We continue our preview of the Premiership with a prediction of the bottom half of the table and the teams that will end up in a dog-fight to avoid relegation.

7. Bath

What went so wrong for Bath last season? Losing finalists in 2014/15, they imploded spectacularly, finishing in ninth – with Mike Ford suffering the way of José Mourinho. Their pack was ineffective and the backline, who so dazzled us the previous year, seemed hesitant. This season they are probably the hardest side to predict. They have recruited a respected coach in Todd Blackadder and added some stardust to join Francois Louw in the pack with the Welsh pair of Taulupe Felatau and Luke Charteris. They also still have half the English international backline and we know how dangerous they can be on their day.

However, they have issues at inside centre. They have lost Kyle Eastmond and Ollie Devoto to their rivals and have no stellar name to replace them. Coupled with the late appointment of Blackadder, I see them struggling to get any fluency early in the season. If they can get themselves sorted and find a class number 12, they may push for top half of the table, if not they could find themselves out of the reckoning.

In: Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), Elliott Stooke (Gloucester Rugby), Michael van Vuuren (Leicester Tigers), Harry Davies (Cardiff Blues), Kahn Fotuali’i (Northampton Saints), Jack Walker (Yorkshire Carnegie)

Out: Will Spencer (Worcester Warriors), Ollie Devoto (Exeter Chiefs), Rob Webber (Sale Sharks), Jonathan Evans (Scarlets), Luke Arscott (Bristol Rugby), Max Northcote-Green (London Irish), Brett Herron (Ulster), Stuart Hooper (retired), Dominic Day (Toyota Verblitz), Amanaki Mafi, Tom Woolstencroft (Wasps), Leroy Houston (Queensland Reds), Horacio Agulla (Castres Olympique) Kyle Eastmond (Wasps), Alafoti Fa’osiliva (Worcester Warriors)

8. Sale Sharks
Sale are one of the success stories of the Premiership – given their meagre budget they always punch above their weight. This success has been built on the bullish smarts of Steve Diamond, some good under-the-radar overseas signings and the emergence of young English talent. However, each year they seem to lose some of their best to more high profile clubs – and this season is no different as Danny Cipriani and Tommy Taylor have departed.

AJ MacGinty and Robb Webber are class replacements but maybe a step down. Josh Charnley is another big name cross-code switch and will add a little excitement alongside Mike Haley in the back three. I feel a lot will fall on the young shoulders of new captain Josh Beaumont, certainly an England cap-in-waiting – can he push his side on to great things? I think another pragmatic mid-table finish most likely.

In: Laurence Pearce (Leicester Tigers), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Josh Charnley (Wigan Warriors RL), AJ MacGinty (Connacht), Dan Mugford (Nottingham), Kieran Longbottom (Saracens), Paolo Odogwu (Leicester Tigers), Mike Phillips (Racing 92), Halani Aulika (London Irish), Lou Reed (Cardiff Blues), Byron McGuigan (Exeter Chiefs), Curtis Langdon (London Irish)

Out: Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Tommy Taylor (Wasps), Joe Ford (Yorkshire Carnegie), Vadim Cobilas (Bordeaux Begles), Chris Cusiter (retired), Tom Brady (Leicester Tigers), Viliami Fihaki (Edinburgh), Mark Easter (Retired), Nick Macleod (Newport Gwent Dragons), Phil Mackenzie (San Diego Breakers).

9. Gloucester

Gloucester always disappoint me a little. For a side packed with so many talented players, such as Matt Kvesic, Ben Morgan, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May and Greg Laidlaw, they have underperformed for a number of seasons. They have added another Scotland international in Matt Scott to that backline, but is he a little too similar in style to Twelvetrees for the two to complement each other?

A full season from the perennially injured Henry Trinder might make more of a difference, but the real issue for Gloucester in recent years has been their tight five. This time they have looked to the southern hemisphere and brought in Motu Matu’u at hooker and Josh Hohneck at prop. This should help but I feel they still lack the stability in the front five to make the most of the abundance of talent behind them. A shaky ninth place for me, but clear of the relegation fight.

In: Tom Denton (Leinster), Josh Hohneck (Highlanders), Lewis Ludlow (Academy), Motu Matu’u (Hurricanes), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Andy Symons (Worcester Warriors), Ollie Thorley (Academy), Cameron Orr (Greater Sydney Rams), Dan Thomas (Academy)

Out: Rob Cook (released), Tom Hicks (Rotherhan Titans), Steve McColl (Yorkshire Carnegie), Dan Murphy (released), Steph Reynolds (released), Elliott Stooke (Bath Rugby), Nick Wood (released)

10. Bristol

The new boys, although their fans will feel this is just Bristol returning to where they belong. It has been an exhausting journey back to the Premiership for Bristol after agonisingly missing out year after year in the play-offs. This could, however, stand them in better stead for the new season – they have grown with each failed attempt and they should certainly offer better value than teams like London Welsh did previously.

Their big signings have been flyhalf Tusi Pisi and former Northampton Saints prop Soane Tonga’uiha. They have also brought in a couple of experienced Premiership journeymen in ex-Tiger Jordan Crane and Luke Arscott (formerly of Exeter and Bath), and the exciting Welsh winger Jordan Williams. He will be itching to make a case for the national side given the uncertainty around who partners George North. I think they will avoid relegation with a slightly uncomfortable 10th place.

In: Jordan Williams (Scarlets), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Jordan Crane (Leicester), Jon Fisher (Northampton), Thretton Palamo (London Welsh), Tusi Pisi (Sunwolves), Nick Fenton-Wells (Bedford), Giorgi Nemsadze (Tarbes), Soane Tonga’uiha (Oyonnax), Will Hurrell (Doncaster Knights) and Ryan Bevington (Ospreys)

Out: George Watkins (Jersey) Marco Mama (Worcester), Matthew Morgan (Cardiff), Ellis Genge (Leicester), Josh Ovens (released), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Craig Hampson (Wasps), James Stephenson (released).

11. Worcester

They successfully avoided the immediate drop back to the Championship last year, but the most worrying development over the summer for Worcester will be the departure of Dean Ryan. One of the sharpest rugby brains out there, you had the feeling Ryan had a clear vision of where he was taking Worcester. However there were murmurings about his unhappiness with the finance available to him to make his squad competitive and he left for the RFU.

This leaves the Warriors short of some strong leadership – although I am sure Carl Hogg will perform admirably. They have added a class name in Ben Te’o and retaining Francois Hougaard amidst interest from the top clubs must also be seen as a victory. Without Ryan at the top though, I can’t see much progress and they risk falling into the relegation scrap.

In: Will Spencer (Bath Rugby), Ben Te’o (Leinster Rugby), Matti Williams (Northampton Saints), Jackson Willison (Grenoble), Marco Mama (Bristol Rugby), Alafoti Faosiliva (Bath Rugby), Biyi Alo (Saracens – Injury Dispensation)

Out: Jean-Baptise Bruzulier (Nevers), Ravai Fatiaki (released), Dan George (released), Mat Gilbert (Hartpury College), Alex Grove (Moseley), Charlie Mulchrone (Harlequins), Darren O’Shea (Munster Rugby), Joe Rees (Rotherham Titans), Dan Sanderson (Yorkshire Carnegie), Sam Smith (retired), Ben Sowrey (Newcastle Falcons), Heath Stevens (London Welsh), Andy Symons (Gloucester Rugby)

12. Newcastle
Apologies to Newcastle fans, and it would be a shame for northern rugby union, but they are my tip for relegation. They may have brought in a couple of interesting names – not least the lethal Vereniki Goneva and man-mountain Opeti Fonua from Leicester – but more worrying has been the upheaval at the squad, with a host of players leaving, being released or retiring. Although this presents opportunities for young and new players, London Welsh a couple of seasons ago demonstrated what happens from too much change. Arguably Andy Goode saved them from the drop last season with some performances belying his age (and physique) and without his canny game management I can’t see them surviving again.

In: Nick Civetta (I Medicei, Italy), Kyle Cooper (Sharks, SA), Andrew Davidson (Glasgow), Sam Egerton (England 7s), Vereniki Goneva (Leicester Tigers), Joel Hodgson (Yorkshire Carnegie), Tyrone Holmes (Glasgow Warriors) Sam Lockwood (Jersey), Evan Olmstead (London Scottish), Harrison Orr (Ealing), Ben Sowrey (Worcester), Opeti Fonua (Leicester Tigers)

Out: Todd Clever, Eric Fry, Josh Furno (Zebre), Rob Hawkins (retired), Richard Mayhew (Yorkshire Carnegie), George McGuigan (Leicester), Kane Thompson (Manawatu), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Gonzalo Tiesi, Ruki Tipuna, Alesana Tuilagi, Andy Tuilagi

Disagree? Have your say below!

By Henry Ker