Aviva Premiership 2015-16 Review.
My Prediction: 1st
Review: Saracens produced an incredible season winning both the Premiership and the Champions Cup (previously the Heineken Cup), the first time an English team has achieved such a feat since Wasps in 2003-04. Saracens now boast a side crammed with international superstars and household names and will be just as hard to stop next season. The only major blip on the Barnet based club’s record came at the hands of Wasps where they were beaten 64-23, other than that Saracens topped the table with relative ease and were never really under any threat in Europe either. A fantastic season by England’s best rugby club, it looks hard to look past them for another domestic title next year.
Star Man: Alex Goode – Named Aviva Premiership Player of the Season and immaculate in the Final, Alex Goode has been flawless. With Mike Brown struggling as of late it shouldn’t be long before the Cambridge born fullback is back in the England starting 15.
My Prediction: 4th
Review: Defeat in the final will be remembered and mourned for the majority of the summer down in Devon but ultimately the Chiefs had a super season, filled with impressive performances and memorable firsts. Reaching a European quarter final ahead of the likes of Clermont and then going on to secure not only a home semi final but a spot at Twickenham will surely have left Rob Baxter feeling very encouraged. Exeter came away with at least a point in all but one of their league fixtures (Saracens away) and recorded a memorable 62-24 win against the Quins on the final day of the regular season. The Chiefs are certainly a side on the up and with a side filled with the perfect blend of experience and youth it isn’t ridiculous to say a first title isn’t too far off.
Star Man: Gareth Steenson – The flyhalf had an incredible season at 10 for Exeter as he amassed the most points from any player in the league and scooped the Aviva Golden Boot award, he was also named in the league’s dream team.
My Prediction: 6th
Review: Wasps enjoyed a fairly solid season reaching the last four in both Europe and England, all whilst playing a brand of rugby that at times was breathtaking. When things went right for the newly based Coventry team, there were few that could deal with the likes of Halai, Wade, and Piutau and the result was often fast flowing attractive rugby. However inconsistencies and discipline problems were often the undoing at the key times, problems not seen as often further south at double champions Saracens. Dai Young still has work to do but Wasps appear to be returning to the limelight and with Beale and Cipriani on the way it appears he is sticking with the tactics that proved so successful this season.
Star Man: George Smith – For all the praise of the speedy backs, it was the gritty determined performances from Smith that helped create the building blocks for Wasps long awaited return to the English playoffs.
My Prediction: 5th
Review: Leicester are still clinging onto their lengthy tradition of making the top four but they were ultimately outclassed and outplayed come semi final weekend for the second year running. Leicester still seem to be playing an old fashioned style of rugby relying heavily on the scrum and set piece whilst other teams around them are playing increasingly flashy running rugby and are reaping the rewards. Changes have been made from last campaign and Aaron Mauger has improved things in the attacking department for Leicester most notably with the introduction of Betham and Veainu, this combined with the addition of the likes of Toomua and Pietersen next season suggest there may be a change in mentality occurring at Welford Road. Discipline and defence (particularly on the road) will both also need work if Leicester are to succeed in, firstly reaching the playoffs again next season but also obtaining silverware. The Tigers also need to find someone to bring the same fear factor that Manu does as there is a distinct lack of energy and intensity when the centre is sidelined, as he now often is.
Star Man: Telusa Veainu – The only Tiger to feature in the team of the year, Veainu was an instant hit at Welford Road thanks to his dancing feat and ability to exploit even the smallest of gaps. Veainu topped the charts for defenders beaten as well as finishing high in both the metres made and breaks tables.
My Prediction: 2nd
Review: The Saints got off to a poor start and losses in games where wins should have been a formality meant that Northampton had too much ground to make up come the end of the season. A home loss against the Leicester Tigers in April ultimately spelt the end of any hopes they had for the playoffs. Having gone from table toppers to fifth the mood around Franklin’s Gardens would have been very low come postseason, particularly as this is the first time since 2009 that Northampton have not featured in the final four. The Saints will have to improve next year with the league becoming ever more competitive with Exeter and Wasps now top quality opposition capable of competing at the top. Losses against bottom half teams must be ironed out by Mallinder’s side if they are going to feature in the postseason festivities.
Star Man: Teimana Harrison – The New Zealand born No.8 had by far his best season yet in English rugby and was particularly impressive come the latter stages of the campaign. Harrison’s performances didn’t go unnoticed and led to him being spotted by Eddie Jones and subsequently being named in the side to tour Australia this summer.
My Prediction: 8th
Review: A return to Champions Cup would have been Steve Diamond’s first goal for this season and it was achieved mainly as a result of a superb home run which saw them lose just once in the whole league season. Sale will have also been buoyed by the fact that they remained in contention for a top four spot almost until the very end of the season. In order for the Salford outfit to expand its clear the same level of consistency is also needed when on the road but the fact that numerous star names, Cipriani, Taylor and Cobilas are on the way out could mean next season is a tougher one for the Sharks.
Star Man: Vadim Cobilas – This was a tough one with there being various Sharks having had super seasons, Stringer and Cipriani were honourable mentions but for me it was the Moldovan prop Cobilas who was the key man. Cobilas made the team of the year in a 15 dominated by household names and he was the only Sale player to do so. A superb final season for a prop that was brought to England with many doubting his ability, Cobilas has definitely been one of the Premiership’s most underrated front row talents and will be hard to replace.
My Prediction: 7th
Review: A small improvement on their season before but Harlequins are still not achieving as they would have hoped. A poor run of form mid season (2 wins in 9) meant they lost ground in the playoff hunt and it seemed their focus switched to the European Challenge Cup which ultimately ended in failure following defeat to Montpellier in the final. Connor O’Shea has been fantastic during his time at the Stoop but it did appear that the Quins were stagnating a bit over the last few seasons and perhaps O’Shea’s departure to Italy has come at the perfect time for both parties. John Kingston is the man to take over the reins and he will be joined by Graham Rowntree who has been lurking in the shadows since England’s early World Cup exit. It remains to be seen whether this partnership is the right one for Harlequins but expectation is high and the Stoop faithful are yearning for their team to return to both the European and domestic frontlines.
Star Man: Luke Wallace – The flanker from St Albans has enjoyed a fantastic season and was duly rewarded for it at the club’s end of season awards at the Hurlingham Club. Prominent at the breakdown and ever a menace with the ball in hand, Wallace was often the key component when things were going well for Harlequins.
My Prediction: 9th
Review: A season that went perhaps as it was expected to, with very little surprise or major disappointment. The only unexpected event perhaps being their shock home defeat to Newport in the Challenge Cup, a competition they would have been keen to win again. Gloucester can take much satisfaction from the fact they finished higher than rivals Bath for the first time in a long time but this was perhaps more as a result of Bath’s demise than their own success. The goal for next year will be to push on and try to break into the top six but before that can happen Gloucester must learn to be more ruthless, to build leads and then keep them, in both games against Leicester they conceded late tries and succumbed to defeats where more composure could have seen them come out on top.
Star Man: Greig Laidlaw – The little Scotsman has been a shining light for both club and country this year, a wonderful World Cup and now a fantastic Premiership campaign. The scrum-half was pivotal to pretty much everything Gloucester did when on the attack and was also responsible for kicking their points with a very impressive record of 84% from the tee (James Hook also took up some of the season’s kicking duties). When Gloucester heads began to drop it was Laidlaw who remained unmoved and attempted to rally the Cherry and Whites.
My Prediction: 3rd
Review: A disaster from start to finish which culminated in the departure of Mike Ford from the Rec. Very little had changed on the pitch from last season when Bath were so electric and exciting to watch, form which took them to the Premiership final. Yet for some reason things never really took of this year, wins against Exeter and Leicester on the first and final days of the season respectively were perhaps their standouts but results in between were drab and inconsistent leading Bath to finish in their lowest position since 2006. Couple this poor Premiership season with an awful European outing and the whole Sam Burgess saga and it leaves you with a very sorry looking state of affairs. Bath are a superb club and their squad is teaming with talent but there is just as much work to do on the pitch as there is off it behind the scenes come the start of the 2016/17 season. The quicker all those associated with Bath can forget this season, the better.
Star Man: Semesa Rokoduguni – The flying Fijian was one of only a few players who seemed just as hot this year as last in a Bath shirt. The winger scored 12 tries finishing joint second (with Christian Wade) in the league’s top try scorer charts behind Waldrom of the Exeter Chiefs on 13.
My Prediction: 10th
Review: For Worcester this season’s objective must have been solely to retain their Premiership status and Dean Ryan’s men achieved this in a fairly comfortable manner in the end. There were times when the Warriors’ Championship past was highlighted and there were a few heavy defeats, but wins against the likes of Northampton and Harlequins showed that they deserved their place in the top flight. Considering the abysmal performances from London Welsh, who were promoted last season, there were many eyes on proceedings at Sixways, praying that this year the Premiership’s new boys could be more competitive. It is safe to say that Worcester answered this with aplomb. With regards the future, the Warriors can take much from the success of the Exeter Chiefs in attempting to cement themselves as one of the Premiership’s regular twelve.
Star Man: Francois Hougaard – He may have only been at Sixways for half the season but the South African has been a massive asset to the Warriors. The scrum-half took no time at all in settling down, scoring on his debut against Sale and winning Player of the Month almost immediately. They may still be a few defensive frailties for Worcester but Hougaard has meant going forward the Warriors are a real threat. The good news for Worcester fans; Francois has committed his future to the club.
My Prediction: 11th
Review: Overall a disappointing season for the Falcons filled with far too many defeats. Crucially the Falcons triumphed in the only match that really mattered in the end, the relegation showdown against London Irish. It took Newcastle until the start of the New Year until they finally won a game in the league and a slow start must be avoided come next season. All five of the Northerners wins came at Kingston Park, so if Newcastle are going to avoid being involved in another relegation dogfight they must learn to win on the road away from their plastic pitch.
Star Man: Nili Latu – The hard hitting Tongan was a real shining light for the Falcons and was ever present. A dogged fighter at the breakdown, Nili Latu was often responsible for winning penalties and turnovers and just keeping the Falcons in games. All this combined with the Tongan’s nine tries in the league make Latu, Newcastle’s stand out player.
My Prediction: 12th
Review: It is hard to find any positives in Irish’s season, the simple facts are that four wins all season is poor and relegation inevitable with those kinds of numbers. Defence was an issue all season shipping in excess of 600 points, when in possession things weren’t much better. Irish seemed to lack the killer instinct and despite enjoying large spells of possession they rarely ever looked like scoring, this was perfectly illustrated in the game at Kingston Park against Newcastle where it seemed a serious bout of white line fever had struck. It remains to be seen what will happen next for the Berkshire based club but with various players pledging their future to the club there should be a confident mood around the Madejski that their stay in the second tier will only be for one season.
Star Man: Luke Narraway – The 32 year old had about as good a season as a player can have in a team that is losing week in week out. The back row forward put in everything at every opportunity and led from the front from start to finish. Narraway has confirmed he will stay with the club and his presence will be essential if London Irish are going to return to the Premiership next season.
Henry Justice
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