Premiership needs stability to build on competitive foundations
Though there are fears of the Premiership’s return on Friday being overshadowed by the World Cup quarter-finals, it is good to see the domestic season back again.
Saracens will go in as favourites because they are the holders but each squad seem to have developed well in the long off-season that a World Cup year provides and it will be interesting to see whether the league can spring any surprises – although they’ll be anxious for that not to involve clubs going bust.
The English game needs stability and this season can provide that in abundance; a year where little goes wrong while the quality of the on-pitch action remains will be an ideal foundation for the league to grow.
But this could be a fun year and I hope Gloucester and Northampton Saints are up there and challenging.
Gloucester are in their 150th year and it’s always been a case of “maybe next year” for them. Saints, meanwhile, showed so much of what I like to see in attack last season but were undone by their defence, which they’ve sought to rectify.
I am excited for the coming season, and I will be eager to see the movers and shakers as internationals return from World Cup duty.
How clubs choose to use their returning internationals will be key. England players have mandatory rest weeks when they play a certain number of internationals but this is not the case for other nations, such as Scotland and Wales.
We have already seen the likes of Finn Russell training with Bath ahead of his first season in the West Country.
He, along with the likes of Zach Mercer at Gloucester, are living proof that the Premiership still has a pull – for both English and overseas players.
There’s so much competition for places now, especially after the loss of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish led to top talent from those clubs strengthening the depth of the remaining clubs. It is going to be one hard trophy to win.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips last week swam the English Channel to raise money for Head for Change, a charity aspiring to achieve positive change for brain health in sport. Follow Ollie on Twitter to donate.