Season Preview: Premiership 2017/18
Ahead of the new Premiership season we go through each of the 12 teams looking to get their hands on the trophy at Twickenham next May.
With the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand keeping everyone hooked this summer, it feels as though the 2016/17 season has barely ended, but the countdown is already on for the beginning of the 2017/18 campaign.
All 12 Premiership clubs are in the thick of their pre-season training, with everyone from reigning champions Exeter Chiefs to recently promoted London Irish putting in the hard yards now, in the hope they will reap the benefits come May.
We take a club-by-club look at each side’s prospects for the coming season.
BATH
Director of rugby: Todd Blackadder
Last season: 5th
Bath certainly showed signs of progress under Blackadder, improving on their 9th place finish in 2015/16, but it is whether they kick on this season – or suffer a sophomore slump – that will really decide how successful Blackadder’s appointment has been.
The club is back in the Champions Cup and has bolstered their squad to deal with that challenge. Sam Underhill arrives and joins Francois Louw, Taulupe Faletau and Zach Mercer in what may be the most impactful back row in the Premiership, whilst Freddie Burns replaces the departing George Ford, in a move that should see Bath retain their starting fly-half during the Test windows.
More signings are believed to be imminent and given that the backline looked thin in the second half of the 2016/17 season, they may well be needed. Up front, however, Bath have developed good depth and the return to fitness of Henry Thomas and Nick Auterac will give them fresh impetus at the set-piece.
Player to watch: England U20 captain Zach Mercer made his breakthrough in senior rugby last season but just like Blackadder, it won’t count for much if he doesn’t back it up with consolidation and improvement in his second campaign. He led England with aplomb at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia this summer and there should be plenty of opportunities for him to spell Louw, Underhill and Faletau from the bench, as well as playing an even more prominent role during the Test windows.
EXETER CHIEFS
Head coach: Rob Baxter
Last season: 2nd (Champions)
The wonderful rags to riches story of English rugby reached its culmination last season, when Exeter lifted the Premiership trophy for the first time in their history. Now, however, comes the even bigger challenge – consolidating that place at the top and making the club a consistent force in Europe.
There has been relevantly little upheaval at Sandy Park this off season, with Geoff Parling the most notable departure and two high profile additions in the forms of Matt Kvesic and Nic White. White has his work cut out competing with the Will Chudley and the homegrown duo of Jack Maunder and Stu Townsend, but he is the calibre of player the club will need to make themselves a threat in both the Champions Cup and Premiership.
The club has gotten away with minimal losses during Test windows in recent seasons and though that can be frustrating for the club’s fans, it is a blessing in disguise for Baxter and his coaching team. If the likes of Henry Slade, Ollie Devoto and Luke Cowan-Dickie continue to be on the bubble of the England squad, it won’t hurt Exeter’s prospects at all in the coming season.
Player to watch: Big tighthead Harry Williams had a very productive summer with England down in Argentina, dealing well with the Pumas’ bajada scrum and singling himself out as someone who can push the duo of Dan Cole and Kyle Sinckler for their international spots. He’s in a position battle at Exeter with two other international tightheads in Greg Holmes and Tomas Francis, but it looks as if momentum is on his side.
GLOUCESTER
Director of rugby: David Humphreys
Last season: 9th
Another year has gone by for Gloucester and it was another campaign of disappointment and unrealised potential. As a result, there is a significantly different look to the Cherry and Whites for the coming season.
Johan Ackermann, who has masterminded the Lions’ rise to prominence in Super Rugby, has been brought in to replace Laurie Fisher as head coach and a raft of on-field additions have also been made. Props Val Rapava-Ruskin and Fraser Balmain have been brought in from Worcester and Leicester respectively, Owen Williams has also been acquired from Welford Road and Jason Woodward has made his way up the M5 from recently relegated Bristol. The likes of Greig Laidlaw, James Hook and Kvesic have all headed for pastures new and there is a sense of a fresh start at Kingsholm.
Ackermann has not been afraid to push the tempo with the Lions and with the speed that Gloucester have in their backline, it could be a potent mix, but without more physical backs, such as Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Ruan Combrinck, there is going to be plenty of pressure on the likes of Ross Moriarty and Ben Morgan to provide that front-foot ball.
Player to watch: Jason Woodward was an inspired addition to Bristol last season and his arrival brought about an upward surge in Bristol’s performances, even if it wasn’t quite enough to see them avoid the drop. How he slots into the Gloucester back three, which already features Jonny May, Charlie Sharples and Tom Marshall, will be interesting to watch, but he is a talent that must feature if fit.
HARLEQUINS
Director of rugby: John Kingston
Last season: 6th
An up and down campaign culminated with Quins sneaking into the last Champions Cup qualification spot, but there are plenty of questions still to be answered about the Londoners.
As ever with Quins, they struggle when international call-ups come around, but when at full-strength, they are a match for anyone in the competition. They have moved to address that with their off-season recruitment, bringing in Demetri Catrakilis and Francis Saili, who should help the club maintain their chemistry in the midfield throughout the season. Filling the boots of Nick Evans is an unenviable task for Catrakilis, but the additions of Lewis Boyce and Renaldo Bothma bolster the pack depth and should help to give him a platform that Evans did not always enjoy during Test windows.
With an improving set-piece looking to kick on from 2016/17, the club’s defence is their next big issue to tackle as they look to lay the foundations for a return to their clinical attacking traditions. If there is a coach to watch this season, it may be Nick Easter and the work he does shoring up what was the leakiest defence in the Premiership’s top seven last season.
Player to watch: Injuries and being in and out of the larger England squad hasn’t helped Jack Clifford over the last couple of years and you feel he needs a big season to cement his status as a Test player for England. The addition of another back row mongrel alongside Chris Robshaw in Bothma should help free up Clifford to play his more natural game. His contribution to Quins this season will be vital – both on attack and in defence – and if he can spearhead their back row in the Premiership and Europe, he can reinforce his potential at international level.
LEICESTER TIGERS
Head coach: Matt O’Connor
Last season: 4th (Semi-finalists)
It is fair to say no club’s season balances on a knife-edge as much as Leicester’s does.
Having released Peter Betham, JP Pietersen and Lachlan McCaffrey early from their contracts, Leicester’s squad has been thinned down, particularly in the backline. Burns and Williams have been traded out for the Ford brothers, George and Joe, with the former almost certain to be busy with England for 10 plus weeks of the season. Nick Malouf, Gareth Owen and Jonah Holmes have also been added, but it’s a backline which will hinge upon the fitness of Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua.
Dominic Ryan and Sione Kalamafoni will add some punch up front and the pack looks to be an area of strength for the club again this season, but an injury or two in key positions could easily derail this Tigers team. If everyone is fit and available, there is a compelling argument that Leicester may have the best XV in the Premiership, but as we all know, Premiership titles aren’t won by XVs, they’re won by squads.
Player to watch: There are a lot of exciting players at Leicester right now but this is an easy decision. Matt Toomua is a genuinely world class inside centre who can pull the strings with his passing, running and kicking and he has the capability to light up the Premiership in the same way that Charles Piutau did when he first arrived at Wasps. Throw into the mix that Ford is well-versed playing with a secondary playmaker at 12 due to his time with Owen Farrell for England and this combination will be fascinating to watch this season.
LONDON IRISH
Director of rugby: Nick Kennedy
Last season: Promoted from Championship
Given the improvements made by the likes of Worcester and Newcastle in recent seasons, Kennedy’s task of trying to keep London Irish up is an unenviable one, but one that is certainly achievable with the squad he has assembled.
As you would expect, Irish have recruited heavily as a result of their promotion and nowhere is that more true than in the front row, where they have added a complete unit in Gordon Reid, Saia Fainga’a and Manasa Saulo, not to mention Saracens veteran Petrus du Plessis. It’s not just the front row that’s been bolstered, either, with Filo Paulo (second row), Jake Schatz (back row), Ben Meehan (scrum-half), Napolioni Nalaga (centre/wing) and Luke McLean (full-back) also brought in.
Investing in the set-piece and adding grafters and physical runners may not be the “sexiest” of recruitment polices, but it is, at least on paper, a smart way of trying to avoid a return to the Championship. Under Tom Coventry, Irish tried to run before they could walk and it cost them. Kennedy and the rest of his coaching staff look to be taking a more pragmatic approach, as they try to lay the foundations for future success.
Player to watch: It was very tempting to go with Joe Cokanasiga here, but in his first year of Premiership rugby, Irish may well err on the side of caution and choose to gradually integrate him into the team. Napolioni Nalaga, on the other hand, should feature prominently throughout the campaign and be key to any hopes Irish have of staying up this season. He has lit up the Top 14 for both Clermont and Lyon and at 31 years of age, still has a few good seasons left in him.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Director of rugby: Dean Richards
Last season: 8th
Newcastle are another team in a tough position. Having surpassed all predictions in 2016/17 and finished 8th – not to mention threatening to qualify for the Champions Cup – expectations are now higher for them going into this season.
They have broken out the chequebook to ensure they meet these new, higher expectations, bringing back former Falcon Toby Flood from France, as well as adding French centre Maxime Mermoz, free-scoring wing DTH van der Merwe and underrated back rower Ryan Burrows, among others. Richards will hope that the signing of van der Merwe helps ease the loss of Marcus Watson, but otherwise, Newcastle haven’t been hurt by their usual annual exodus of players.
With improved player retention, good signings and a gameplan that continues to develop and improve, there is no reason to doubt that Falcons can’t back up their exploits from last season.
Player to watch: Well, it has to be Toby Flood, doesn’t it? Having spent the last three seasons in France with Toulouse and the six seasons prior to that at Leicester, Flood returns to the club that developed him and where he first made his name. Now a seasoned campaigner, Flood has all the attributes to guide Newcastle to safety and, perhaps, even higher up the table.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder
Last season: 7th
Saints are a club that have fallen back in the Premiership pecking order over the last few seasons and they have attempted to address that with a bold off-season.
Proven Super Rugby half-backs have been acquired in the forms of Cobus Reinach from the Sharks and Piers Francis from the Blues, whilst firepower has been added outside of them thanks to the arrival of Australia’s Rob Horne. It’s a proactive step to liven up a backline that failed to click for much of last season and it has seen long-time Saints Lee Dickson, George Pisi and James Wilson all leave the club.
Francis has benefited significantly from the time he has spent in New Zealand over the last few years and alongside Harry Mallinder, Northampton may have the dual-playmaker axis that is so en vogue in English rugby at the moment. If that combination clicks, you get the feeling everything else will begin to fall into place for Saints.
Player to watch: Teimana Harrison had his breakout season in 2015/16, when he spent the majority of the campaign at number eight and was a fearsome ball-carrier. With the arrival of Louis Picamoles last season, Harrison saw his responsibilities scaled back, but now that the Frenchman has returned to his boyhood club, Montpellier, the eight jersey is once again free. Harrison isn’t the powerhouse carrier that Picamoles is, but he runs hard and at space and is more than capable of helping keep Northampton on the front-foot.
SALE SHARKS
Director of rugby: Steve Diamond
Last season: 10th
Sale may have had a disappointing season on the pitch in 2016/17, but it was mitigated by a new ownership who are willing to bankroll the club’s ambitions and have, seemingly, put a plug in the exodus of players from the side.
The losses of Tommy Taylor, Vadim Cobilas and Danny Cipriani from 2015/16 season hurt Sale in the last campaign and they have reacted accordingly this off-season, adding Alexandru Tarus in the front row and Faf de Klerk and James O’Connor in the half-backs. The back row has also been bolstered by the additions of Jono Ross and Josh Strauss, with Magnus Lund leaving the club and the Curry twins potentially involved with England during the Test windows.
Other important considerations are that Denny Solomona will be further reacquainted with the 15-man code and coming off a full off-season, Josh Charnley’s union education will have progressed and Will Addison will be returning to full fitness and the starting Sale backline. If the pack can give the backline the foundation it requires, Sale are a strong candidate to improve on their 10th place finish from last season.
Player to watch: It was a surprise to many when Diamond said that James O’Connor was being signed as a fly-half, rather than as a back three player, where he has most consistently performed throughout his career. Given AJ MacGinty is the only other proven senior fly-half at the club, it is understandable, but it remains to be seen how much control he will give Sale in the 10 jersey. His comfort playing anywhere in the backline from 10 out is certainly something that will be valuable, though, especially given that the club are a little thin on depth in that area.
SARACENS
Director of rugby: Mark McCall
Last season: 3rd (Semi-Finalists)
Saracens may have achieved their objective of defending their European title in 2016/17, but that doesn’t mean that their failure to reach the Premiership final won’t have irked them.
If possible, they look to have become even stronger going into this campaign, adding proven international-calibre players in Christopher Tolofua, Liam Williams and Will Skelton. All three should play pivotal roles for the club, with Williams replacing the departing Chris Ashton and Tolofua and Skelton helping make up for the losses of Jamie George, George Kruis and Maro Itoje to England. Kieran Longbottom comes in for Petrus du Plessis – and Titi Lamositele’s neck injury – and Calum Clark and Dominic Day step in for retiring Scots, Kelly Brown and Jim Hamilton.
Where Saracens hit potholes last season was during the Test windows and their off-season recruitment has helped address that, whilst academy prospects like Nick Isiekwe and Max Malins are more than ready for senior action. In short, don’t expect any kind of regression from the North Londoners.
Player to watch: It’s a big season for Nathan Earle at Saracens. He received an England call-up from Eddie Jones this summer and he knows he’s on the Australian’s radar, but if he’s not first choice at his club, he’s unlikely to feature for England. Competing with Williams, Alex Goode, Sean Maitland and Chris Wyles won’t be easy, but it should drive Earle on to further better his game. When he gets his opportunities, he will almost certainly make the most of them and that will be something worth watching.
WASPS
Director of rugby: Dai Young
Last season: 1st (Runners-up)
If ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That mantra nicely sums up Wasps’ preparations for the 2017/18 season.
Marcus Watson has been added to complete a truly terrifying back three alongside Christian Wade and Willie le Roux, whilst Juan de Jongh and Gabirele Lovobalavu should both add muscle and power to a relatively lightweight midfield. The departures of Kurtley Beale, Frank Halai and Alapati Leiua may sound severe, but the Wasps backline looks in good shape and perhaps has a balance that it lacked at times last season. The pack has welcomed Ben Harris, Antonio Harris and journeyman Paul Doran-Jones, but there is likely to be little change to the preferred starting eight.
Wasps’ tempo and ability to score from anywhere on the pitch made them a formidable opponent in 2016/17 but if they want to take the next step this season and challenge in both the Premiership and Champions Cup, then they will need to be more consistent up front and in defence.
Player to watch: No one really needs to be told to watch Elliot Daly, but his position this season for Wasps is going to be interesting. Will he push his case to play on the wing and improve his England prospects or will Wasps continue to use him in the midfield? The signings of De Jongh and Lovobalavu do potentially free him up for a move to the wing and given how impressively he has performed for England there with very little experience, the prospect of him playing there for a full season at club level would only accelerate his learning curve.
WORCESTER WARRIORS
Director of rugby: Gary Gold
Last season: 11th
It’s going to be a tough season for Worcester, who should be preparing for their third-straight relegation battle. Having seen off London Irish and Bristol in the previous two confrontations, you certainly wouldn’t bet against them doing likewise again this season.
Worcester’s recruitment has been under-the-radar, bringing in Ethan Waller as a replacement for Rapava-Ruskin, David Denton for the retiring duo of Paul Dowson and Sam Betty and the venerable Peter Stringer as cover at scrum-half. Where Worcester’s big improvement should come, though, is from their academy graduates, with Jamie Shillcock, Jack Singleton and Huw Taylor all ready to make a significant impact this season.
Francois Hougaard will again be key, as will prolific wings Bryce Heem, Perry Humphreys and Josh Adams, whilst Ryan Mills has quietly become one of the standout playmakers in English rugby. The talent is there for Worcester to steer clear of relegation for another year, but the ever-improving level of play at the bottom of the table means that nothing can be taken for granted.
Player to watch: Thanks to a settling in period, injuries and England duty, we have yet to see Ben Te’o really hit his straps for Worcester. If Worcester get the same from Te’o this season that the Lions got from him in New Zealand, then he will be a pivotal weapon for them in their fight against the drop. The Worcester backline is loaded with players capable of dominating the gain-line and Te’o can spearhead this.
by Alex Shaw