Previewing this year's Aviva Premiership

The Aviva Premiership will kick off on 3rd September, and significantly, a change of sponsor parallels a change in attitude. Despite various media diversions suggesting that the then Guinness Premiership was anti-ELV, the majority of coaches publicly welcomed the challenge and planned accordingly.

Consequently, most teams attempted, although not all succeeded, to keep the ball alive and in hands.

When the ELVs were effectively ditched most sides continued to play an up-tempo brand of rugby, hence the side that finished 7th in the table, Gloucester, scored the same amount of tries as the side that finished first, Leicester Tigers.

Incidentally, Leicester went on to assert their stronghold of the premiership by beating Saracens 33-27 in the final.

The ball in hand tactic was further utilised by England in the 6N, and then on the summer tour. The 6N was, despite some close finishes, not great viewing for England fans, but the key is that the side were trying to play with width. The intention, albeit confused, was there.

However, it was only with the return to fitness of Mike Tindall, the dropping of Jonny Wilkinson and the ascension of various younger players that gave England the right personnel to attempt to dare to play with both wit and width.

The match versus France was an unfortunate but ultimately progressive loss. The first Test versus Australia was narrow and unintelligent, but then the second Test was the finish the fans desired. Not only that, but it put players like Foden, Ashton, Flood, Youngs, Croft, Lawes and Cole onto the world stage.

They will have to use this coming season to develop their game and raise their standards.

The same applies to old hands like Cueto, Tindall, Easter and Thompson. That’s what lends this coming season such an air of optimism. It may be nearly winter in England, but there are still reasons to be cheerful.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, an on-field English exuberance has been matched by an off-field English willingness to deal largely with English players in the transfer market. For example, the Leicester Tigers lost England caps Harry Ellis, Ben Kay, Lewis Moody, Sam Vesty, and stars Lote Tuqiri and Aaron Mauger yet only brought in the underrated Thomas Waldrom, an England Saxons lock, George Skivington, and some young English unknowns.

The same routine has been played out at most other clubs.

The foreign revolution has been gradually reduced over the past few seasons, and the trend continues, with only Waldrom, Daniel Bowden, Paul Williams and Deon Carstens being the only notable SH acquisitions.

Clubs are seemingly content to take a risk on players from the lower English leagues. Hopefully such a balance will be a good thing for English rugby over the long-term.

Bath will be hoping for a big season this year. Last season was severely disrupted by the Lipman, Higgins, Stevens and Crockett drug scandal, with the club only recovering toward the end of the campaign.

Despite that, the side were only just beaten 15-6 by the Tigers at Welford Road in the premiership Semi-Final.

Steve Meehan, an innovative coach, has brought in some good players this year, with Lewis Moody and Simon Taylor adding to the back row, from where Luke Watson will captain. England fans hope that the Bath approach to the game will broaden Moody’s ability. He will have big shoes to fill as Julian Salvi was an outstanding success.

Taylor, a number 8 who can also cover lock and blindside, and must be one of the unluckiest Lions ever having dropped out of two tours injured with only 40 odd minutes under his belt, is a fine player, whose pace has been replaced by teak toughness and an ever-present vision.

He is a grafter with good hands, and should go well in the Bath pack.

This is a big season for Lee Mears having recently been disposed from the senior England squad by George Chuter, and also for David Wilson, who has to prove that he can match Dan Cole. Beyond them the pack consists of regulars Flatman, Barnes, Bell, Grewcock, Hooper and Beattie.

The Bath backline looks typically creative, and if Mears has something to prove then so does England reject Olly Barkley. Having been a consistent premiership star, but never having been trusted by successive England coaches, this is a big season for him.

It is also an important year for Banahan, who has to prove that he isn’t just a lock-cum-wing who can barge smaller opponents over. Personally, I think he is severely limited with poor agility and turning speed, but who profits from playing in a good side.

Shontayne Hape, who played 12 versus Australia, has to make do with playing 13 for Bath, which means that the reliable Matt Carraro will have to do with a place on the wing or on the bench. I assume that the also reliable Sam Vesty will deputise in the absence of Butch James, and that Michael Claasens will continue to be the leading scrum half.

Potentially, this could be a very successful season for Bath. Despite the age of the tight five, the side is well coached, well led and has a host of good players. Further, Meehan likes his side to play running rugby, which is likely to suit the law interpretations.

An impressive pre-season bodes well.

Gloucester offers an interesting comparison with their neighbours Bath. In many ways I get the impression that Bath are the club that Gloucester wish to emulate.

Whilst Bath had a plethora of seasoned England pro’s in the pack, Gloucester have a collection of young men who desire to be England regulars: Wood, Doran-Jones, Attwood and Narraway, and also a spine of England players in the backline: Vainikolo/Banahan; Barkley/Tindall; Simpson-Daniel/Hape; Morgan/Abendanon.

Gloucester had a turbulent season, like Bath, due to the departure of countless players and a director of rugby, Dean Ryan. Like Bath Gloucester also improved toward the end of the season and Gloucester also like to throw the ball about. Both sides had a bit of a player clear out post-09/10 too.

Interestingly, Gloucester haven’t really added to their squad for this coming season, despite losing big names like Bortolami and Somerville (whom Doran-Jones raved about as a mentor). The hulking but effective Scottish Test forward James Hamilton has been picked to add grunt to the lock department, and the durable back rower, Brett Deacon, has been taken from arch-rivals Leicester. England age-group blindside flanker Matt Cox has also been added to the squad.

The three may be pretty underwhelming on paper, but they should add a steely edge and depth to the squad.

It seems that Bryan Redpath, Gloucester coach, is keen for the squad to develop following last season’s period of transition, hence the absence of big names coming in. Indeed, a line-up containing Dickinson, Wood, Doran-Jones, Attwood, Hamilton, Strokosch, Qera, Narraway, Lawson, Robinson, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Tindall, Simpson-Daniel and Morgan looks to have the right blend of size, skill and dynamism.

Whether that plays out on the field is a different matter as Wood, Narraway, Tindall and Simpson-Daniel have been injury prone over recent years. Regardless, a top 6 finish will be the bare minimum accepted from a vociferous and informed rugby crowd at Kingsholm. Gloucester certainly have the potential, but do players like Doran-Jones and Attwood have the mental capacity to turn it on week in and week out when they have England commitments and aspirations to consider?