I can't find a thread on the above and I think we should have one. So who are the front runners this year? Will Bristol stay up? And who are the dark horses to win? I fancy Gloucester this year, and not just because an ex Ulster player in charge.
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Agree about Gloucester Rob, couple of big SA imports into that squad, as well as Cipriani and Banahan......Twelvetrees and Woodward won't know themselves this season.
Got to back Sarries or Chiefs, I'm season ticket at Sandy Park, so I'm biased. Wasps and Gloucester will make up the top four.
^^^^^^ thisOriginally Posted by Firesam
although I would like to see Newcastle and Bath make them work hard.
My dad is Cherries fan, so seeing them do well would please him.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
GLAAAAWSTER! GLAAAAWSTER! GLAAAAWSTER!
Ahem, sorry, got a bit carried away there!
I have a gut feel that Exe maybe have peaked and will not quite be as exceptional as they have been in recent seasons (still think top 4 though). Glaws have recruited well and plugged pretty much all the gaps, though Afoa will be a huge miss and 9 is still a slight concern. Hopefully Cips will make up for that! If it clicks at Kingholm with the likes of Kriel, Mostert, Grobler and Dreyer in the pack and Cips pulling some strings it could be really, really special.
Wasps will still be strong and Sopoanga is a great piece of recruitment to replace Cips, although the loss of Gopparth will hit them hard.
My Top 4, in no particular order, Sarries, Glaws (finger crossed), Exe and Tiggers.
At the other end I wonder if Newks can repeta their incredible run from last year and may struggle this year, but it looks like Worcester are the faves to go down (as much as I would like it to be Barf!) - their recruitment hasn't been as strong as the rest and Te'o spends more time on the physio table than the pitch.
Cannot wait and watching Bears vs Barf tonigh with interest.
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Your dad is a wise man :)
#Glawsfamily
Agree
I’m sure this is Worcester’s year
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I’m afraid it’s probably Worcester’s year to rejoin the Championship. Sorry!
Great result by Bristol tonight against Bath..
Good result for Bristol this evening.
I have no dog in this fight, focused more on Ulster rugby in the pro 14, but agree that it may be a bleak year for Worcester. Sadly Ulster is no longer on beeb 2, and I have BT TV, so will be watching premiership more this year.
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Get a season ticket for Ravenhill and I'll see you there!?
Can’t wait for Tigers Exeter this afternoon. I have fingers firmly crossed that Tigers have gelled over the summer. We have a great, if not the best, set of individuals in the tournament imo. But Exeter have proven time and again, a team is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Enjoy the day. I'm sure it will be a great one.
I'll be watching Leicester Lions 2nds at home as my nephew is playing.
Was at the game last night and the atmosphere was amazing - if Bristol can get 12-15k at their home games then The Gate may become a fortress. I still think they’ll be battling it out towards the bottom end but will survive. Pat Lam is the best man for the job and he seems to be an inspirational speaker.
Gutted to be working for Tigers Exeter later, but the Gloucester Saints game is a cracker.
Brizzle looked good for their win on Friday. I’ve a feeling that they’ve got enough to stay in the Premiership this time.
Chiefs looked good too.
Last edited by CriticalMass; 2nd September 2018 at 22:38.
Interesting first match day methinks. Results much as I expected except I thought the tigers would have put up a better show at Exeter.
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Only once in their 22 for the entire game! It's a shame to watch them fall from grace.
Having seen the Chiefs in a couple of pre-seasons, what struck me was that they were looking very lean after the summer break.
I then saw Tigers getting off the bus at Sandy park on saturday and thought, "Jeez, they look BIG", but it was to be their downfall, as most of the Tigers pack were hands on knees after 20 minutes.
Good to see Dan Cole hasn't lost the ability to be able to hand out numerous penalties in a game through backchat and poor scrummaging.
Just caught up with the Tigers game and very disappointed. Ben Youngs' delivery from SH was very slow and laboured and constantly had us on the back foot and George Ford constantly electing to kick shows that tactically we're short of lots of ideas. No point having May, Tuilagi and Veianu in if they're not given any ball. Think it'll be a long season unfortunately.
Even more so now MOC has gone! Not before time but odd timing nonetheless.
Can't say it's not been coming. Cockers and Mauger went for less really. Terrible timing though as it heaps pressure on Geordan Murphy and Mark Bakewell and the team for Falcons next week.
Hoping Quins have a better season...
I'm sure that those involved will have their own opinions about this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/45417946
Given the track record of CVC in Formula 1, I can't find too many positives. I suppose it will depend on who they appoint to "run" the sport, and whether they can resist the urge to meddle with it.
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They may have flattered to deceive last weekend, and as usual with Quins it will depend on injuries and international call-ups.
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
Great high scoring weekend for match day three. Some of the decisions from the refs were questionable at best, especially relating to the high tackle thing. It will be tag rugby in a few years. At least that would be a golden sponsorship opportunity for that unloved brand....
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Agreed Rob,
Cipriani is making oppositions look average at best in the first 3 games.
Slade is on fire looking to cement his England prospects.
Cokasaniga, watched his try several times and i still don't believe it.
Naiyaravoro at Northants swatting big Billy V aside makes him one to watch.
Not forgetting Jake Polledri sitting people down left, right and centre! Cips has been very good so far and his leadership has been the thing that has stood out most for me, even above his outrageous passing - he demands so much of those around him. Exe certainly making me eat my hat regarding my predicition for them this season, looking relentless again!
When you get shovelled shit your options are limited - we see this for the national team as well. Youngs is not a great passer, in fact England rarely has top quality passing no9's.
Thought Ford looked great in the highlights I saw of this weekend.
Just realised your post was from 3rd lol.
Cips left out of England training squad, apparently due to his form!
Yep Eddie, because he's been really poor for Glaws so far
Cips has been outstanding thus far his season, maybe a personal issue between him and Jones?Sent from my SM-G920F using TapatalkCips left out of England training squad, apparently due to his form!
Yep Eddie, because he's been really poor for Glaws so far
Last edited by Robsmck; 20th September 2018 at 15:47.
Crazy. Clearly the form No 10 in England at the moment.Cips left out of England training squad, apparently due to his form!
Yep Eddie, because he's been really poor for Glaws so far
I’d understand if it was a disciplinary sanction - even if I disagreed. But this makes no sense. You wonder what he needs to do to be picked.
I lost faith in Jones earlier in the year. Same old same old, England losing semi finalists, fourth at best next year.Cips left out of England training squad, apparently due to his form!
Yep Eddie, because he's been really poor for Glaws so far
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Jones is keeping Cipriani under wraps. He'll unleash him as England's secret weapon at the World Cup.
I hope.
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I hope so too.
So we've reached the first PRC break in the Prem - what are people thinking after 6 games?
Clearly Exe and Sarries are streets ahead of the rest (as you might expect), but the fight to round out the top 6 and playoffs looks like it could be really tight. Wasps, Glaws and Tiggers looking best of the rest so far with perhaps Quins or Barf making up the final 6?
Worcester punching above their weight and Newks struggling after an incredible season last year (which I speculated about). Glaws have a long injury list coming back into training over the next couple of weeks and Mostert to come in after the Autumn Internationals (cannot wait to see him and Grobler play together), plus Kriel still to make an appearance. So am expecting to see them go from strength to strength as those boys bed in, plus only losing Morgan and Polledri to the autumn matches will help.
Big spending Bris probably faves to go down still, unless they play with a little more pragmatism going forward?
Any thoughts?
I thought that I'd drag this thread up from the depths, as the Premiership is at the half way point - and it's a rather bizarre table, with Exeter and Saracens separated by a point at the top, some way clear of everybody else.
Two or three results either way, and we could have a high profile relegation, or a surprising entry in Europe next year.
It's a fascinating season.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/tables
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Two horse race - as predicted at the start of the season. I still think Saracens will win at Twickers in May.
Wasps are having a horse of a season, as are Bath
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Sadly, I went to Twickenham to watch Wasps yesterday, and it was both a poor match, and they played and passed badlky. Certainly in the first half the referee thought it was all about him, added to which the 20 water carriers must have been on appearance money as they were running on the pitch every 20 seconds.Wasps are having a horse of a season, as are Bath
I also went to twickers yesterday and was disappointed with the match. I use to live in High Wycombe and had a Wasps season ticket (despite being a Gloucester supporter) so have a bit of a soft spot for wasps.
Coupled with Gloucester losing at Kingsholm to Sale yesterday was not a good day! Still if you said to me at the beginning of the season Gloucester would be third in the table at the half way point I wouldnt have believed you.
Went to Ashton Gate yesterday and what a game, a real battle. Glad we came away with a bonus point win. There have been some strange results all round and I still think there will be a massive relegation battle! Having said that we’re only 5 points from 4 place!
There's an "interesting" article by Sam Peters in today's Independent on Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Steve Diamond.
I won't link to it here, as we're in the G&D, and there's some uncompromising language used.
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Being an old school Ulster fan I like to see Saracens, Gloucester and Exeter doing well, due to their Ulster connections. All good so far for this season then.
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You may not have enjoyed watching Gloucester on the receiving end of a hiding from Munster last evening, then.
It's European weekend again, and one of the most interesting facets is watching the Irish internationals playing for their clubs - Conor Murray was back from injury, Joey Carbery only made one mistake during a game in which he scored 19 points, including two tries, C J Stander was an absolute rock, although Keith Earls was barely mentioned until he scored a try.
I'm starting to believe that Ireland are currently the best team in the Northern Hemisphere, and have every chance of winning the Six Nations, probably with (another) Grand Slam, and the World Cup. And as an Englishman, that's not easy to admit.
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I'm a Gloucester fan so last night wasn't great! I'm inclined to agree with you I think the only question mark that remains over Ireland is their strength in depth. Schmidt really has done a tremendous job with Ireland thus far. I still hope England pull it out of the bag first week of the six nations though!!
Starting to believe?!! They are number 2 in the rankings and have been the top NH team for a couple of years!!!
It all comes down to central contracts and the IRFU telling the provinces when they can play their internationals or not. I heard on Radio 5 today that England internationals play 20% more games than the Irish - how tired will the Saracen Internationals be come the World Cup if they get to the European final and then the Premiership final!
Having said all that Ireland will come up against Argentina in Japan and lose like they always do!!!!!!
Yes but Munster were on great form. Fair play for a good victory.
Great to see Ulster overcome Racing this afternoon, all to play for at Leicester next weekend. Hopefully the tigers heads will be down if this spanking by the scarlets continues.
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Well the Prem is shaping up nicely! Tigers pipping Newks and Wuss beating Sale this weekend has pretty much condemed Newks to the drop, a startling turnaround after a top 4 finish last season. Exe and Sarries look set to finish top 2, but Glaws are now only 8 points behind Sarries after thieir loss to Bris.
Speaking as a Gloucester Boy, there is nothing finer than geting one over them from down the road, especially after gifing them a 0-17 head start!
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