Premiership power rankings: ‘Two-horse race’ emerges as Bristol and Bath pull away from chasing pack
From left to right: Adam Radwan, Finn Russell and Kalaveti Ravouvou
Following the conclusion of Rounds 11 and 12 of the Premiership season, here are our power rankings based on the teams’ results and performances from their respective fixtures.
10. Newcastle Falcons (-)
Despite their clear improvement from last season, Newcastle still remain rooted to the bottom of our power rankings after Rounds 11 and 12. Steve Diamond’s side suffered back-to-back defeats to Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks in that time, conceding a whopping 94 points across both. The attacking intent against Bristol was very pleasing to see, which showed there are further signs of gradual improvement from the Falcons, but on the whole, it’s two more disappointing defeats. You feel this weekend’s trip to Exeter is one they will relish, though, and it could be the making of their season if they get a result.
9. Exeter Chiefs (-)
It’s been a turbulent few weeks at Sandy Park, culminating in the departure of Ali Hepher as head coach, but they still remain ninth in the Premiership power rankings. Despite languishing near the foot of the table, Exeter did manage to take six out of a possible 10 points between these two rounds, thanks to a bonus-point win over Saracens at Sandy Park and a try-scoring bonus against Bristol last time out too, and that should give them some positives building into Newcastle.
8. Northampton Saints (-1)
It’s been tough going for defending champions Northampton Saints, who slide down one spot in our rankings. The Saints have lost two on the spin in Rounds 11 and 12 and are more than likely out of the play-off hunt as a result. The loss to Harlequins certainly had its positives though, considering they were stripped of their England stars, but the loss to Leicester was probably a harsh reminder of where they are in the league right now, as they were just second-best to everything. Another loss could also see them looking over their shoulders at Exeter and potentially even Newcastle for a Champions Cup spot as well, but do they decide to box smart and prioritise Europe now?
7. Saracens (-5)
Two bitterly disappointing defeats for Saracens sees them tumble down our power rankings into seventh. These two defeats came in different ways, with a depleted side just slipping to Exeter before a full-noise side lost to Harlequins at the weekend, but the same sorts of defensive cracks began to emerge in their game, and that’s not something we’ve come to expect from them. This is also not a great time to take your foot off the pedal either, with the rest of the play-off chasers picking up decent results around them.
6. Gloucester (-1)
George Skivington’s side can feel fairly hard done by to move down a place, considering their record of one win and one loss, but they can still be pretty comfortable where they are. Their attacking identity is still coming to the fore, which is a real breath of fresh air after last season, and while Sunday’s game against Bath ended in defeat, they still pushed the table-toppers all the way in an entertaining contest. They look pretty good value right now, in fairness to them.
5. Harlequins (+3)
A big block from Harlequins, who have put themselves right back in play-off contention. Danny Wilson’s side have secured two vital victories over Northampton and Saracens, but they also showed proper grit to get over the line in both – something we’ve not quite seen from them this season – while maintaining their attacking identity too. These wins have also come at exactly the right time to build a play-off run too.
4. Sale Sharks (-)
While they might have lost at home for the first time in what feels like forever, Sale Sharks still sit in our top four. Alex Sanderson’s side went toe-to-toe with Bath in Round 11, before waltzing to victory over Newcastle Falcons in Round 12. The win over Newcastle also showed they have taken a big step forward in their attack, led by George Ford, which could again give them some serious momentum into the end of the season.
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3. Leicester Tigers (-)
Michael Cheika’s side remain in third after one win and one loss, but their attacking upturn will certainly catch the attention of other sides across the league. Scoring tries has been an issue for Leicester again this season, but in their past two outings against Gloucester and Northampton, they nabbed two try-scoring bonuses. Elsewhere, that East Midlands derby win felt like a real statement from them heading into the latter stages of the campaign.
2. Bristol Bears (+4)
Once again, their attacking intent came to the fore in Rounds 11 and 12 as Bristol romped to two 50+ point wins over Newcastle and Exeter. These wins have again proved why many consider them to be in a two-horse race with Bath for the title, as they were utterly rampant ball-in-hand and seemed to score at will. Crucially, they again showed how quickly they can pull away from other teams early into the game, securing their bonus-point in just 15 minutes against Exeter, which could again be crucial come the end of the season.
1. Bath (-)
Johann van Graan’s side secured two more statement wins in Rounds 11 and 12, beating Sale at the Salford Community Stadium and later Gloucester at the Rec, which has furthered their case as title favourites. They just seem to be the complete package at the minute, combining a fluid attack with some serious brutality up front and solid defence. Does Twickenham await?