Premiership Preview - Part 3

All the talk pre-season has been about scrums, which has probably made props all over the world weep with joy at finally being the centre of attention.  How the new rules will affect the scrums, we’ll have to wait and see, but the teams in Part 3 of RuckedOver’s Premiership Preview also have props at the forefront: one is coached by a former prop, one has signed one of the world’s best props, and the other has a former number 8 who is now the size of 2 props as its Director of Rugby...

London Wasps

Coach:  Dai Young.   He must be feeling Dai Old by now, as he enters his 3rd year at the helm of the London club.  Under his tenure, Wasps have gradually improved from relegation scrappers in his first season to all-action entertainers, as they were last year to the extent that they were within a real shout of the playoffs with 5 games to go.

Captain:  Chris Bell.  A rock in defence, Bell is frankly a relieving figure of solidarity in a side that is characterised by speed and flair.  He's a tough nut in the middle of the park and is a figure this young Wasps side can rally around.

What happened last year?  Despite having a collapse the Australian upper batting order would be concerned about at the end of last season, Wasps managed to turn their fortunes around from the previous year and were very much in the hunt for playoff and European spots for the most part.  Plus they were playing one heck of a brand of rugby – when both their wingers, Tom Varndell and Christian Wade, topped the Premiership try charts with 13 tries apiece, you get a sense of the style that Dai Young has developed at Adams Park.

How do they look this year?  Well there's been a couple of decent signings, but the real question is how the already-lightweight Wasps pack will fare without the bulldozing talent of Billy Vunipola and salmon-like lineout specialist Marco Wentzel.  Wentzel in particular is a huge loss as his leadership and set-piece nous have been key to Wasps' revival.

Players out:  Zac Taulafo (Stade Francais), Rhys Thomas (Dragons), Marco Wentzel (Released), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Nicky Robinson (Bristol), Will Robinson (London Welsh), Jack Wallace (Bristol), Stephen Jones, Lee Thomas, Tim Payne (Retirement)

Players in:  Matt Mullan (Worcester Warriors), Taione Vea (North Harbour), Neil Cochrane (Bedford Blues), Esteban Lozada (Agen), Kearnan Myall (Sale Sharks), Ed Jackson (London Welsh), Nathan Hughes (Auckland), Rory Pitman (Rotherham), Jack Moates (London Irish), Joe Carlisle, Andy Goode (Worcester Warriors), Ben Jacobs (Western Force), William Helu (Roma)

Key Player:  Andy Goode.  Goodey has been the subject of a fair amount of teasing over the years – predominantly because he looks like a space hopper with a mullet – but there is no doubting his quality as a Premiership fly half over the years.  With Nicky Robinson moving west and Stephen Jones joining the coaching staff, it will be up to Goode to control the game when the Wasps pack is under pressure, kick the points and unleash the sheer speed outside of him.  Expect a lot of cross-kicks from that cultured right boot of his.

One to Watch:  Matt Mullan.  Yes, we're all excited about Christian Wade again, but I'm intrigued by the prospect of seeing the young ex-Warrior get some game time.  At one point he was hailed as England's future in the front row but, since his one cap of the bench against Italy in 2010, he seems to have drifted well and truly off the radar.  He will be hungry to make the most of his fresh start and get his name back on people's lips.

Prediction: 7th.  I think that with the talent and culture that Dai Young is building at the club, there is every reason to be optimistic, despite the losses of Vunipola and Wentzel.  The playoffs will probably be too much of stretch for them but they may will be looking at a top half finish – although I think the lack of comparative depth in their squad means they'll fall just short.

Newcastle Falcons

Coach: Dean Richards.  The bear is back in the big time.  Deano might be maligned for his role in "The B-Word", but I maintain he was probably no worse than a lot of other coaches out there at the time – he was the one that got caught.  That said, his name was rightfully muddied after that and he will be desperate to have people talking about him for all the right reasons once again – there is no doubting his superb ability as a coach.

Captain: Will Welch.  The flanker is not the biggest name on Falcons' books but his dynamic play last year in the Championship was a key factor behind Newcastle's dominance.  Richards has set down a marker to his squad by keeping faith with the man that led the Falcons back up to the Premiership, and Welch, with three years of Premiership experience from when  the Falcons were last in the top flight, will be keen to repay him.

What happened last year?  The Geordies smashed their way all-comers in the Championship, winning every single game before coming unstuck against Bristol in the last regular match of the season, but they still managed to squeeze their way past Leeds and Bedford in the playoffs to claim a place back in the Premiership.  They also made the final of the British and Irish Cup, losing to Leinster's second string by a single point.

How do they look this year?  Deano looks to have been a real sharp operator, signing blokes on the cusp of being first choice from various clubs – and has assembled a lot of quality in the process to complement an already solid looking outfit.  Guys like Kieran Brookes, Noah Cato, Rory Clegg and Andy Saull all have Saxons experience and are young enough and hungry enough to make a give this Falcons side a real boost.

Players out:  James Hall (Bristol), Michael Mayhew (London Irish), James Hudson (Gloucester), Taiasina Tui'fua (Bordeaux Begles), Jordi Pasqualin (London Scottish), Rory Lawson, Jon Golding (Retirement)

Players in:  Kieran Brookes (Leicester Tigers), Franck Montanella (London Welsh), Scott Lawson (London Irish), Dominic Barrow (Leeds Carnegie), Fraser McKenzie (Sale Sharks), Andy Saull (Saracens), Mike Blair (Brive), Rory Clegg (Harlequins), Phil Godman (London Scottish), Danny Barnes (Munster), Noah Cato (Northampton Saints)

Key Player:  Mike Blair.  The retirement of Rory Lawson and Jimmy Gopperth’s hop over the Irish sea has left a leadership gap at half-back that the veteran Scotsman is ideally placed to fill.  His experience and lightening service will be critical to giving the flaky but talented Phil Godman or the young Rory Clegg all the time in the world to show what they can do.  He’s not afraid of voicing an opinion either, so his forwards will be kept nicely in check.

One to Watch:  Rory Clegg.  The young fly half was once tipped for stardom but being forced to sit on the bench behind the outstanding Nick Evans caused him to struggle for consistency at Harlequins.  When he’s confident, Clegg is a smooth operator with a silky pass and a cultured boot – hopefully he will grow into the side as the games come along.

Prediction:  10^th.  I can’t see any reason why this Newcastle side can’t stay up – and comfortably too.  They have a very competitive squad assembled, the mastermind Dean Richards at the helm and they occasionally play home games in conditions that make Mordor seem like a pleasant holiday destination by comparison – all this means that they are going to upset a fair few sides at Kingston Park.

Northampton Saints

Coach:  Jim Mallinder.  His crinkly head and overly-smiley interviewing style have always got on my nerves for some reason, but there is no doubting his dedication to the job in hand and his ability to go with it.  He pulled Saints out of their semi-final curse last year to get to the Final – only for their hard work to be undone by an infamous slip of the tongue by an increasingly infamous captain.

Captain:  Dylan Hartley.  Well, for most people you could put his ‘error’ down to a slip of a tongue, but probably not Hartley, given his record.  Despite that, he will be desperate to repay the faith Mallinder has shown in him by getting his head down and working hard – when he does that, he is a superb hooker.  If he can replicate the type of form he showed when Saints thumped Saracens in the semi-final, he may well push his name back into the thoughts of Stuart Lancaster for the right reasons.

What happened last year?  The usual early season impressive burst was followed by the usual late season slump, the low point being a drubbing at home from rivals Leicester.  It all seemed very ‘usual’ Saints with another 4^th placed finish, but then they turned Saracens over on their own turf with a phenomenally physical display, and were going toe-to-toe with Leicester in the Final before Hartley’s dismissal made it mission impossible.   That said, even with 14 men they played like men possessed, and if they can pull out the same levels of performance with 15 this year then they really will mean business.

How do they look this year?  Mallinder, who usually is fairly subtle on the transfer front, has gone all ‘Premier League’ on us and brought in two blokes who, as they proved on the Lions Tour, are among the very best in the business.  Alex Corbisiero and George North were sensational for the tourists against the Wallabies and Saints fans will be licking their lips in anticipation at what they can do for their side.  The question is, though, will the signing of Corbisiero be enough to compensate for the loss of powerhouses Brian Mujati and Soane Tonga’uiha...and will George North actually get the ball?

Players out:  Paul Doran-Jones (Harlequins), Soane Tonga'uiha, Brian Mujati (Racing Metro), Tom Hicks (Gloucester), Mark Sorensen (Bristol), Martin Roberts (Bath), Ryan Lamb (Leicester), Tom May (London Welsh), Noah Cato (Newcastle Falcons)

Players in:  Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Salesi Ma'afu (Western Force), Gareth Denman (Rotherham), Rob Verbakel, Glenn Dickinson (Otago), Kahn Fotuali'i (Ospreys), George North (Scarlets)

Key Player:  Kahn Fotuali’i.  Somewhere – out of nowhere – he has been declared one the best scrum halves in the world.  And rightly so.  The Samoan was often a one man team for the Ospreys, to the point that his brilliance nearly knocked Leicester out in the group stages last year.  With Stephen Myler always solid rather than spectacular, Fotuali’i will have to take responsibility for the creative sparks to get this exciting Saints side going forward - plus he can cover 10 as well.

One to Watch:  George North.  Ok, we know who he is and it’s sort of hard not to see him coming, but it will be really interesting to see how he settles in to the Saints gameplan and to see how he is used.  Expect to see him charging up the middle of the park off his blindside wing and keeping defences worried.

Prediction:  3^rd (semi-final).  These signings are all great for the club, but with the scrum looking shaky against top opponents without their 2 stalwart props last season, and new signing Salesi Ma’afu not known for his work in the tight, they are placing a lot of faith on Corbisiero to anchor the scrum.  Given his injury rate and, more positively, his international call-ups, I have a feeling the set piece may wobble this year against the top teams – which ultimately means they may fall just short again.