We’ve put together what we think the final table will look like for the Aviva Premiership this season. At the bottom end we think it’ll be misery for Sale, after a hard-fought relegation battle with London Irish and Newcastle. Worcester, as tends to be their style, will secure survival relatively early but never kick on to challenge the teams above them.
Wasps will have a repeat of last season, playing some great rugby before falling away and out of contention for a European spot. 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th are fairly interchangeable, but we think Quins have the know-how to ensure a play-off spot once again, while Bath, with their plethora of new, impressive signings will be the biggest threat to the top four. Gloucester will, like Wasps, dazzle with their backs but be let down by their front five, while still just pipping the Chiefs to the final Heineken Cup spot.
Into the top three, it will be the Tigers and Saints who secure home semi-finals with Fotuali’i, Corbisiero and North all shining for the Saints. Sarries will be unlucky to miss out but will be punished for not scoring enough tries. They will get their own back, however, in the knock-out stages, beating the Saints in their back yard as happened to them last year.
The final is anyone’s guess, but we’re backing the Tigers to come up trumps and secure back to back titles.
What do you make of our predictions below? Where do you see things going differently?
Regular Season
| Pos | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester Tigers | |
| 2 | Northampton Saints | |
| 3 | Saracens | |
| 4 | Harlequins | |
| 5 | Bath | |
| 6 | Gloucester | |
| 7 | Exeter Chiefs | |
| 8 | London Wasps | |
| 9 | Worcester Warriors | |
| 10 | Newcastle Falcons | |
| 11 | London Irish | |
| 12 | Sale |
Semi Finals
Leicester Tigers v Harlequins: Tigers to win
Northampton Saints v Saracens: Saracens to win
Final
Leicester Tigers v Saracens: Tigers to win
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
Sale found their form towards the end of the season so I don’t think they’ll get dropped.
Saracens
Leicester tigers
Northampton
Gloucester
Exeter chiefs
Harlequins
Bath rugby
Newcastle falcons
London wasps
Worcester
Sale
London irish
4, 4 and 4. Top 4 as stated but in an as yet indeterminate order, middle 4 the same and bottom 4 to fight out the drop. Interesting how it looks with essentially three tiers. Do the top 4 just have deeper pockets or do they use their resources better?
In reality Glos will make a mockery of my comments above by winning AP and HC this season…….. although this might be slightly optimistic preseason hope!
Agree with Sale going down. Their pre-season form looks as hapless as last year and now they’ve lost Richie Gray. Cipriani will continue to lead them up/down but I confidently expect him to lose more points than gain them.
I reckon Saints will win the thing. Fotuali, North and Corbs are all brilliant signings. Cockerill will finally fall into the immense black hole that is his own mouth, taking Leics and some of the surrounding villages with him.