Aviva Premiership preview: Team-by-team guide ahead of Friday's big kick-off
Everything you need to know about each Premiership side ahead of the new season
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Director of Rugby: Todd Blackadder
Captain: Guy Mercer
Major signings: Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Kahn Fotuali’i (Northampton)
Fond farewells: Ollie Devoto (Exeter), Rob Webber (Sale), Stuart Hooper (retired), Kyle Eastmond (Wasps)
One to watch: George Ford
Last season: 9th
Prediction: 7th
Had a shocker last season that saw Mike Ford sacked and former Crusaders’ coach Todd Blackadder has only had a couple of weeks to work with his new squad. They must go better this time round, with the Welsh pair, Faletau and Charteris, supplying the ammunition for George Ford behind the scrum.
Bristol Rugby
Director of Rugby: Andy Robinson
Captain: Jack Lam
Major signings: Jordan Crane (Leicester), Jon Fisher (Northampton), Tusi Pisi (Sunwolves)
Fond farewells: Ellis Genge (Leicester), Matthew Morgan (Cardiff), Marco Mama(Worcester)
One to watch: Gavin Henson
Last season: Promoted from Championship
Prediction: 10th
Steve Lansdown, the multi-millionaire owner of Bristol City, is aiming to make the town a sporting hotbed and the Premiership new boys have recruited well and have a decent shot at surviving. It has taken them seven years to get back to the top flight and they won’t want to waste any more time.
Exeter Chiefs
Director of Rugby: Rob Baxter
Captain: Jack Yeandle
Major signings: Ollie Devoto (Bath), Dave Dennis (Waratahs), Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds)
Fond farewells: Brett Sturgess (retired), Alex Brown (Perpignan), Jack Arnott (Cornish Pirates)
One to watch: Alec Hepburn
Last season: Runners-up
Prediction: 3rd
Premiership finalists last year and have not been as busy in the transfer market as others. Well-run and well-coached, the Chiefs are making their mark on the England front supplying players to the senior squad and the Saxons. Everyone’s second favourite team are set to go well again.
Gloucester Rugby
Director of Rugby: David Humphreys
Captain: Greg Laidlaw
Major signings: Matt Scott (Edinburgh), Tom Denton (Edinburgh), Josh Hohneck (Highlanders)
Fond farewells: Elliott Stooke (Bath), Nick Wood (released), Rob Cook (released)
One to watch: Jonny May
Last season: 8th
Prediction: 9th
The Kingsholm faithful continue to turn up despite Gloucester misfiring for the last couple of seasons. The return of wing Jonny May is a huge boost after he missed the second half of last season and Scotland centre Matt Scott will add to the backline but not expected to challenge for Europe.
Harlequins
Director of Rugby: John Kingston
Captain: Danny Care
Major signings: Mark Reddish (Highlanders), Ruaridh Jackson (Wasps), Cameron Holenstein (Pau)
Fond farewells: Nick Easter (retired), Ben Botica (Montpellier), Ollie Lindsay-Hague (released)
One to watch: Tim Visser
Last season: 7th
Prediction: 8th
Revamped coaching team following Conor O’Shea’s departure to take over Italy but they are all familiar faces at the Stoop. John Kingson has been around the block with Quins and Nick Easter takes over as defence coach. Struggled last year and could do the same this time and will be hit by England calls to senior players.
Leicester Tigers
Director of Rugby: Richard Cockerill
Captain: Tom Youngs
Major signings: Matt Toomua (Brumbies), JP Pietersen (Sharks SA), Ellis Genge (Bristol),
Fond farewells: Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Laurence Pearce (Sale)
One to watch: Will Evans
Last season: 4th
Prediction: 4th
Splashed out on Wallaby Matt Toomua and Springbok JP Pietersen to add to Welford Road grit and should make play-offs yet again. They are aiming for a 13th straight top-four finish but have not won title since 2013 and need to step up another level to challenge Saracens.
Newcastle Falcons
Director of Rugby: Dean Richards
Captain: Will Welch
Major signings: Vereniki Goneva (Leicester), Sam Egerton (England Sevens), Kyle Cooper (Sharks SA)
Fond farewells: Todd Clever (retired), George McGuigan (Leicester), Josh Furno (Zebre)
One to watch: Callum Chick
Last season: 11th
Prediction: 11th
Lucky that London Irish were around to get relegated last season and likely to struggle again but should have enough to avoid drop – just. Dean Richards has got himself a back row – including Under-20 World Cup winner Callum Chick – that could keep the Falcons afloat.
Northampton Saints
Director of Rugby: Jim Mallinder
Captain: Tom Wood
Major signings: Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Nic Groom (Western Province)
Fond farewells: Alex Corbisiero (sabbatical), Kahn Fotuali’i (Bath), Victor Matfield (retired)
One to watch: Nic Groom
Last season: 5th
Prediction: 6th
Missed play-offs for first time in five years last season and might struggle to make it again despite signing French No.8 Louis Picamoles and South African scrum-half Nic Groom. Saints had a nasty habit of losing to teams in the bottom three which is no way to get into the top four.
Sale Sharks
Director of Rugby: Steve Diamond
Captain: Josh Beaumont
Major signings: Mike Phillips (Racing 92), Josh Charnley (Wigan RL), AJ MacGinty (Connacht)
Fond farewells: Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Tommy Taylor (Wasps), Chris Cusiter (retired)
One to watch: Josh Charnley
Last season: 6th
Prediction: 5th
Stung by the loss of Danny Cipriani, Steve Diamond has recruited a more orthodox fly-half in AJ MacGinty and he should go well behind a decent pack. Mike Phillips is a big game, Josh Charnley is due at the end of Super League and Sale will do some damage.
Saracens
Director of Rugby: Mark McCall
Captain: Brad Barritt
Major signings: Schalk Burger (Stormers), Save Rawaca (Fiji Sevens), Alex Lozowski (Wasps), Vincent Koch (Stormers)
Fond farewells: Jacques Burger (retired), Charlie Hodgson (retired), Kieron Longbottom (Sale)
One to watch: Save Rawaca
Last season: Champions
Prediction: Champions
Best team in the Premiership, the best team in Europe last year, under-rated director of rugby and no-one will have a heart attack if they do the double again. Will lose the likes of Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers for large chunk of the season but have the strength in depth to cope. They have done it before.
Wasps
Director of Rugby: Dai Young
Captain: Joe Launchbury
Major signings: Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs), Danny Cipriani (Sale), Willie le Roux (Canon Eagles)
Fond farewells: Bradley Davies (Ospreys), Ruaridh Jackson (Harlequins), Charles Piutau (Ulster)
One to watch: Danny Cipriani
Last season: 3rd
Prediction: Runners-up
Danny Cipriani is back and with Kurtley Beale and Springbok Willie le Roux will light up a backline that is electric already and should go close. But Beale and Le Roux won’t appear together until after the New Year with the Australian injured and the South African in Japan. Wasps should manage without them until then.
Worcester
Head coach: Carl Hogg
Captain: GJ van Velze
Major signings: Ben Te’o (Leinster), Will Spencer (Bath), Marco Mama (Bristol)
Fond farewells: Charlie Mulchrone (Harlequins), Andy Symons (Gloucester), Darren O’Shea (Munster)
One to watch: Francois Hougaard
Last season: 10th
Prediction: 12th
As if they were not up against enough Dean Ryan, Worcester’s director of rugby, decamped for a job with the RFU in the summer and has not been replaced. Carl Hogg has stepped up and has been around the club for a while, long enough to know it could be a long season despite the brilliance of scrum-half Francois Hougaard.
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