CLUB-BY-CLUB GUIDE TO PREM
Recruited England scrumhalf Ben Spencer to replace Chris Cook, as well as Leicester lock Will Spencer and are sixth in the league, within touching distance of the top four. Will doubtless back themselves to make play-offs but remain infuriatingly inconsistent given their depth of talent. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Moderate NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Ben Spencer, Will Spencer
Third in Premiership, seven points off leaders Exeter, Bristol have added England prop Kyle Sinckler and Fiji midfield magician Semi Radradra to their start-studded squad during lockdown. They play the top two during their first four games back. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Sinckler, Radradra, Chris Cook, Ben Earl (season-long loan)
Top of the table and bidding for a fifth straight Premiership final, Chiefs are the team to beat. However playing second and third, Sale and Bristol, in two out of their first three games back means there is no room for complacency.
PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Jonny Gray, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Josh Hodge
All change at Kingsholm where rookie head coach George Skivington has taken charge with a new backroom team and hoping to arrest the team’s slide from semi-finalists last season to ninth-placed also-rans. The return of England star Jonny May is guaranteed to raise standards as well as morale. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Low NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Jonny May, Matt Garvey, Logovi’i Mulipola
Being seven points off a top-four play-off place, Quins have a decent shot at the post-season. But they need consistency. Chris Ashton has arrived to replace the lost firepower of Agenbound Gaby Ibitoye. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Moderate
NOTABLE SIGNINGS:
Ashton, Andre Esterhuizen, Wilco
Louw, Joe Gray (Saracens)
Steve Borthwick has left the England set-up to take charge of Tigers and Eddie Jones’ long-time chief lieutenant has a job on his hands. England’s biggest club have been in freefall for a while and the loss of Manu Tuilagi will not help. Bottom but one, turning this around will not happen overnight. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Zach Henry, Nemani Nadolo, Matt Scott
Eighth in the table and without a ground, but recruiting Argentina hooker Agustin Creevy and 100-cap Australia lock Rob Simmons has put a spring in Irish’s step ahead of the return to London to share Brentford FC’s new stadium next season. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: Low NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Creevy, Simmons, Sean O’Brien
With three of their last four games against the clubs above them (Exeter, Sale and Bristol), fourth-placed Saints will have a big say in how this season
pans out. They have lost influential scrum-half Cobus Reinach but snapped England forward Nick Isiekwe from Saracens on loan. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High NOTABLE SIGNING: Isiekwe (loan)
The arrival of Manu Tuilagi has second-placed Sale bouncing ahead of tomorrow’s resumption at Quins. With Tom Curry and World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager already in situ, Sharks have firepower and play Exeter and Bristol in two of first three outings. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Tuilagi, Sam Hill
Champions and share with Exeter best won-lost record this season but while Chiefs are top the Londoners are bottom, condemned to relegation for salary cap breaches. A number of players have left but A-listers remain. No side will fancy playing them. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None NOTABLE SIGNINGS: None
Four wins from five before lockdown have thrust fifthplaced Wasps firmly into the play-off mix and, despite loss of Nizaam Carr and Ashley Johnson, new boss Lee Blackett has kept his England stars at the club with new deals for Joe Launchbury, Dan Robson, Brad Shields and Jack Willis. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: High NOTABLE SIGNINGS: None
With only four league wins before lockdown and Saracens already condemned to relegation, 10th-placed Worcester have little to play for in the remainder of the season but new captain Ted Hill will demand better. Progress made by Michael Fatialofa in recovering from a serious neck injury has been the best news story out of Sixways thus far. PLAY-OFF PROSPECTS: None NOTABLE SIGNINGS: Matt Kvesic, Billy Searle
ROB BAXTER accused Premiership Rugby of a lack of leadership over the sport’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The top flight’s organising body revealed yesterday Harlequins, Leicester and Wasps will each take a knee when the league resumes, with Harlequins facing Sale in the opener tomorrow.
They confirmed Bath will form a huddle ‘in unity’, Northampton a ‘circle’, Bristol a ‘heart shape’, while Gloucester and Worcester will line up in a ‘V’.
London Irish, Sale and Saracens will wear anti-racism T-shirts while
P W D L B F A Pts Exeter 13 9 0 4 9 390 230 45 Sale 13 8 0 5 8 334 190 40 Bristol 13 8 1 4 4 289 264 38 North’pton 13 7 0 6 7 303 311 35 Wasps 13 6 0 7 9 339 328 33 Bath 13 7 0 6 2 241 293 30 Harlequins 13 5 1 7 6 285 337 28 Lon Irish 13 5 1 7 6 255 350 28 Gloucester 13 4 0 9 10 268 282 26 Worcester 13 4 0 9 6 202 301 22 Leicester 13 4 1 8 2 207 302 20 Saracens 13 9 0 4 6 338 263 -63 *Saracens deducted 105 points for breach of the salary cap warming up. Table-topping Exeter have pledged to show support for Rugby Against Racism, but have not said what form it will take.
Team boss Baxter (above) said: “I’m a little surprised that Premier Rugby went this way. Just saying, ‘There you go, do what you like’ is like hanging players out to dry.”
Baxter said he would have preferred PRL to lead the league’s response and, when asked how long rugby should continue to raise awareness of the cause, drew an analogy with Armistice Day.
“We mark Armistice Day for one minute of one day a year – that was a pretty big thing,” he said. v
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