Bath
Coach Todd Blackadder
Captain Guy Mercer
Key player Taulupe Faletau
Last season 9th
Ins (7) inc Faletau, Luke Charteris and Kahn Fotuali’i Outs (15) inc Kyle Eastmond, Ollie Devoto and Rob Webber
Can only get better after last season’s struggle. The recruitment of the Lions No8 Faletau will give them more thrust and space for the backs, who had to labour off slow ball. Blackadder’s arrival from New Zealand should herald an increase in tempo but international calls may deny them a top-four finish.
AG verdict Todd Blackadder has a great reputation; a coach coming in late is always difficult but Faletau and Charteris add to a fabulous squad and it will be a breath of fresh air after last season
Bristol
Coach Andy Robinson
Captain Jack Lam
Key player Jack Lam
Last season Championship winners
Ins (11) inc Jordan Crane, Tusi Pisi and Jordan Williams
Outs (8) inc Ellis Genge, Matthew Morgan and Tommaso Benvenuti.
AG verdict They have not signed enough quality because of how they have been burnt in the Championship play-offs before and Robinson has not coached in the Premiership for so long. It will be a battle all year
Exeter
Coach Rob Baxter
Captain Jack Yeandle
Key player Henry Slade, right
Last season 2nd (beaten finalists)
Ins (3) Dave Dennis, Ollie Devoto and Greg Holmes
Outs (7) inc Brett Sturgess, Alex Brown and Jerry Sexton
Exeter’s rise this decade has been remarkable, culminating in last May’s appearance in the final. Change has been kept to a minimum, but the three recruits will add to an already strong, all-round squad. A fit Slade will be out to make up for the months he missed last season and there are fewer cannier coaches than Baxter.
AG verdict Devoto is a huge signing and speaks volumes. Slade has been playing at fly-half in pre-season and is the most gifted No10 I’ve played against in recent years. Top four again
Gloucester
Coach David Humphreys
Captain Greig Laidlaw
Key player Ben Morgan
Last season 8th
Ins (9) inc Josh Hohneck, Matt Scott and Andy Symons
Outs (7) inc Rob Cook, Nick Wood and Elliott Stooke
Gloucester’s stated ambition is to win the Premiership. They will need to improve their form on the road having failed to win more than three matches away in the last six seasons. Morgan has to show England are wrong to keep ignoring him by fronting up each week.
AG verdict Can produce some big performances but consistency is poor and they often lose to sides below them, which must be frustrating for their loyal fans. Billy Burns will be given a run at No10, so he is a key man
Harlequins
Coach John Kingston
Captain Danny Care
Key player Jamie Roberts, left
Last season 7th
Ins (10) inc Ruaridh Jackson, Mark Reddish and George Naoupu
Outs (8) inc Nick Easter (now defence coach), Ben Botica and Tito Tebaldi
Quins enter a new era, the great entertainers supplemented by the arrival of the hard-nosed Graham Rowntree as forwards coach. They need to learn to win ugly, all the more so after the retirement of Nick Easter, a forward with the skills of an All Black back.
AG verdict Conor O’Shea did so much good work but Rowntree is an astute appointment as forwards coach. He will harden up the pack in spades. They struggle without their England players but should be top six
Leicester
Coach Richard Cockerill
Captain Tom Youngs
Key player Manu Tuilagi
Last season 4th
Ins (6) inc Matt Toomua, JP Pietersen and Ellis Genge
Outs (20) inc Jean de Villiers, Vereniki Goneva and Opeti Fonua
Having missed out on what had become an annual May outing to Twickenham the Tigers have added experience behind the scrum. Tuilagi is also fit to start the campaign and while their bloody-mindedness ensures they will be up there, the tournament is such now that they need more.
AG verdict Toomua is a brilliant acquisition – the link player Tigers have missed since Anthony Allen retired. Tuilagi is fit and everyone wants to see him playing well. There is pressure on Cockers, though, and it’s time to see them back at the top table
Newcastle
Coach Dean Richards
Captain Will Welch
Key player Mike Delany
Last season 11th
Ins (12) inc Vereniki Goneva, Opeti Fonua and Kyle Cooper
Outs (12) inc Alesana Tuilagi, Kane Thompson and Giovanbattista Venditti
Another relegation scrap is being tipped but there have been signs in the last two seasons that when the Falcons get it right, they are a match for most. Sinotti Sinoti missed most of last season and the wing’s return is an asset, but the difference between staying up and going down could be the boot of Delany.
AG verdict Goneva and Sinoti are key – Newcastle will win games at home if they can get those two the ball. They’ll improve from 11th to 10th – especially without an overweight fly‑half booting the ball around
Northampton
Coach Jim Mallinder
Captain Tom Wood
Key player Louis Picamoles
Last season 5th
Ins (5) inc Louis Picamoles, Nic Groom and Juan Pablo Estelles
Outs (8) inc Victor Matfield, Kahn Fotuali’i and Alex Corbisiero
AG verdict I’m unsure how effective Picamoles will be – anyone from France who says he is enjoying the Northampton lifestyle I’m not sure about! Dylan Hartley is fit but there is not enough depth compared to the other big boys
Sale
Coach Steve Diamond
Captain Josh Beaumont
Key player Michael Haley, right
Last season 6th
Ins (12) including Josh Charnley, Mike Phillips and Halani Aulika
Outs (10) inc Danny Cipriani, Tommy Taylor and Chris Cusiter
Diamond has done superbly to keep Sale not only out of relegation struggles in recent years but take the Sharks into the European Champions Cup. They punch above their weight and are hard to beat at home but they have lost players while the clubs immediately below them have strengthened their squads.
AG verdict Unfashionable but very hardworking, epitomised by Diamond. Cipriani has gone and they have overachieved recently but have got some good young players who care about the club
Saracens
Coach Mark McCall
Captain Brad Barritt
Key player Alex Lozowski
Last season 1st (champions)
Ins (6) inc Schalk Burger, Sean Maitland and Lozowski.
Outs (14) inc Charlie Hodgson, Jacques Burger and Rhys Gill.
It is hard to see Saracens slipping after last season’s double but the international months will test their strength in depth. Three of their five defeats came when Owen Farrell was on England duty and Charlie Hodgson was injured and they lacked direction at fly-half. Hodgson has retired and instead of going for experience, the champions signed the 23-year-old Lozowski from Wasps rather than opt for experience to cover for the four months Farrell will be away.
AG verdict I can only see the champions improving. Schalk Burger has come in and bought into the culture; he has talked about how he will add value in the pub. I’ve got a lot of time for that
Wasps
Coach David Young
Captain Joe Launchbury
Key player Nathan Hughes
Last season 3rd
Ins (13) inc Willie le Roux, Kurtley Beale and Danny Cipriani
Outs (13) inc Bradley Davies, Andrea Masi and Charles Piutau
From Steptoe’s yard to Southfork. From nearly going bust five years ago Wasps have become the Premiership’s version of Toulon, signing top players from around the world, although in their case they also rely on their academy. They resemble the All Blacks in the way they try to play total rugby but were vulnerable at times last season when they were taken on up front. They will get better.
AG verdict If they can get parity up front their backs can destroy anyone. Cipriani must earn his spot, from Jimmy Gopperth, though. George Smith and James Haskell (injury) are big misses. Making Launchbury captain is a fantastic decision
Worcester
Coach Carl Hogg
Captain Gerrit-Jan van Velze
Key player Ben Te’o
Last season 10th
Ins (7) inc Te’o, Alafoti Fa’osoliva and Jackson Willison
Outs (13) inc Charlie Mulchrone, Andy Symons and Alex Grove
The departure of Dean Ryan is a setback but one of his legacies is the centre Te’o, who will fire their backline. They look light at fly-half again but the South Africa scrum-half Francois Hougaard will return next month having made an impact earlier this year.
AG verdict Losing Ryan was huge. They shipped 50 points to Munster in pre-season and it’s a tough start against Saracens. I’m looking forward to seeing Te’o but they do not have quality across the squad. Should stay up
