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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.
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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
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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.”
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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
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments