England are not out of the World Cup yet, but the country’s domestic league gets underway this Friday with Bristol Bears hosting Leicester Tigers in the new look 10-team Premiership.
Newcastle travel to play Bath just up the road from Bristol on Saturday, with Harlequins over at Kingsholm to face Gloucester, while the pick of the fixtures on that day sees a new look Exeter Chiefs play champions Saracens.
The team Saracens beat in the final – Sale Sharks – play the following day against Northampton Saints.
Matthew Luddington looks ahead to the first round of the new campaign, with a keen eye in particular on the new signings each club have made and what impact they might have in round one.
Bristol vs Leicester, Friday 13 Oct (7:45pm kick-off, TNT Sports)
The 2023/24 Premiership season curtain raiser takes place at Ashton Gate on Friday night, with hosts Bristol seeking to bounce back from a disappointing ninth-placed finish last season.
Director of Rugby Pat Lam has made significant additions during the summer; most notably the powerful French international Virimi Vakatawa has been granted medical clearance by a panel of leading sports cardiologists, allowing him to make his return to professional rugby. South African centre Bernhard Janse Van Rensburg has signed from London Irish.
Irish scrum-half Kieran Marmion has joined from Connacht, providing competition for Harry Randall.
Max Malins has signed from Saracens, utility back Kalaveti Ravouvou has arrived from the Fijian Drua, and Argentine Santiago Grondona has joined from Pau, though all three currently remain at the World Cup.
Leicester Tigers appear determined to improve upon their third-place finish from last year and their semi-final exit.
New boss Dan McKellar has signed wingers Josh Bassett from Harlequins and Ollie Hassell-Collins from London Irish, Australian international scrum-half Joe Powell from London Irish, and former London Irish captain, flanker Matt Rogerson.
South African lock Kyle Hatherell has signed La Rochelle and back Jamie Shilcock has joined from Sagamihara DynaBoars, and they will all be looking to get the Tigers off to a winning start.
Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens, Saturday 14 Oct (1:30pm kick-off, TNT Sports)
The Exeter Chiefs begin a fresh chapter against the defending champions on Saturday at Sandy Park, as the majority of the squad that propelled them to six consecutive Gallagher Premiership Rugby finals have moved on.
Rob Baxter and Ali Hepher are now turning their focus towards youthful talent. Their performance so far in the Premiership Rugby Cup with four wins from four, is a testament to their potential.
Notable additions to the squad include Joe Hawkins, a Welsh International centre and Ethan Roots, a dynamic flanker from New Zealand, both of whom have arrived from the Ospreys.
Lock Matt Postlethwaite has signed from Sale, and Ross Vintcent, a rising star in the back-row who has represented Italy U20, was signed during the summer, and his performances in the Premiership Rugby Cup have made a good impression.
In contrast, Saracens remain a formidable force even in the absence of nearly a third of their squad, who are currently at the World Cup. Despite this, they could field no fewer than 10 internationals at Sandy Park.
New signings Tom Parton and Lucio Cinti add quality options in the backline, whilst Tom Willis has signed from Bordeaux Beglès after an outstanding season in the Top 14 that earned him an England debut.
Bath vs Newcastle Falcons, Saturday 14 Oct (2:00pm kick-off)
Bath earned their spot in the Champions Cup by thrashing Saracens in the final game of last season.
This year there’s a renewed sense of optimism at The Rec and with new signing Finn Russell already in training, he and former World Cup winner Thomas Du Toit have caused a buzz among fans and pundits.
Russell is poised to spark Bath’s already talented backline, which includes players like Matt Gallagher, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomah, and Ruaridh McConnochie.
Bath’s Director of Rugby Johann van Graan is aiming for an improvement on last year’s eighth-place finish in his second season at the helm.
Newcastle Falcons are poised for their latest rebuild, as Alex Codling has taken over as the Director of Rugby, replacing Dave Walder.
The additions of Eduardo Bello from Saracens, Murray McCallum from Edinburgh Rugby, and Sam Cross from Ospreys will strengthen the forwards.
Codling’s has identified homegrown flanker Guy Pepper as a ‘real prospect for both the club and the national team,’ while 18-year-old full-back Ben Redshaw was called into training with England’s squad.
Bath will be widely tipped to get the win, but will be wary of the challenge they face this Saturday after last season’s “new era” with van Graan got off to a shaky start.
Gloucester vs Harlequins, Saturday 14 Oct (2:00pm kick-off)
Gloucester had a disappointing finish to last season and missed out on Champions Cup qualification on the final day. However, the addition of Top 14 champion Zach Mercer brings fresh hope to Kingsholm.
Young Welsh International centre Max Llewellyn has joined from Cardiff, with stalwarts Billy Twelvetrees and Ben Morgan departing the club.
The appointment of James Lightfoot Brown as attack coach could ignite Gloucester’s talented backline.
Premiership-winning boss Billy Millard has re-assumed the helm at Harlequins with the goal of instilling consistency and bolstering the team’s defense, and an opening round trip to Gloucester will test these objectives.
Joe Launchbury has joined after a season in Japan, Dillon Lewis has come in to fill the void left by Wilco Louw’s departure, and Jarrod Evans offers an exciting alternative at fly-half.
Quins are grappling with the absence of several world-class players at the World Cup, so will depend on the whole squad stepping up and filling the void.
They will be hard pushed to make a winning start as a result, but will hope the return of Millard to the top job sets them on the right path.
Sale vs Northampton, Sunday 15 October (1:30pm kick-off, TNT Sports)
Sale had an exceptional season last year, culminating in their defeat in the Premiership final. Their head coach Alex Sanderson now has to deal with heightened expectations and taking the Sharks’ game forwards, starting with the visit of Northampton Saints on Sunday.
He has made key signings to bolster their ranks, hookers Agustín Creevy and Luke Cowan-Dickie have replaced Akker van der Merwe and Ewan Ashman. South African Ernst van Rhyn has joined to fill the void left by former captain Jono Ross in the second-row, and Sale have secured the services of former Leicester Tigers back Telusa Veainu.
Northampton Saints reached the semi-finals last year, an impressive feat particularly given they conceded 86 tries in 20 league games.
They are pinning their hopes on new defense coach Lee Radford to make a substantial impact in addressing their defensive issues, starting on Sunday.
Director of Rugby Phil Dowson has added talented youngsters Chunya Munga at lock and Tom Pearson in the back row to the squad. Tom Seabrook, who signed from Gloucester, is set to replace the departing Courtnall Skosan and Tom Collins on the wing.
Burger Odendaal adds depth to the midfield, and Fijian lock Temo Mayanavanua is a capable replacement for David Ribbans.
Written by Matthew Luddington
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