Greetings, Prem guide fans one and all, and welcome to week two. There’s been a bit of a change in these parts. Our good friend and veteran guidesman Matt Cotton is, like many bright young things, departing for the sunny climes of Australia to take charge of the rugger renaissance down under.
The watering holes of Melbourne will no doubt be full of expat Prem fiends awaiting Cotton’s verbose previews in person but, unless you’re in that boat, you’re stuck with me informing and, hopefully, entertaining you with game-by-game previews and slightly above average chat to take you into your rugby weekend.
Matt’s are a seriously big pair of penny loafers to fill, but I do hope you enjoy.
George Ford was instrumental in Sale Sharks’ bonus-point win over Gloucester in the season opener, showcasing his range of passing beautifully and kicking very well. Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, was full of praise for his No10, saying he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. This guidesman concurs.
The man occupying the No10 jersey for the home side at the Rec on Friday will not be Finn Russell — he’s still on his way back after his British & Irish Lions masterclass. In his place came Max Ojomoh, who cooked at the Stoop in a 47-31 victory against Harlequins in only his third professional start at fly half.
Ford was superb in Sale’s opening win over Gloucester
ROGER EVANS/ACTION PLUS/SHUTTERSTOCK
Ford is of course vastly more experienced than Ojomoh when it comes to pulling the strings, but it’s a big chance for the 25-year-old to keep impressing.
Fresh from a Parisian jaunt, Henry Arundell announced his return last week, and Ollie Lawrence looked in barnstorming form, but Friday’s game is Bath’s first without Lee Blackett, the attack coach who has been central to their brand of rugby, as he joins England’s set-up. It will be interesting to see how they cope in both his and Russell’s absence against Sale’s sturdy defence.
Ojomoh has another chance to impress in the absence of Russell
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
The Bath open-side Miles Reid made 18 carries against Quins, so we should be in for a good physical battle up front, and Sale’s forwards will revel in the chance to further enhance their reputation as the division’s defensive bully boys — they made the most dominant tackles per game in the Prem last season.
Sale haven’t won at Bath for three years, and face a tough task on Friday night to turn that record around.
Expect a raucous Rec atmosphere under the lights as the champions return for their first league game since the monumental party led by the budgie-smuggled Alfie Barbeary, after they won the title.
Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Red Bulls
Saturday, 3pm
discovery+
After a flowing Northampton attack danced around them in the first half last week, the Chiefs and their replacements showed a bit more oomph up front in the second to give their swashbuckling backs better quality ball to take the game to the Saints.
Chances to get the likes of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade involved came thicker and faster, and they put together some nice stuff to get themselves back into the game. From 33-7 down after 40 minutes, they pulled it back to draw 33-33, their biggest ever Prem comeback.
Diamond, left, has been sacked as Newcastle’s director of rugby
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES
These two teams were closely matched last season. Newcastle picked up one of their two wins last season at home to the Chiefs, and the reverse fixture was a close-run thing, 17-15 to Exeter.
Just as I was about to get stuck into Newcastle, they decided to sack director of rugby Steve Diamond, without granting him the dignity of a Steve Bruce-style exit. Poor form all round.
The now complete overhaul of Newcastle opens up plenty of possibilities, but you’d think the instability will hardly stand the team in good stead for the schlep to the other end of the country. Senior coach Alan Dickens is due to take charge for the trip to Sandy Park but, with Diamond now gone, it’s hard to see them get anything out of this one.
Leicester Tigers v Harlequins
Saturday, 3.05pm
TNT Sports 1
Leicester had a tough start to the season, and were outclassed by Bristol despite the West Country side’s injury issues. They made life difficult for themselves with sloppy ball and dull patterns, but they were bailed out by the ever-classy paceman Adam Radwan, who showed some dainty footwork and smart close-range finishing at Ashton Gate.
Quins started well against Bath last weekend but only finished with a losing bonus point after the champions came roaring back, helped by their bomb squad.
Radwan crossed twice for Leicester as Leicester were beaten by Bristol in their opener
MARTIN EDWARDS/ALAMY
Many had written Harlequins off before the season had even begun, given the sudden departure of their head coach Danny Wilson to Wales, but losing to Bath is no great indignity. They dominated the breakdown and didn’t let the champions settle with a sturdy defensive effort, preventing Bath’s ball-carriers from making much headway, but faded away as the game progressed.
Still, there are reasons to be cheerful — Marcus Smith is due back soon — but can Quins afford another season of consistent inconsistency while others keep improving?
These two are all square in their past five meetings, with two wins each and a draw, a 34-34 humdinger in December last year.
Saracens v Bristol
Saturday, 5.30pm
TNT Sports 1
The American diet clearly worked for Louis Rees-Zammit. His lovely 60-metre try in the 79th minute left the goosed Leicester defence for dead, and he managed a top speed of 23.57mph. The Saracens defence will be wary of the speedster’s danger late on if the game is close. Don’t forget that in the NFL combine he recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.43sec. It takes me twice as long to cover the four yards from my couch to the fridge.
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.
Enable cookiesAllow cookies once
But, it isn’t enough these days to be an out-and-out gasman. Despite Pat Lam saying he was impressed with the Welshman’s physical work, Rees-Zammit can struggle in the air, and fluffed his lines on a defensive kick against Leicester. Saracens may look to drop a couple on top of his perfectly manicured dome to unsettle him, so keep an eye out for that.
The Bristol back line goes into this tough away game significantly weaker after AJ MacGinty, Harry Randall and Gabriel Ibitoye all went off injured against Leicester. They won in the end, yes, but a trip to the StoneX is a different proposition to an Ashton Gate game, and the new boys Tom Jordan and Rees-Zammit, who made 148 metres in 11 carries, might have to do some of the heavier lifting as Lam’s side adapt to their ill-timed injuries.
Saracens meanwhile looked in good touch against Newcastle, and the returning Owen Farrell looked like he’d never been away, scoring 12 points with the boot in his 63 minutes as they tamed the Red Bull new-owner bounce with ease.
However, even a wounded sleuth of Bears can be dangerous, and are a different proposition than Newcastle, who for all the carbonated drink-infused hype have finished bottom of the league three years running and are suddenly without the sacked Diamond. Bristol may provide a more traditional welcome back to English rugby for Farrell.
That said, Bristol haven’t beaten Sarries in the league since Eat Out To Help Out was drawing us all to Nando’s three times a week back in August 2020, so form is definitely on the side of the home team.
Gloucester v Northampton
Sunday, 3pm
TNT Sports 1
After weathering a northern storm in the first 40 minutes, topped off by a neat finish from Jack Clement to go in at half-time leading 10-5, Gloucester had a disappointing second half against Sale — they failed to register a single second-half point, and ended up positively mullered by the Sharks pack.
Tomos Williams, the Gallagher Prem player of the season for last year, isn’t quite back up to speed yet having suffered a hamstring injury with the Lions over the summer, but you’d think his return would give Gloucester the spark they need to get their season going.
Clement scored at the end of the first half against Sale but Gloucester faded and eventually lost
STEVE TAYLOR/PPAUK/SHUTTERSTOCK
Northampton looked in lovely nick thanks to the interchanging Anthony Belleau and Fraser Dingwall, who in turn profited from solid ball from the forwards, whose dirty work was punctuated by tub-thumping penalty celebrations. The chunky Geordie Callum Chick made a whopping 21 carries from No8.
The Saints’ Lions contingent are still out of the picture, so imagine how slick they’ll look with Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell, Tommy Freeman, and everyone’s favourite rustler Henry Pollock.
Without their superstars, Saints faded away, however, allowing Exeter to get back into the game, giving Phil Dowson a few headaches. The Saints director of rugby told BBC Northamptonshire this week that he wants his team to shed their “Jekyll and Hyde” tendencies that affected them last year as they look to improve their domestic form and perhaps go one better in Europe.
Gloucester did the double over the Saints last year — testament to their topsy-turvy league campaign, but the 90-0 drubbing in May 2024 probably still lays heavy on minds of a Cherry and White persuasion.