Brian Ashton's Guinness Premiership preview

Bath
Last season: 3rd
England: Matt Stevens, Lee Mears
In: Scott Bemand (Leicester), Rhys Crane (unattached), Shontayne Hape (Bradford Bulls), Justin Harrison (Ulster), Scott Hobson (Cornish Pirates), Stuart Hooper (Leeds), Robbie Kydd (Northampton)
Out: Olly Barkley (Gloucester), Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Ian Davey (Bedford), George Hughes (Doncaster), Mike Myerscough (Launceston), Martin Purdy (North Harbour), Nick Walshe (Bedford), Lorne Ward (Toulon) Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Brian Ashton: Top four. They were probably the most attractive side in the Premiership last season and I expect them to adapt well to the law changes because of their ability to create order out of chaos. They have lost experienced players in Olly Barkley and Steve Borthwick, but they have recruited shrewdly and in Michael Claassens and Butch James they have one of the best half-back combinations around. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Bristol
Last season: 9th
England: None
In: Sam Alford (Cornish All Blacks), Chris Ashwin (Newbury), Junior Fatialofa (Exeter), Adrian Jarvis (Harlequins), Vunga Lilo (Cornish Pirates), Robert Sidoli (Cardiff Blues)
Out: San Cox (Viadana), Rob Higgitt (Llanelli Scarlets), David Hill (Toshiba), Sean Hohneck (Viadana), Gareth Llewellyn (retired), Craig Morgan (Cardiff), Brian O’Riordan (Lansdowne), Jason Strange (Newport), Josh Tugaloo (Grenoble) Photograph: Nigel French/Empics/PA

Brian Ashton: Bottom four. Richard Hill is adept at making silk purses out of a sows’ ears, but he will have his work cut out with the law variations conspiring against Bristol’s forward game of the last couple of seasons. A lot will depend on the relationship between Dan Ward-Smith at No 8 and scrum-half Shaun Perry and I feel they will need to return to the expansive style which took them out of the first division a few seasons ago. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Gloucester
Last season: 1st, lost in semis
England: Olly Barkley, Luke Narraway, James Simpson-Daniel
In: Olly Barkley (Bath), Adam Eustace, Matthew Watkins (Llanelli Scarlets), Greg Somerville (Canterbury), Dave Young (Leicester)
Out: Adam Balding (Newcastle), Christain Califano, Leon Lloyd (retired), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Jon Pendlebury (Leeds), Mike Prendergast (Munster), Karl Pryce (Wigan), Dan Tuohy (Exeter) James Bailey, Jeremy Paul, Patrice Collazo (released) Photograph: Matt Dunham/AP

Brian Ashton: Top four. This has to be their year after some near-misses. By bringing in the likes of Barkley and Greg Somerville, they can no longer trade on their inexperience. They have so many possible combinations in midfield that they can tailor their game to the opponents and the weather. They know what it takes to finish at the top of the table, but they have yet to find the formula in the play-off. The Kingsholm faithful will expect them to deliver now. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Harlequins
Last season: 6th
England: Danny Care
In: Nick Evans (Auckland Blues), Gonzalo Tiesi (London Irish), Waisea Luveniyali (Fiji), Epi Taione (Natal Sharks), Neil McMillan (Ulster), Gareth Williams (Neath)
Out: Hal Luscombe (Worcester), Adrian Jarvis (Bristol), Chris Hala'Ufia (London Irish), Simon Keogh (Leinster), Paul Volley (retired) Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP

Brian Ashton: Challenging for fourth. They finished strongly last season and it will be interesting to see whether they push on from that. They have some excellent young players and the signing of New Zealand outside-half Nick Evans was a coup: he is a positive player who knows how to run a game and he will gel with a mobile and trustful back row. I have a lot of time for Dean Richards and Quins will be knocking at the door again. Photograph: John Gichigi/Getty

Leicester
Last season: 4th, lost in final
England: Harry Ellis, Toby Flood, Dan Hipkiss, Tom Varndell, George Chuter, Jordan Crane, Tom Croft, Lewis Moody
In: Santiago Bonorino (Capitolina), Julien Dupuy (Biarritz), Toby Flood (Newcastle), Derick Hougaard (Blue Bulls), Craig Newby (Otago), Ben Woods (Newcastle)
Out: Luke Abraham (Sale), Ollie Dodge (Bedford), Andy Goode (Brive), Ian Humphreys (Ulster), Ollie Smith (Montpelier), David Young (Gloucester) Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Brian Ashton: Challenging for fourth. I am delighted to see Heyneke Meyer involved in English rugby. I spent some time with him at the Blue Bulls a few years ago and I have the highest regard for him. He will make a difference and Leicester need to move their game on from last season. They will be more expansive under Meyer, but will they play Toby Flood or Derick Hougaard at outside-half? They will probably be hit harder than most by international calls. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty

London Irish
Last season: 7th
England: Shane Geraghty, Peter Richards, Nick Kennedy
In: James Buckland (Wasps), Chris Hala'Ufia (Harlequins), Elvis Seveali'i (Sale Sharks)
Out: Juan Leguizamon (Stade Francais), Gonzalo Tiesi (Harlequins), Nils Mordt (Northampton), Tonga Lea'aetoa (Bayonne), Phil Murphy (Viadana), Jeremy Staunton (Wasps), Bryan Rennie (Exeter), Aidan McCullen (Lansdowne) Photograph: Warren Little/Getty

Brian Ashton: Mid-table. Brian Smith is a big loss for them. They made huge progress in his three years in charge, but his replacement Toby Booth is a forward thinker and he has Mike Catt alongside him. I hope Shane Geraghty stays for the whole season, but Irish have not made any big signings in the summer and they have one of the smallest squads in the Premiership. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty

London Wasps
Last season: Champions
England: Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey, Riki Flutey, Tim Payne, Phil Vickery, Simon Shaw, Tom Palmer, James Haskell, Tom Rees
In: Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Mark Robinson (Northampton), Lachlan Mitchell (Sydney Uni), Jeremy Staunton (London Irish)
Out: Lawrence Dallaglio (retired), Fraser Waters (Treviso), James Buckland (London Irish), Mark McMillan (Glasgow), David Doherty (Sale Sharks), Simon Amor (London Scottish), Nick Adams (Montauban) Photograph: David Rogers/Getty

Brian Ashton: Top four. It never pays to bet against Wasps. They have lost their talisman, Lawrence Dallaglio, and an unsung hero in Fraser Waters, and two of their recruits, Mark Robinson and Serge Betsen are well into their 30s, but they know what it takes in the regular season and the play-offs, able to overcome adversity. I am expecting big things from Dominic Waldouck in the centre this season: he is a very talented contemporary of Danny Cipriani who has been held back by injury. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian

Newcastle
Last season: 11th
England: Jamie Noon, Jonny Wilkinson
In: Adam Balding (Gloucester), Spencer Davey (Doncaster), Tane Tu’ipulotu (Wellington Hurricanes), Danny Williams (Leeds Rhinos)
Out: Matthew Burke (retired), Lee Dickson (Northampton), Toby Flood (Leicester), Mathew Tait (Sale), Ben Woods (Leicester) Photograph: Clive Wilson/Getty

Brian Ashton: Bottom four. They have lost Toby Flood and Mathew Tait, but I could understand that having a quartet of England midfielders (Jonny Wilkinson and Jamie Noon were the others) was not benefiting them as a club. The departure of Ben Woods to Leicester is a big blow and Newcastle’s season will hinge on how they do at home. I do not expect them to win many away games, but Kingston Park has traditionally been a hard place to get a result at. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Northampton
Last season: Promoted
England: Dylan Hartley
In: Neil Best, Roger Wilson (Ulster), Ignacio Fernandez-Lobbe, Ben Foden, Chris Mayor (Sale), Ben Broster (Llanelli), Christian Day (Stade Francais), Alan Dickens (Saracens), Lee Dickson (Newcastle), Nils Mordt (London Irish)
Out: Damien Browne, Christian Short (Brive), Chris Budgen (Exeter), Darren Fox, Karl Rudzki (Cambridge), Johnny Howard (Bayonne), Mark Robinson (Wasps), Robbie Kydd (Bath) Photograph: Paul Harding/Action Images

Brian Ashton: Top of the bottom four. Jim Mallinder has recruited some of his former players and support staff from Sale and Northampton have enough to stay up. How high they finish will depend in no small measure on their outside-half, Carlos Spencer. The law changes should suit him and a lot of attention will be on the former Wigan wing, Chris Ashton. He scored tries for fun in the first division, but this is a big step up, for him and his club. Photograph: Paul Harding/Action Images

Sale
Last season: 5th
England: Mathew Tait, Andrew Sheridan
In: Tait (Newcastle), Dwayne Peel (Llanelli Scarlets), David Doherty (Wasps), Kristian Ormsby (Chiefs ), Luke Abraham (Leicester), Nick Macleod (Cardiff Blues), Ross Davies (Neath), Andy Tuilagi (Leeds)
Out: Ben Foden, Chris Mayor, Christian Day, Ignacio Fernandez-Lobbe (Northampton), Julien Laharrague (Montauban), Magnus Lund, Benoit Bourrust (Biarritz), Sililo Martens (Llanelli), Elvis Seveali’I (London Irish) Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty

Brian Ashton: Challenging for fourth. Like Gloucester, Sale have some frustrated supporters. They have lost nearly a team of players in the summer, but have signed quality in Tait and Dwayne Peel. They should not be hit by too many international call-ups and will probably have Charlie Hodgson available all the time. Charlie is an outstanding rugby player and he should have a big influence on this season’s Premiership. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty

Saracens
Last season: 8th
England: Steve Borthwick
In: Steve Borthwick (Bath), Wikus van Heerden (Blue Bulls), Ben Jacobs (New South Wales Waratahs), Brad Barritt (Sharks), Michael Owen (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Out: Alan Dickens (Northampton), Aaron Liffchak, Tom Audley (both London Welsh), Richard Hill, Paul Gustard (both retired), Kevin Yates, Iain Fullarton, Guthrie Hall Photograph: Tertius Pickard/Gallo Images/Getty

Brian Ashton: Just outside top four. The arrival of Eddie Jones will liven things up. He has already poured invective on the law variations, but I am sure he will have been more positive about them to his players. They made the semi-final of the Heineken Cup last season, but it is about consistency. They are good enough to challenge for a top four place, but much will depend on their start. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty

Worcester
Last season: 10th
England: None
In: Chris Latham (Queensland), Ben Jones (Doncaster), Matt Jones (London Welsh), Hal Luscombe (Harlequins)
Out: Lee Best, Greg Evans, Craig Everett, Nick Runciman (London Welsh), Shane Drahm, Drew Hickey (Kuboto), James Brown, Gary Truman (London Scottish), Phil Murphy (Leeds), Uche Odouza (Suntory), Gavin Quinnell (Viadana), Dominic Feaunati (Calvisano), Aisea Havili (Cornish Pirates) Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty

Brian Ashton: Anywhere from ninth to fourth. The Warriors are my wild card selection this year. I loved the way they played in the second half of last season, transforming themselves from a one-dimensional side to one blessed with freedom. It took Mike Ruddock a while to get his message across, but Worcester went on to make the European Challenge Cup final and this summer they have signed one of the best full-backs of the modern era, Chris Latham. They will be worth watching. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty