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Premiership Watchability Rankings October 2017
With so much rugby on nowadays, it can be hard to decide exactly which matches to watch, which to wait for the highlights of, and which to avoid entirely knowing it’ll be an ugly penalty-only slog with all the pace and skill of a tranquilised sloth. Fortunately, RugbyPass are here to break down the Premiership’s most “watchable” teams after the first six rounds. We’ll take into account factors like the number of points scored and conceded, the drama of the matches, skilful play and notable moments. Think of it very much like the Robot Wars criteria, but with slightly less flaming metal.
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4: Harlequins
Sitting at 7th in the league, with a 3-3 record and a points difference of only 9, Harlequins have been neither outstanding nor terrible. They’ve scored a respectable 20 tries and conceded a reasonable 19. Why then are such a middling team included in our most watchable list? It’s mainly due to the manner in which Quins’ games have played out – 5 of the Premiership’s 27 yellow cards have been brandished at them meaning you can bank on plenty of dramatic twists and turns with the Stoop side. Individually, Quins have been impressive too. Danny Care is probably the in-form Scrum Half in the league with the most passes (473) and joint most try assists (5), Marland Yarde has made 13 clean breaks and Marcus Smith has all eyes on him as he looks to fill Nick Evans’ sizeable boots. However, given that Quins have yet to really consistently demonstrate what they’re capable of, and because they’ve conceded more penalties (70) than anyone else, they only rank fourth in our list this time around.
3: Sale Sharks
It’s perhaps somewhat surprising to see the 9th placed team as part of our “most watchable” list, but Sale have scored 179 points and 24 tries this campaign and Byron McGuigan and Denny Solomona make up two thirds of the top three try scorers in the league. Sale may not be the most fun team to support with only two wins so far, but if you want to see plenty of high-scoring games and free-running rugby the Sharks should be your go-to. That being said, it really depends where the Sharks are playing – they’ve only conceded 30 points at home which is the lowest in the league, but on the road they’ve dropped a massive 133, the highest by a long way. If you’re looking for a points-fest, Sale are always good value for money.
2: Saracens
The league leaders, top points scorers (205) and top try scorers (25), it would be absurd not to include Sarries in our round up. They’ve only lost once so far this season, in an unexpected early round defeat away at Bath which more than fulfilled our dramatic criteria. Saracens haven’t always played the most exciting brand of rugby, but they always do the basic stuff really, really well meaning that anyone with an appreciation of the nuances of rugby will find enjoyment in their performances. They even manage to make defence exciting with their patented “Wolfpack” philosophy, smothering opposition attacks and winning turnovers before they can even build an offensive platform. It’s this latter point however that means Saracens don’t rank higher on our list: when they don’t even give the opposition a chance to attack it means the result is too often inevitable and thus doesn’t always command the attention like other teams here. Frankly, Saracens are too good and should stop being so bloody selfish. It’s boring.
1: Northampton Saints
Our most watchable team after the opening six rounds goes to the team with the fastest bottom-to-top turnaround in Premiership history. Saints were absolutely abysmal in the opening round clash with Saracens, conceding 55 points and looking for all the world like a Sunday league pub team who’d accidentally wandered into Twickenham by mistake. However, since then Saints have produced some excellent performances to pull off impressive wins against tough opposition like Leicester and Bath and played arguably the best attacking rugby in the league whilst doing it. Three-times nominees for the Citizen Try of the Week, Saints have recovered from their initial drubbing to become a team who can seemingly score from anywhere. Their recent resurgence was marred somewhat by a perhaps surprising loss to Gloucester, but if anything Saints’ defensive vulnerabilities make them more interesting to watch on a purely entertainment basis. Probably not great for the blood pressure of the Franklin’s Gardens faithful though.
Comments on RugbyPass
I 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.
9 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.
4 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.
22 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.
9 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
3 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
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