Nick Mullins' Premiership preview - part three Sale to Worcester
Over the course of the last decade, BT Sport’s Nick Mullins has become the instantly recognisable voice of rugby union in the British Isles.
During approximately 40 matches per season – and upwards of 100 preparatory training ground visits – BT’s leading match commentator sees more Gallagher Premiership action than most.
As such he is ideally placed to assess the hopes of the 13 teams for whom the road to Twickenham next June gets underway this weekend.
Here is the final part of his club-by-club preview.
Sale Sharks
Last season: Third with 74 points (W16, D0, L6) then beaten semi-finalists
Top scorer: AJ MacGinty (188)
Top try scorer: Byron McGuigan (9)
Head coach: Alex Sanderson (appointed 2021)
Arrivals: Three including Tommy Taylor and Nick Schonert
Departures: Three including Jake Cooper-Woolley and Valery Morozov
Most recent play-off season: 2020/21
Title wins: One
Nick’s verdict:
“The progress under Alex Sanderson during the second half of last season probably didn’t catch any of us by surprise but was no less impressive as a result and you can’t really blame them for running out of steam in the semi-final at Sandy Park.
“What I’ve loved about listening to how Alex is going to redefine the club is the responsibility he is giving the players to decide what kind of club they want to be.
“Their new signings – Tommy Taylor, Simon McIntyre and Nick Schonert underline what they want to be about.
“They absolutely deserved their place in the top four last season and with the quality of the coaching team they have, their new training centre and the feel-good factor around the club at the moment I’ll be really surprised if they’re not in the top four again at the end of this season.”
Part 1 of 3 from @andNickMullins covers Bath to Harlequins
"Lots of neutrals looked at them last season and wondered how a team with so many impressive backs could not be more consistent?"https://t.co/UX1qpmMACY— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 13, 2021
Saracens
Last season: Promoted as Greene King IPA Championship winners
Top scorer: Manu Vunipola (98)
Top try scorer: Ben Earl/Rotimi Segun (7)
Head coach: Mark McCall (appointed 2011)
Arrivals: 12 including loan returnees Nick Isiekwe, Ben Earl, Max Malins, Alex Goode and Alex Lozowski
Departures: 10 including Michael Rhodes and Calum Clark
Most recent play-off season: 2018/19
Title wins: Five
Nick’s verdict:
“They’re my title favourites. Even thought their time in the Championship wasn’t the adventure they hoped it would be due to COVID-19 and the abbreviated season, they are back in the Premiership now and if any team has a better season than Sarries they will be very close to winning the title.
“We can all rattle off the names of the loan players they have back – perhaps the only question is how long it will take them to bed back in after not playing any games together last season.
“There might also be a small question mark over how long it takes their Lions players to get back up to speed but I suspect they will answer those questions pretty well and not having the Heineken Cup on their agenda this year makes the Premiership their big focus.”
Part 2 of 3 from @andNickMullins covers Leicester to Northampton
“Clearing out the attic feels the best way to describe last season when they had the most major of overhauls"https://t.co/prlU1TNfok— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 13, 2021
Wasps
Last season: Eighth with 50 points (W9, D0, L13)
Top scorer: Jacob Umaga (98)
Top try scorer: Josh Bassett (9)
Head coach: Lee Blackett (appointed 2019)
Arrivals: 13 including Francois Hougaard, Elliott Stooke, Vaea Fifita and Nizaam Carr
Departures: 13 including Tommy Taylor, Will Rowlands, Kieran Brookes and Lima Sopoaga
Most recent play-off season: 2019/20
Title wins: Six
Nick’s verdict:
“I start every season by wondering what Wasps are going to do and again they are really hard to read.
“I’m a bit concerned that Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis and Paolo Odogwu will miss the first half of the season but like them having Nizaam Carr back and Elliott Stooke looks a hefty chunk to replace Will Rowlands.
“Francois Hougaard looks a clever signing who will work well with the young half-backs they have coming through while Alfie Barbeary offers plenty of hope for the future.
“I love watching Wasps – Dai Young used to hate me calling them rock stars but to a degree they still have that feel to them. What I suspect keeps the coaches awake at night is not knowing how they will perform from one day to the next but that’s what makes them so watchable.
“Who knows where they’ll finish this season, but it will be interesting to see!”
Worcester Warriors
Last season: Twelfth with 27 points (W4, D0, L18)
Top scorer: Billy Searle (63)
Top try scorer: Perry Humphries (5)
Head coach: Alan Solomons (appointed 2017)
Arrivals: 18 including Duhan van der Merwe, Rory Sutherland, Matt Garvey and Willi Heinz
Departures: 21 including Duncan Weir, Chris Pennell and Francois Hougaard
Most recent play-off season: None
Title wins: None
Nick’s verdict:
“With 19 players having gone they have been the ‘churnmeisters’ and if churn is the word for the club then patience is the key word for the supporters.
“I really hope they understand where the club are at the moment. Loads of us within the sport have so much time for Jonathan Thomas, he’s one of the smartest, most engaging young coaches in the Premiership.
“No relegation makes this the ideal time for a major stock take and I know JT is rebranding what they’re all about.
“I like the kind of player they’ve brought in – the likes of Willi Heinz, Duhan van der Merwe, Scott Baldwin and Rory Sutherland – and I think they’ll be tougher to beat next season.
“But everyone needs some realism around where they are – Jonathan Thomas is pointing them in the right direction but there’s a lot of work ahead.”
Quite a thought!https://t.co/BF1JhY968P
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to comments