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Premier Rugby must be quite pleased the Harlequins have come back into the fold, as they can now actually have a side in this that are actually from the vicinity of our capital - they had to make do with Leeds last year!

Ranting aside, this season's Premiership looks as open as ever and I really wouldn't like to pin down which side will be on top at the end of the season. Sale are worthy favourites but could well focus their efforts on the Heineken Cup this season - I know the chairman is a big supporter of European rugby. The same can be said for Leicester and Wasps, though I do think Ian McGeechan's side may just struggle a little this year.

Therefore, it could well be the west country that wrestles the title back from the north west. Gloucester are many people's idea of potential champions and there is no doubt that they have a very talented squad but I just feel that they need another year's experience. Bath however look a good each-way bet as they only have the Premiership to concentrate on this season and there were times last term where they looked distracted by the glamour of the Heineken Cup.

Down at the bottom, there should be an almighty dogfight in the battle against relegation. Bristol are favourites with the bookies but in all honesty I reckon they should be a lot closer in the betting to the likes of Worcester, Newcastle and Harlequins. Quins are there to be shot at as supposed Premiership 'newcomers' but Dean Richards have worked hard over the summer attracting players to the Stoop and their side looks a little too classy on paper to go back down - however this didn't help them two years ago.

All in all, this season's Premiership should be another cracker. With several sides in with a shout of places in the play-offs, coupled with another close fight against relegation, the new campaign should have its fair share of shocks and surprises. Making a few quid on the side would come in very nicely but there is only one dead cert for this season - Rob Andrew's going to have his work cut out with the England set-up as the World Cup looms ominously nearer.

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LONDON IRISH v HARLEQUINS (Saturday, 14.00)

Irish were the surprise package of last season, eventually finishing third in the league and securing their first ever spot in the Guinness Championship play-offs. Brian Smith will be hoping that his men can build on this and become genuine title contenders this season. Quins make the short journey from the Stoop to Twickenham on Saturday in a match that marks their return to the Premiership. Although relegated at the end of the 2004/05 season, Harlequins managed not only to secure the services of Dean Richards as coach but also those of All Black legend Andrew Mehrtens - not to mention holding on to the majority of their squad. Richards has also been busy with the chairman's money as well, securing players such as Stuart Abbott and Hal Luscombe, so there will also be an infusion of new blood to the side as well. This all looks good on paper for Quins but the proof of pudding is most definitely in the eating in rugby union (as some props can testify!) and Quins will only be able to sit back with pride when the results go their way. And go their way it might on Saturday as Quins are definitely in with a shout against Irish. Many people will have the Exiles down as good things this weekend and they are most certainly favourites for this encounter. However, a roaring crowd at Twickenham - which is as good as a home crowd for Quins - and the adrenaline provided with their first game back in the Premiership could just swing it Quins' way.

Verdict: Harlequins by six

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GLOUCESTER v BATH (Saturday, 15.00)

If any newcomer to rugby union this season wants to know what all the fuss is about, then this is the game for them as Gloucester and Bath, two great west country rivals, come together at Kingsholm this weekend in a match which could well shape the season for both sides. As mentioned above, Gloucester have been well tipped-up for this season's Premiership and if they are to mount a serious challenge to Sale, Leicester et al, then they will have to dispatch Bath here with relative ease. However, this will not be so easy as they come up against a Bath side which has something to prove at the moment, both in the playing squad and the coaching staff. 'Acting' head coach Steve Meehan will be desperate to make the job his on a permanent basis whilst the players will be keen to show that they're not just a cup side - they did tremendously well last season in the Heineken Cup at the expense of their league form. Although Gloucester are much shorter in the betting for the Premiership than Bath, I'm not too sure there's going to be much between them this weekend and traditionally Bath have the upper hand in these derbies. Nevertheless, Gloucester will be favourites here this weekend and could be worth taking on if the layers give Bath too much of a start. It might be worth keeping an eye on the winning margin betting as well - there's never too much between these two sides.

Verdict: Bath by three

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WORCESTER v BRISTOL (Saturday, 15.00)

The season hasn't even kicked-off yet but I bet at least one rugby pundit refers to this match as a 'potential six-pointer' as Worcester and Bristol dominate the betting for relegation with the bookmakers and the loser this weekend will almost certainly be facing an uphill task psychologically, even though it shouldn't make that much difference. Bristol are the favourites to go down but they have followed a very similar path to Worcester in recent seasons, just doing enough in their first to stay up whilst building on this afterwards. Bristol did the hard work last season but shouldn't rest on their laurels just yet, as they will almost certainly be in the relegation mix at the death. Worcester have made slightly more progress than Bristol thanks to their solid forward play and coach John Brain has spent the last two seasons making his pack increasingly stronger. This ploy has seen Worcester stay in the top flight but now Brain needs to take the Warriors to another level and a Heineken Cup spot is surely the aim for this season. Typically, the forwards have dominated Brain's thinking during the summer and his signings reflect this, but the capture of Marcel Garvey from Gloucester signals Brain's intention to move the Warriors up a gear. I can't see past a Worcester win here and they look like bankers of the weekend here.

Verdict: Worcester by ten

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SARACENS v WASPS (Saturday, 16.20)

The second leg of Saturday's London double-header at Twickenham sees Saracens take on Wasps in what should be an informative tie. It's been all change yet again at Vicarage Road and the latest coach in the Sarries hot seat (or carrying the poisoned chalice, depending on your point of view) is Alan Gaffney. The Australian has already been very forthright in his views, blaming previous coaching regimes for the years of underachievement at Saracens and claims that his man-management style can bring the glory days to Vicarage Road. One man who will be entrusted with doing this will be Andy Farrell, who joined Saracens after a very successful career in rugby league amid a blaze of publicity last year, only to be ruled out for the whole season with a succession of niggling injuries. Farrell is a gifted rugby player who could reach the very top in the 15-man game but this will take time and the fans could well lose patience if this doesn't happen immediately. Wasps had a disappointing time of it last season and need to make up for that this time around. After initially chasing Sale at the head of affairs, their form tailed off badly despite winning the Powergen Cup. Ian McGeechan need to galvanise his players but their squad has been weakened by the retirement of Matt Dawson and the surprise move of Stuart Abbott to Harlequins and Geech could find himself under the cosh should Wasps get off to a bad start. A good rule of thumb in rugby betting is to avoid any game with Saracens in it, especially at the start of the season where they tend to start of brightly, only to dash all hopes of a revival with a couple of poor performances after. Wasps will be favourites to win this but with a relatively knew first XV, they may not impose their superiority on Sarries. Either side could win this and whilst Wasps would be the safer option, I just have a sneaking suspicion that Saracens might get something out of this.

Verdict: Wasps by five

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NORTHAMPTON v NEWCASTLE (Sunday, 13.45)

Northampton and Newcastle are two sides that look destined for mid-table obscurity this season but either could easily get sucked into a relegation battle should they get off to a bad start. Just as Newcastle receive a good bit of news with the fact that Jonny Wilkinson is now fighting fit again after a succession of injuries, then they hear that Mathew Tait will miss the first six weeks of the new campaign after injuring his knee in training. He will now undergo surgery on Friday to repair a slight cartilage tear leaving Newcastle exasperated on the eve of the new season. The Falcons need all the help they can get this season as I reckon they'll struggle after the departure of Rob Andrew. Northampton played some good stuff last season and definitely improved on their form from the previous season, where they were incredibly lucky not to go down. Nevertheless, the side, like their coach Paul Grayson, is improving all the time and with Carlos Spencer running the show from fly-half, they can give the Falcons the run around here. They've not dabbled much in the transfer market pre-season but this is not necessarily a bad thing and the Saints can pick up where they left off last season by beating Newcastle this Sunday.

Verdict: Northampton by seven

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LEICESTER v SALE (Sunday, 16.00)

The Guinness Premiership quite often saves the best for last and the opening weekend is no exception with a re-run of last season's Championship final as Leicester host Premiership champions Sale at Welford Road. After siding with Sale for last season's title, I was a little worried when they reached the knockout stages as they had previously looked jaded as a long campaign began to take its toll but there was never any doubt in the end as

Philippe Saint-Andre's men produced two stunning performances to beat Wasps and Leicester in the semi-finals and final respectively. However, the Tigers will still be licking their wounds from this and will be looking for revenge here - and they could get it as well. A strong thread throughout Sale's campaign last season was their ability to put any side to the sword at Edgeley Park. However, the real test came away from home which they dealt with very well, but they were definitely vulnerable in defence away from Stockport. They cannot afford to do that here. Pat Howard will have been tuning his Tigers up over the summer and whilst their squad doesn't have the class to it that it once did, there is still plenty of talent in the ranks to give Sale a real run for their money this season. Both sides have been busy in the transfer market this summer and both have made fine additions to their squads. However, it took Sale a couple of games to settle into a rhythm last season and their lineout was dodgy for at least that period of time. They scraped past Newcastle in the opening game of last season but cannot afford such luxuries here. There shouldn't be too much between these sides and the bookies could well have this match as a pick 'em. However, if this is the case, then Leicester with home advantage would be too tempting to refuse.

Verdict: Leicester by five.

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By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.

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