Premiership predictions: Nick Easter makes tight Leicester v Saracens and Exeter v Northampton calls

James While 05 Jan 2024 3:29 PM

Nick Easter makes his predictions for the upcoming Premiership round.

Former England and Harlequins number eight Nick Easter sits down with Planet Rugby’s James While to offer his predictions for the upcoming round of Premiership action.

We have teamed up with eToro, the official investing and trading partner of Premiership Rugby, to launch a new feature that will see us get predictions from a famous face before every Premiership round for the remainder of the season.

And just to make it a bit more fun, we’ll be making our own predictions for each game and tracking our performance week-by-week to see whether we can outsmart our illustrious guests. First up, Easter…

Newcastle Falcons (LLL) v Harlequins (WLW)

This looks like being a great battle on the mat at Kingston Park featuring two clubs I’ve spent a lot of time with. As always, Newcastle’s defence is one of the hardest to break down and their ability to get the best out of their assets is a testimony to the coaching staff and system up there.

Given the filthy weather of recent weeks, the back-row battle is likely to absolutely key and I’m looking forward to watching two England number eights go toe-to-toe with a sideshow of a couple of uncapped but excellent opensides in Guy Pepper and Will Evans doing their stuff in the dark arts of the breakdown.

Harlequins are lightweight at half-back but go in with a loaded bench, knowing Falcons tend to drop off in the last quarter. For me, this is the deciding factor and although I think it’ll be a pretty close match I can see Quins having just a bit too much width and firepower.

Head-to-head: I can’t look past Pepper v Evans. When I coached the Falcons defence, Pepper was recovering from a series of horrendous injuries but I was well aware of his potential. For Quins’ Evans, known to all as WEV, he has always been one of their most important players and his presence over the ball will test Pepper’s breakdown skills.

One to watch: With England looking stretched in terms of resources at loosehead, Phil Brantingham is a magnificent prospect at loosehead (in fact he can play both sides) and it’ll be interesting to see how he goes against my old mate Will Collier, one of the best scrummagers around.

Sale Sharks (LWL) v Bristol Bears (WWL)

Whilst Sale are flying high two points off the top of the Premiership table in third place, they’re a team that tend to win narrowly based upon physicality and a great set-piece. Their attack is evolving and currently it’s a little behind the level of the best around, but with Rob du Preez’s influence off the tee and in general play, they’re a streetwise team that play power rugby.

For Bristol, their attack isn’t the force it’s been in previous years and in my eyes they look a little narrow, lacking the power in one-out runners to really dent playing off nine or ten. They’re also missing Virimi Vakatawa, a key carrier at 13, to create space for those around him.

I can’t see Bristol getting enough front-foot ball to win away, but they certainly have the ability to score tries against the very best and given Sale’s set-piece I see this as a clear home win.

Head-to-head: Staying with my theme of England’s issues at loosehead, Ross Harrison is one of the form players of the season and he’ll be up against Test tighthead Kyle Sinckler, a man stung recently by criticisms of his appetite for scrummaging hard.

One to watch: When Jono Ross hung up his boots for Sale I wondered how on earth they’d replace his abrasion but they appear to have cloned him in the shape of Ernst van Rhyn who has been absolutely outstanding all year.

Exeter Chiefs (LWW) v Northampton Saints (WWW)

This is undoubtedly the tie of the round. The most exciting team and the table toppers Saints visiting second place Exeter in a match that will decide the league leaders before the break for European rugby.

Sandy Park is an absolute fortress and the Chiefs faithful are a sixteenth man for them, providing a wonderful and intimidating atmosphere for any of those who dare to set foot there. Chiefs have huge momentum after their success in Europe but I wonder if they have the same firepower that Northampton have in attack? In my view they’re still too reliant on their three-man pods carrying off nine which we’ve seen so many times. It can be effective, but we know that’s how they play and repelling those pods physically will be a focus of Saints’ pre-match chat.

For Saints, Lee Radford has transformed their spike and physicality in defence and it’s that improvement that’s allowed their brilliant backs to flourish off the faster ball created by the improved collisions. We always say, as coaches, that set-piece and defence wins matches and for all Northampton’s brilliance with ball in hand, it’s the nuts and bolts of their structure that’s shown the greatest step up this year.

I have a feeling about this match that the breakdown and set-piece are fairly even, but Saints hold the aces in attack, and I’m going to stick my neck out and call an away win – a close one.

Head-to-heads: At the time of writing the teams are not confirmed but the potential of seeing Henry Slade, a man desperate to regain his England place, against Tommy Freeman, is one for the connoisseurs of three quarter play. I understand Freeman is likely to come on off the bench but it’s still a great clash of gifted players.

One to watch: George Furbank’s form is absolutely compelling at the moment and he allows Saints to vary their normal width by stacking vertical attacking shape behind the set-piece with two tens, working to the flow side of the move, and I expect him to shine once again.

Leicester Tigers (WLW) v Saracens (LLW)

Two of the stalwarts of elite English rugby going hammer and tongs but playing a similar style of game. There’s no love lost between these lads and I can see a hugely confrontational game based upon structure and kicking.

Leicester will be full of confidence that they’re getting their mojo back as Dan McKellar learns the Tigers way. He’s not changed things but just got them back to their usual level of intensity, and that’s defined by the work of Jasper Wiese and the two big England locks, George Martin and Ollie Chessum.

Saracens are not scrummaging well at the moment and have lost Mako Vunipola due to suspension, a big blow to their power up front, especially in terms of defence and ruck speed, where he comes into his own.

This will be an absolute arm wrestle, with two brilliant tens in Owen Farrell and Handre Pollard pulling the strings, but home advantage is all and I see a low-scoring affair going with Tigers.

Head-to-head: It would be easy to go for the two fly-halves, but up front the monstrous Martin is likely to be up against the peerless Maro Itoje as master meets pupil.

One to watch: Given the wet conditions, this is a match for diesel powered 4x4s and there’s none better than the brilliant Jasper Wiese at number eight, a man I expect to dominate the carrying stats once more.

Bath (WWL) v Gloucester (LLL)

Bath have come under criticism for fielding an understrength team in their loss to Tigers last weekend, but word is they’ll be fully loaded to face a Gloucester team that have really struggled for game control in recent times.

The contrast at half-back couldn’t be more stark. Finn Russell and Ben Spencer are currently the best in the Premiership, bossing every game they play and even eclipsing Danny Care and Marcus Smith over the Christmas period.

With Bath possessing a monstrous scrum featuring a choice of two Test tightheads, I cannot see this going any other way than a Bath win. Gloucester simply are losing faith in themselves and their work-rate off the ball is as poor as I’ve seen. The Rec will be saturated given the weather, but I still see Bath’s attack good enough to put six or seven tries on the Cherry and Whites.

Head-to-head: Last weekend, Louis Rees-Zammit, a Lions three-quarter, spent his time standing on the wing arranging his hair and making absolutely zero impact on the match. A player of that potential needs to go and find work and his half-backs need also to facilitate him into the game in ways other than pointless standing at the front of lineouts. Contrast that with the way Joe Cokanasiga has transformed his work-rate under Johann van Graan and I believe that the big Bath man will dominate the Lion.

One to watch: With England set to name their training squad around January 17, Spencer will be pulling up trees to get back where he deserves and I expect him to be a strong influence on the way Bath perform.