Aviva Premiership 2014/15 Club by Club Preview

After the success of England’s summer of rugby and with the domestic season kicking off this Friday and seven or eight teams could compete for the four play –off places in one of the most exciting seasons ever.

So lets take a look and give you a guide into each of the 12 teams competing for the Premiership title.

Bath Rugby

Stadium: Recreation Ground

Head Coach: Mike Ford

Captain: Stuart Hooper

Key Arrivals: Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitons – Oct), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks) and Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs).
Key Departures: Anthony Perenise (Bristol), Nick Abendanon (Clermont Auvergne) and Tom Heathcote (Edinburgh).
Ones to Watch: Sam Burgess and Anthony Watson - Burgess is a Rugby League superstar and all eyes will be on him to see how quickly he can settle at centre. If Watson can press on from where he finished last season he will be a regular starter on the wing for England.
Last Season: 5th

Prediction: 4th- If they can learn from the mistakes and defeats against Sale and Harlequins also if the fans make the Rec into a fortress then play – offs could be in their sights.

Exeter Chiefs

Stadium: Sandy Park

Head Coach: Rob Baxter

Captain: Dean Mumm

Key Arrivals: Thomas Waldram (Leicester Tigers), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors) and Chrysander Botha (Lions).

Key Departures: Hoani Tui (Lyon), Craig Mitchell (Cardiff Blues), Jason Shoemark (Hawke’s Bay) and Luke Arscott (Bath).

Ones to Watch: Thomas Waldrum and Jack Norwell - Waldram will give the Chiefs some extra muscle in the pack. Once Norwell gets back from injury people expect the young winger will convert into a fullback.

Last Season: 8th

Prediction: 11th – Losing Shoemark and Arscott will not help the Chiefs attack because of that, I think they could struggle this season.

Gloucester Rugby

Stadium: Kingsholm

Head Coach: David Humphreys

Captain: Billy Twelvetrees

Key Arrivals: John Afoa (Ulster), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh) and James Hook (Perpignan).

Key Departures: Freddie Burns (Leicester), Mike Tindall and James Simpson-Daniel (Retired).

Ones to Watch: All of Gloucester’s new signings - It’s not only Doctor Who who’s regenerated, but Gloucesters recruitment both on and off the pitch as been superb. Arrivals of Afoa, Hibbard and Palmer gives the pack much needed strength and if Laidlaw and Hook form a quick partnership which could damage the top teams.

Last Season: 9th

Prediction: 3rd – With this new squad and if they gel together quickly and beat Northampton in the first game of the season a play – off spot will be waiting.

Harlequins

Stadium: Twickenham Stoop

Head Coach: Conor O’Shea

Captain: Joe Marler

Key Arrivals: Marland Yarde (London Irish) and Asaeli Tikoirofuma (Chiefs)

Key Departures: Tom Guest (London Irish) and Tom Molenaar (London Welsh)

Ones to Watch: Kyle Sinckler and Marland Yarde – Impressed with a solid season, which got the young prop an England call and Sinckler will be looking to improve even more this season. Yarde has joined the spin of the England squad and it’ll be interesting to see how he links with the likes of Danny Care and Mike Brown and how their partnership will help England.

Last Season: 4th

Prediction: 6th – Even though they have a good squad, on paper, they don’t have the strength in depth during the International period plus their rivals look stronger.

Leicester Tigers

Stadium: Welford Road

Head Coach: Richard Cockerill

Captain: Ed Slater

Key Arrivals: Freddie Burns (Gloucester), Brad Thron (Highlanders) and Seremai Bai (Castres).

Key Departures: Toby Flood (Toulouse), Thomas Waldrom (Exeter) and Dan Bowden (Blues)

Ones to Watch: Freddie Burns – After Flood flew off to France and with fellow fly – half Owen Williams suspensed. Burns has a great opportunity to show the class that tore up the Premiership two years and by what we saw in New Zealand the signs are looking good(ish).

Last Season: 3rd

Prediction: 5th – If Burns comes good and even though they missed out on their first final in 10 years. I don’t think they’ll even get into the playoffs this season.

London Irish

Stadium: Madejski Stadium

Head Coach: Brian Smith

Captain: George Skivington

Key Arrivals: Tom Court (Ulster), Tom Guest (Harlequins), James Short (Saracens), Luke Narraway and Daniel Leo (Both Perpignan).

Key Departures: Marland Yarde (Harlequins), James O’Connor (Toulan) and Sailosi Tagicakibau (Wasps).

Ones to Watch: Tom Homer - Losing O’Connor won’t help Irish move up the league table, but it will help a young, talented player like Homer to get to the form shown a couple seasons back and the new signings will bring experience and strength need in the pack.

Last Season: 10th

Prediction: 10th – Spending the past two seasons fighting down the table and despite new signings it's going to be another season fighting relegation.

London Welsh

Stadium: Kassam Stadium

Head Coach: Justin Burrell

Captain: Tom May

Key Arrivals: Piri Weepu (Blues), Tim Molenaar (Harlequins) and Olly Barkley (Scarlets).

Key Departures: Mitch Lees (Exeter), Peter Edwards (Scarlets) and Cai Griffiths (Ospreys).
Ones to Watch: Olly Barkley and Piri Weepu – Barkley is a Premiership veteran while Weepu is an World Cup winner and they’ll have a huge say in Welsh’s survives.
Last Season: Promoted from The Championship

Prediction: 12th – They’ve made 25 new signings and with that comes pressure and if they don’t gel it will be a long, hard season.

Newcastle Falcons

Stadium: Kingston Park

Head Coach: Dean Richards
Captain: Will Welch
Key Arrivals: Alesana Tuilagi (NTT Shining Arcs), Anitelea Tuilagi (Newport Gwan Dragons) and Kane Thompson (Chiefs).
Key Departures: Joel Hodgson (Northampton), Michael Tait and Fraser McKenzie (Both Edinburgh)
Ones to Watch: Zach Kibirige - On the new 3G pitch the Tuilagi brothers will bring big hits and big runs, however Zach Kibirige could make a huge impact this season and if he can score tries like he did against Wales in March for he England he’ll be a fans favourite in no time.

Last Season: 11th
Prediction: 9th - With a new pitch and promising English players like Kibirige and Kieran Brookes then throw in a couple of Tuilagi’s in the mix. Richards is building a solid squad in the North East.

Northampton Saints

Stadium: Franklin’s Gardens

Head Coach: Jim Mallinder

Captain: Dylan Hartley
Key Arrivals: Joel Hodgson (Newcastle), Alex Day and Tom Stephenson (Academy)
Key Departures: GJ Van Velze (Worcester), Fa’atoina Autagavia (USO Nevers) and Paul Diggin (Retired).

Ones to Watch: Tom Stephenson – After moving up from the academy into the first team Stephenson could establish himself and form a great partnership with Luther Burrell in the centre and he’s making waves already playing six times last season scoring three tries.
Last Season: 2nd (Champions)
Prediction: 2nd (Champions) – They know how to win the league now and with team spirit being high and despite the odds are against them I think they could do it.

Sale Sharks

Stadium: AJ Bell Stadium

Head Coach: Steve Diamond

Captain: Daniel Braid

Key Arrivals: Luke McLean (Treviso), Nathan Hines (Clermont), Magnus Lund (Biarritz) and Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors).
Key Departures: Henry Thomas (Bath), Dwayne Peel (Bristol), James Gaskell and Rob Miller (Wasps).

Ones to Watch: Luke McLean – The fullback will look to offload some of the pressure off Danny Cipriani. Nathan Hines and Michael Patterson will form a solid pack around them.
Last Season: 6th
Prediction: 8th – Another mid – table finish and will battle it out for the play – off spot for Europe.

Saracens

Stadium: Allianz Park
Head Coach: Mark McCall

Captain: Allstair Hargreaves
Key Arrivals: Jim Hamilton and Juan Figallo (Montpellier), Mike Ellery (England Sevens) and Kieran Longbottom (Western Force).
Key Departures: Steve Borthwick (Retired), Matt Stevens (Natal Sharks), James Short (London Irish) and Joel Tomkins (Wigan Warriors).

Ones to Watch: Nick Tompkins - It’ll be interesting to see how Saracens continue without Borthwick statue and with Hargreaves leads the line and Hamilton brings the experience. One player who could have a breakthrough season is centre Nick Tompkins, who was one of the stars of England Under 20’s winning Junior World Championship.  
Last Season: 1st (Runners – Up)
Prediction: 1st (Runners – Up) – With the deepest squads in the league, it’s hard not to see them topping the league at the end of the season but they are turning into a team of chokers.

Wasps

Stadium: Adams Park

Head Coach: Dai Young
Captain: James Haskell
Key Arrivals: Rob Miller and James Gaskell (Sale), Bradley Davies (Cardiff Blues) and Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors).

Key Departures: Hugo Southwell (Retried), Tom Palmer (Gloucester) and Charlie Hayter (England Sevens).
Ones to Watch: Rob Miller – The 25 year old can make the fullback position his for the long term and he could form a dangerous duo with flying winger Christian Wade, who will bring fear into defenders with his speed and once he returns from injury it won’t be too long until we see him in an England shirt again.
Last Season: 7th
Prediction: 8th – Having European rugby back at Adams Park will bring joy to their fans but expect them to fight for that play – off spot with Sale.