next seasons GP

[sarries fan]

Its Approaching this years premiership campaign, So who are your favourites to take the ***le next May at Twickenham?

Personally this is what my league would look like


Saracens,
Sale,
Northampton,
Wasps,
Bath,
Leicester,
Worcester,
Leeds,
Gloucester,
Newcastle,
London Irish,
Bristol



At the top more hopeful than anything else putting saracens, but with the team constantly increasing strength by strength i think we could seriously be up there next season , I think the Heineken cup will help us alot aswell as the players will be able to gain alot mor experience.

And Sale as with Chabal, Robinson and one of the best players on the lions tour (IMO) Charlie hodgson these are my clear cut favourites under saracens.

At 3rd is were i think Northampton will be. cant see them much higher than this even with the likes of spencer. As I feel last year took alot out of them, and I think They wil need to improve vastly to get any higer than 3rd, I think i may be being a bit 2 generous

at 4th, as Dalaglio will be out for most of the season and will be lucky to get any game time TBH , I dont think Wasps will be able to produce the form like they did last year, And will be like the wasps of a few years ago (dallaglio less) IMHO, porobably not as bad as they have a better squad now

Bath can't see any higher than 5th,

Leicester i feel will be missing Back and Johnson too much too achieve higher than 6th

The rest is pretty explainable, and choosing Bristol to go down as it was a long time since they were last in the premiership and their team has lost alot of influental players since then.

And to be in the final I think that it will be Sale facing Saracens, If i was a betting man my money would be on saracens as they have never lost at Twickenham, and usually produce their best run of form towards the end of the season.

What are your thoughts?

 

[sarries fan]

TBH i was very generous to Northampton there and revise my prediction to at best 5th probably. Sorry Lads

 

[Bullitt]

My heart says Northampton, but because I'm not a woman and I am capable of thinking, I know that's not going to happen. I'm predicting a slow start to the season before crawling uup the table into a European place. Possibly a playoff if they're lucky.

Initally I'd say Leicester, but without Johnsons influence I can see them collapsing.

Sale and Bath could both be a threat this season after last years performance, I predict both will finish in the top half.

Sarries, Newcastle, Worcester and Gloucester will all finish in the mid to lower half of the table. I think Worcs will finish the top of those 4.

Irish and Bristol will both struggle this year buth survive while Leeds go down.

Wasps will play Bath in the final and win IMO.

Bloody bugs...

 

[harrison2468]

Originally posted by sarries fan@Jul 6 2005, 08:12 AM
at 4th, as Dalaglio will be out for most of the season and will be lucky to get any game time TBH , I dont think Wasps will be able to produce the form like they did last year, And will be like the wasps of a few years ago (dallaglio less) IMHO, porobably not as bad as they have a better squad now



The rest is pretty explainable, and choosing Bristol to go down as it was a long time since they were last in the premiership and their team has lost alot of influental players since then.

Is Dalligio out next season? Guess that is the injury he picked up on Lions Tour. How many weeks is it for?

As for Bristol, are pack won't be strong enough to compete with the big boys but are backs will show the GP how to play running rugby. Although not the most talented backline, we have a good structure at Bristol in place and I predict we will survive next season. Bristol have a good fan base, a balanced team and IMO the best coach in England - take my word for it, a future England coach and this help them survive, with the boring Exiles to get relegated. My table prediction next year looks like:

1 Sale
2 Wasps
3 Saracens
4 Leicester
5 Saints
6 Barf
7 Newcastle
8 Leeds
9 Glous
10 Bristol
11 Worcester
12 London Irish

Wasps 2 win final probably!

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

I would absolutely love Saints squad to all gel instantly, with the likes of Reihana and Spencer leading us to victory. Unfortunately I don't see instant success coming our way, so I'm going to go for Wasps to win it again. They are annoying as hell, but they always seem to pull out results and peak at the right time. For the drop this season...London Irish. Magne won't be able to revitalise them, and they have struggled for a number of seasons. I can see them going down. I'm also looking at Doncaster to get promoted next season.

My predicted finish...

Sale
-------------------
Wasps
Leicester
-------------------
Bath
Saracens
Northampton
Gloucester
Worcester
Newcastle
Leeds
Bristol
-------------------
London Irish

 

[Muse_Cubed]

I think it'll be very interesting this year. Saints coming off a bad year, we'll feel we have something to prove. Lots of good pickups in the offseason, we may well be the surprise team. Robinson-Spencer....watch out. Yeah, top or even 2nd/3rd is a bit of a stretch, but there is a small chance

The usual suspects will most likely be in serious contention (Wasps, Leicester, Sale). Bath will probably be in the running too.

Saracens-Gloucester-Worcester are three teams which will either have a great season or a poor season IMO. I hope sarries and gloucester fall flat (don't like them), but I hope Worcester do well for themselves. I'm also praying than London Irish get relegated too. They just **** me off.

 

[drico]

Final Premiership Table Next Year IMO:

1 Saints
2 Saracens
3 Sale
4 Leicester
5 Gloucester
6 Wasps
7 Leeds
8 Bath
9 Newcastle
10 Worcester
11 London Irish
12 Bristol


I've put Saints first because I think Spencer could start a revival of Northampton along with Robinson, however I'd go for the Sarries win at Twickenham

Sale have a strong squad and have will have another good season this year

Leicester will suffer with the loss of Johnson, however they will stay at the top of the table because of their large number of internationals

Gloucester will be stuck mid table along with Wasps, however I think Paul and Tindall will work well in the centres

Leeds are showing promise, especiall with their signing of Marshall-could be a serious revival this season

Bath will suffer from a lack of quality players

Newcastle will be without Wilkinson for much of the season IMO, I think his career is over, and they don't have enough consistent peformers in the rest of the squad, but they will comfortably stay up

Worcester's form from last season will not last into next season-will be lucky to stay up IMO

London Irish will just about stay up, and I think Bristol will go down, because although they play well as a team, they don't have enough quality players to compete-much the same as Rotherham IMO

 

[woodie]

I think it's going to be Sale's year with L.Irish going back down, to be replaced by the Mighty Quins who will go unbeaten in D1

 

[harrison2468]

Originally posted by woodie@Jul 11 2005, 05:51 AM
I think it's going to be Sale's year with L.Irish going back down, to be replaced by the Mighty Quins who will go unbeaten in D1

Quins squad 4 next year is extremely strong - but don't b fooled, going 2 Cornwall is not a pretty task!

 

[Bullitt]

I think it's very pretty in Cornwall... They have Palm Trees n' everything!

 

[Canadian_Rugby_Guy]

Go Saracens! Just quickly, where are the Saracens from? asin, what city?

 

[Ripper]

Drawing upon my limitied knowledge of watching (usually) 1 or 2 games a week on the Rugby Channel and looking at the teams on Paper I would have to say that Sale will take it out, probably over Wasps or Leciester (They still have a preety good team).

Northampton to be the Dark Horse - mainly because they seem to have recurtied well and Spencer is Uber Awesome.

 

[drico]

Originally posted by Canadian_Rugby_Guy@Jul 13 2005, 02:41 PM
Go Saracens! Just quickly, where are the Saracens from? asin, what city?

Saracens are from London, but their stadium is in Watford

 

[el_tk]

I reckon Wasps are going to win, once they get into the play-offs they seem pretty much unbeatable.

 

[leicester]

Can't bring myself to vote against Leicester, although coping without Johnson will make things very interesting. Leicester have the players to succeed but someone is going to have to step up to the plate and take the helm. How do you replace Johnson?

Can't see Northampton getting it together quickly enough. I may be wrong and if anyone can galvanise something, it will be Spencer.

Sale are looking better and better for me but I guess the strongest claim will come from Wasps. There again, Dallaglio's injury could prove difficult for Wasps.

Interesting... two of the strongest premiership teams with previously two of the strongest captains will be starting the campaign rudderless. My bet would be that whichever team finds a leader capable of grabbing their team by the scruff of the neck will, ultimately, be victorious. The other could well be in for a rough ride. I just hope that Leicester sort themselves out first!

 

[Saint N Sinner]

I must vote for northampton, its my destiny (I wonder why

)

I think its going to be a very interesting season ahead, and I can't wait. I can't wait to see the backs form rise dramatically with the likes of spencer and Sharky gelling together.

I agree it wont be an instant success but we can only hope for the better.

i think Leicester will not do so well because of the loss of back and Jonno, but Sale and Wasps are the main contenders in my view.

 

[Boy]

I think how well Bath do next year will come down to how well Andy Dunne plays at 10. Believe it or not, we do have talented backs in Barkley, Crockett, Welsh, Fleck (if he ever gets fit), Perry and Bory, and if Dunne can play a game that actually uses them we should be able to qualify for Europe again. We certainly have the pack to do it, especially if Flatman, Beattie and Lipman can come back fully fit.

On the other hand, if he turns out to be gash and Connolly picks Chris Malone, we could be lucky to finish in the top half.

 

[Saint N Sinner]

Either way its going to be really exciting. only 45 days left to wait.