A Funny Old Season

Thinking about the new season ahead, it looks like it could be quite a strange one. There has been a mass of changes and some teams are in total turmoil. In no particular order:

Quins have no DoR and still don’t know what the final sanctions will be against them after the ‘ Bloodgate ‘ affair. However, there is a DoR floating around with the right initials that could step straight into Quins. Could they get any more un-popular with us ;-)

Bath has lost 5 players to drug related issues and their main fly half will be out for many months. Will this break them apart or pull them closer together. I suspect Danny G being fit would help the latter and Luke Watson, well who knows!

SArries have a new coach and lots of SA players and probably don’t know what direction they are heading in, identity or ground-wise.

Gloucester the proverbial chokers have a new DoR in Bryan Redpath. But is he going to make a huge difference, as the personnel is still much the same and Dean can’t be blamed for everything.

Wasps also have a new DoR, plus skills and forwards coaches. Added to this, a lot of new players to bed in quickly after a difficult 2008/9. Looks certain we have the talent but can we gel quick enough.

Newcastle lost a heap of players at the end of the year, Johnny, Dowson, Noon etc but made some good looking signings as well, Gopperth, Hudson, Bobo to name a few.

Sale has been de-frogged with P S-A, Chabal and Bruno off. No McAlister to blast through the centre, but still a VERY solid unit. I wonder if Mr Cohen has one or two seasons of magic left in him. Will Hodge learn to tackle.

Leeds, well, they had better be at their BEST as there are no easy games in the Prem any more and you do feel they lack a bit of star quality, but you never know.

So it looks to like the settled units are Leicester, Irish, Northampton and Worcester.

To me, Saints look like the dark horses this season. They have an excellent coach in Jim Mallinder and have made some cracking signings with Vickerman and Muajti. But don’t write off the mighty Wasps, surely they will be champing at the bit for another trophy or two.

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