength across the league this year will surely mean that a repeat is not on the cards.

If Quins are to have a good season, they will need key players Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Jack Kenningham, Will Evans and Tyrone Green to again step up to the plate and drag this side kicking and screaming into the play-offs.

Leicester Tigers

2024/25 was the year Leicester marked their return to the big time after a couple of difficult seasons. A dramatic win over Exeter on the opening day got the Michael Cheika era off to the perfect start, before going onto win four of their following five games before the November break. A mid-season dip at the turn of the year threatened to let the chasing pack catch them, but another run of five wins from seven games helped them nail down second.

A gritty win in their home semi-final against Sale Sharks set them up perfectly for the Twickenham showpiece against Bath, but they fell at the final hurdle as the West Country side claimed the title.

Ones to watch: Emeka Ilione, Lewis Chessum, Finn Carnduff

Star man: Adam Radwan

Top signing: James O’Connor

Prediction: 6th

This might seem a harsh prediction given they pushed Bath all the way in last year’s final, but it’s just down to the competition across the league.

The arrival of Geoff Parling should continue the work Cheika started last year in getting that Leicester DNA back on the pitch, particularly at the set-piece, but this does feel like the first chapter in their proper rebuild.

The departures of Dan Cole and Ben Youngs, alongside 14 other first-team players, signified the true end of an era at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, and while the signings they have made are all pretty exciting, it does feel a tad too early to push for silverware again.

You would expect them to be in the mix for the play-offs right until the end, but they could just be pipped to the post.

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Newcastle Red Bulls

Anything would have been an improvement on the 2023/24 season, with Newcastle losing all 18 of their league matches that year, but 2024/25 did bring about a sense of progress. Their 29-game losing streak finally came to an end against Exeter Chiefs at Kingston Park, before going onto beat Saracens a month later too. They nearly got their first away win of the season against Exeter, too, but a controversial 80th-minute score denied them another win over the Devonians.

That doesn’t reflect the scale of their improvement, either, as they were dramatically more competitive in nearly every match compared to the year before. Still, though, they ended the year at the foot of the table.

Ones to watch: Oli Spencer, Adam Scott, Ethan Grayson

Star man: Tom Gordon

Top signing: Tom Christie

Prediction: 10th

This is the section I was dreading, but Newcastle Red Bulls again seem destined to finish bottom of the pile. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story. This will be a year for them just to lay the foundations after a dramatic overhaul, both on and off the pitch.

In the here and now, the goal for Newcastle will likely be continued improvement after a much more competitive season last time out. They will certainly be eyeing a few scalps, especially at home, but now it doesn’t seem like a one-off win.

Their recruitment has been really good this year, with Liam Williams, Christian Wade, Tom Christie, Freddie Clarke, Boeta Chamberlain and George McGuigan all joining the club, which should see them improve on last year’s total.

It wouldn’t come as a surprise if they didn’t finish bottom, either.

Northampton Saints

After their title-winning 2023/24 season, last year would have felt like a major drop-off in the league. Northampton began the year with a run of four wins from their opening nine games, a block of inconsistency that summed up their season in all honesty. That continued when the league returned in March, as they won three of their final seven league games.

Northampton were blighted by injuries at key times in their league campaign, and with the Champions Cup going so well for them, all their efforts went into that competition, but the PREM will still feel like a disappointment.

Ones to watch: Archie McParland, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Emmanuel Iyogun

Star man: Henry Pollock

Top signing: Callum Chick

Prediction: 3rd

Buoyed by their Champions Cup campaign last year, you would expect Northampton Saints to make a march on the play-offs this season. Phil Dowson’s side underdelivered in the PREM last year, but that run to the European final was a reminder of their true class.

Northampton have one of the strongest squads in the league this year, proven by their British and Irish Lions contingent, plus the likes of Trevor Davison, Rory Hutchinson and Emmanuel Iyogun sitting on the fringes of their respective Test sides too, and when they get a tune out of them all, there is hardly a team in Europe who can stop them.

The goal for the Saints is consistency in the league. They managed to pull off some lovely wins last year, but that was quickly backed up by a poor loss. But if they can iron those creases out, then they should be set for another play-off finish.

Sale Sharks

Alex Sanderson’s side have made a habit of coming good at the right time in recent seasons and that trend continued last year. Three wins from their first six games left them a little bit behind the rest of the chasing pack, but they quickly rallied. Their run of six wins from their final seven games of the season saw them climb up the table and into the play-off spots for yet another season.

But a third-placed finish saw them head to Mattioli Woods Welford Road to face Leicester. Despite a strong fight and a controversial late penalty awarded to the hosts, Sale’s season ended in the East Midlands as Leicester took a 21-16 win.

Ones to watch: Tye Raymont, Ralph McEachran, Ollie Davies

Star man: Tom Curry

Top signing: Jacques Vermeulen

Prediction: 2nd

Alex Sanderson’s side should again finish well inside the top four, and will likely head to Twickenham for the showpiece final too. There’s just something about Sale again this year that commands you to take notice of them.

While they haven’t dipped too much into the market, and still need a lock to join the ranks, their squad just seems to be of exactly the same ilk again. Even the limited recruits prove that trend too. Jacques Vermeulen was Exeter’s enforcer for years and will only add more steel to this Sale pack moving forward, while Marius Louw also gives an extra bit of power and skill to a backline that is already demonstrating an intent to play.

But they didn’t need to add too many new faces to their squad. The way George Ford leads them around the park, coupled with the relentless performances of Tom and Ben Curry in the back row and the X-factor of Tom Roebuck out wide, makes Sale look the complete package. They also have this uncanny ability to adapt to whatever situation they’re in and still find a way to win.

There really is a lot to like about Sale ahead of the new season, and you would expect them to be serious contenders for the title.

Saracens

Things were looking bright for Saracens 2.0 in the early stages of last season, with the North London outfit winning their first three games in a row, but it quickly got tricky for them. A run of just three wins from eight games, a run which included defeats to the bottom two, derailed their play-off hopes quickly.

Although they ended the year with four wins from seven, it wasn’t enough to make the top four, leaving them in sixth.

Ones to watch: Tobias Elliot, Olly Hartley, Charlie Bracken

Star man: Maro Itoje

Top signing: Owen Farrell

Prediction: 4th

Missing out on the play-offs must have hurt Mark McCall last year, so you would expect a big response from them. While they haven’t dipped into the market too much this season, the returns of Max Malins and Owen Farrell, two men who have previous title-winning experience with the Londoners, is going to provide so much experience to this new-look side.

Around that, this Saracens side were in a transition year last time out. Following the departures of key men like Billy and Mako Vunipola, Farrell and Sean Maitland, a large percentage are getting their first real taste of life in the first team, but that experience should leave them in a better spot this year. The pre-season will have also seen them take a further step forward.

The top four does seem a realistic goal for Saracens this year.