Premiership Predictions

[TRF_Olyy]

Make all your predictions here so we can look back at the end of the season and laugh at how dumb we all are!




Mine:

Sarries to win the whole thing (top the league and win the playoffs)
Newcastle to continue their good form, threaten the top 4 but not quite make it.
Wuss for the drop.
Sale will start terrible (gonna be missing 4 starting backs for the first few months). Make a decent comeback around 6N time, threaten top 6 but end up just outside.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Agree, think Quins and Northampton will both get better, but struggle for league position and champions cup places. Bristol will go down again I think, Leicester, Exeter sarries and wasps top 4, with wasps scraping in. Sale and Newcastle to round off top 6 in that order.

1. Sarries
2. Exeter
3. Tigers
4. Wasps
5. Sale
6. Newcastle
7. Gloucester
8. Quins
9. Northampton
10. Bath (not optimistic)
11. Warriors
12. Bristol

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I reckon Exeter will struggle this season. Haven't bolstered the squad and game plan hasn't developed at all; teams will have it sussed. We'll scrape into the play-offs with Saracens, Tigers and Wasps ahead of us, in that order.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think you're being a little harsh on Exe. It's one thing knowing the oppositions gameplan and another being able to stop it. Everyone knows what Saracens are going to set out to do, but they still do it.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I think you're being a little harsh on Exe. It's one thing knowing the oppositions gameplan and another being able to stop it. Everyone knows what Saracens are going to set out to do, but they still do it.

I think it's more the lack of signings that will really be our downfall; last season's final showed that we simply don't have the player quality to compete with the top European sides such as Saracens and Leinster. Leicester have made some very good improvements in terms of players with the likes of Denton, Spencer, Thompson and Eastmond, and also have some good talent coming through, as well as Tuilagi seemingly being back fit which is why I think they'll overtake us.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Don't chiefs already have a massive squad?
Got like 500 centres

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Don't chiefs already have a massive squad?
Got like 500 centres

It's enormous, but only 23 players can get onto the field at a time.

 

[Fuzzy du Plessis]

1. Saracens (c)
2. Wasps
3. Chiefs (f)
4. Bath
5. Tigers
6. Saints
7. Gloucester
8. Sale
9. Quins
10. Falcons
11. Worcester
12. Bristol

Honestly outside of Saracens, Chiefs and Wasps the next 7 teams are all pretty much equal and they could fall in any order. Standout predictions from me are Falcons dropping back down the table (but comfortably clear of relegation) and Bath and Saints improving.

 

[Scotty]

1. Sarries
2. Chiefs
3. Tigers
4. Wasps
5. Sale
6. Gloucester
7. Bath
8. Falcons
9. Quins
10. Saints
11. Bristol
12. Worcester

Sarries top, win the play offs.
Chiefs consistant throughout the season even through internationals getting them second, lose semi to tigers.

Tigers stepping it up a gear with some good signings. Ford-eastmond will work well as well as tomua(however you spell it) filling in at 10 during internationals, lose final

Wasps should be strong and pushing third rather than scraping 4th with some good signings to replace leaving players. Lose to sarries in semis,

Sale come good towards second half of the season pushing top 4 but not close enough.

Gloucester could be much improved given their signings, especially cips getting their attack going.

Bath, average some good performances but to finish mid table.

Falcons, dont think they will reach the heights of last season.

Quins, improved under gustard but not enough to compete
Saints, dont have the team to compete even with signings

Bristol, if they can gel they can be a strong team but whilethe star signings will keep them up but squad wont be experienced enough for much more, lets hope piitau potential injury isnt long term

Worcester, lost a couple of players a dont habe the squad, bye bye Wuss.

 

[BPM]

As others have said - there really isn't a lot to choose between 7 or 8 teams and I don't think there will be many points between 5th and 10th.

I'm going with:

1. Saracens (Champions)
2. Exeter
3. Wasps
4. Leicester
5. Gloucester
6. Bath
7. Newcastle
8. Sale
9. Harlequins
10. Northampton
11. Worcester
12. Bristol

I think Saracens will win comfortably. They will miss Brits and Wyles, but they've made good additions and have some excellent players in their academy who look ready to step up this season.

Exeter are still the best of the rest, but I think failing to strengthen may come back to bite them.

At the other end of the table I'm really surprised at how many people are writing off Worcester. They've steadily been getting better and I think they've made some canny signings. Their squad looks far better than Bristol IMO.

Bristol have made a lot of signings but most of these were second or third choices at other Premiership clubs. Their starting XV is good, but the depth is just depth not strength in depth.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

1. Saracens
2. Exeter
3. Leicester
4. Wasps
5. Gloucester
6. Bath
7. Sale
8. Northampton
9. Newcastle
10. Harlequins
11. Bristol
12. Worcester

I find it funny that the spell checker doesn't recognise "Exeter" as a word #notarealplace. Sarries are the model of consistency at club level and even in years where they have a bad patch, they still pull it together. I think they were more fatigued due to it being a Lions year too. Wasps are still good but looked flaky at times last year. Leicester I feel will be a real handful if they can keep injuries down. A good mix of speed and power. Bath, meh. They've shown the ability to play well but the team collectively are too prone to moment of absolute stupidity and too many injuries. Until we can actually get some consistency and discipline in our game, we won't finish high in the table.

Northampton I think will recover at the tail end of the year but it won't be enough. Harlequins to continue imploding.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Slightly off topic, but long may it last. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/29/premiership-clubs-academy-tap-cut-wage-bills

As for predictions, I can't see past Sarries at the top again. At the bottom, Worcs or Bris are obvious contenders, but Quins didn't show much backbone last year and it's a big ask for an unproven head coach to turn that around - if it does go wrong it could go horribly wrong. The surprise might be Chiefs struggling a bit by their standards - still a good side, but a predictable game plan coupled with limited recruitment might mean a few more teams get their number, especially away from Sandy Park.

 

[Chief Pete]

The surprise might be Chiefs struggling a bit by their standards - still a good side, but a predictable game plan coupled with limited recruitment might mean a few more teams get their number, especially away from Sandy Park.

Nail on the head, still see top 4 with Sarries, Wasps and Leicester although if Sale can get their best team out they may have a say IMO.

 

[Sixways Cheryl]

At the other end of the table I'm really surprised at how many people are writing off Worcester. They've steadily been getting better and I think they've made some canny signings. Their squad looks far better than Bristol IMO.

I'm glad somebody on here has recognised that! Whilst journalists & voices from outside the club seem to have us relegated already, the mood going into the season from within Sixways has been optimistic & positive. Expecting to continue building on our recent improvements under Solomons. We were incredibly unlucky to lose to Wasps & had we not found ourselves on the wrong side of the referee it could have been a different scoreline. Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated & I think we'll be surprising a few people.

I know I'm cheating a little bit by doing my table after Week 1 but...

1- Saracens
2- Wasps
3- Exeter
4- Leicester
5- Gloucester
6- Bath
7- Harlequins
8- Sale
9- Worcester
10- Newcastle
11- Northampton
12- Bristol

 

[BPM]

Welcome back Cheryl.

I wasn't at all surprised to see Worcester come close to beating Wasps. A fit Waller, Singleton and Fatialofa might have made the difference.

You've always been hard to beat at Sixways and I think your squad is looking better than before in terms of quality and depth.

With Spencer, DOC and to a lesser extent CSW, you're short of quality in the second row, but Fatialofa could prove to be a quality addition.

If I were Solomons I'd offload Te'o at the end of the season and reinvest that money elsewhere.

 

[Sixways Cheryl]

Welcome back Cheryl.

I wasn't at all surprised to see Worcester come close to beating Wasps. A fit Waller, Singleton and Fatialofa might have made the difference.

You've always been hard to beat at Sixways and I think your squad is looking better than before in terms of quality and depth.

With Spencer, DOC and to a lesser extent CSW, you're short of quality in the second row, but Fatialofa could prove to be a quality addition.

If I were Solomons I'd offload Te'o at the end of the season and reinvest that money elsewhere.

Thanks BPM, nice to be back!

Reluctantly, I'd probably agree with you on Te'o as it stands but we'll come back to that down the line.