Well it’s that time of year once again; the Lions tour is almost over, Wimbledon is about as boring as sport can get, the Ashes are almost upon us but I can’t sit there waiting five days to see if there is a result but thankfully the new rugby season is only a little more than a month away.

Now this season there is a slight change in ambitions as my ambition for the club over the past three seasons has simply to finish eleventh whereas this season that achievement will simply be an objective and the ambition will be to finish in the top six and therefore qualify for the Heineken Cup (should there be one for English clubs).  Thereafter it would be to break into the top four which is a big ask when you look how Gloucester and Bath have strengthened their sides but I still think it’s achievable.

 
Whilst we have once again drawn the current champions in the Heineken Cup we have at least been drawn in a group where we could win all six games and equally lose them. Last season it was more a case of “well let’s enjoy the experience” but this season I believe we can win all our home games and if the wind is really blowing with us we could sneak a couple away. At least we will go in with a chance so the excitement will grow.

 
On the field we may not have brought in any new super stars but with the academy influx there is much to be excited about. What chance that at some point in the second half of the season you see Slade, Cowan-Dickie, Nowell, Hill, Ewers and Carrick-Smith all turning out in a Premiership match together? Well probably none but it won’t be far off in the future and if Chiefs had signed them this summer we would all be salivating and rightly so.

  
So much to look forward to and logistics to put in place.  I suppose Toulon is Ok in January but October would be much nicer and be an away game in shorts sleeves, shorts and flip-flops. Cardiff is almost a local derby and Glasgow gives me an opportunity to spend a few days in the Lake District en route.

 
As for the AP there are all the usual suspects to Quins, Glaws and Bath to visit but unless my old club Sale can work out a civilised way to get in and out of their new ground I’ll be giving that one a miss. Newcastle are back but it’s a long way for what will no doubt be a Friday night game and anyway the last time I went there was to play and in those days the ground was out on the Great North Road so the more knowledgeable amongst you can work out how long ago that was.

 
I fancy we’ll have another good and enjoyable season but who do I fancy amongst the rest? Well Leicester is always a good side and even if as Castro suggests there is a few discontented players in their squad I don’t think it will make a great deal of difference because they have always been a belligerent lot and always will be and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Saints will be around if the pack can win enough ball to allow North to perform. Sarries and Quins will push hard as always but for once I only think two of the big four will make the playoffs this season and Tigers will be one of the two to make it.
I’ve already said Glaws and Bath should be somewhere in the mix along with ourselves which leaves Worcester, Sale, Wasps, Irish and Newcastle dogging it out in the bottom half.  However, one of the issues for the majority of the clubs is owner pressure and at least eight of the sides in the league will feel it at some point or other. I don’t know what makes people want to own a rugby club but I fancy ego is the biggest motivation rather than investment and when you have a few million pounds worth of ego invested it takes some feeding.

 
But hey that’s the beauty of being at Chiefs. It’s a rugby club and there are not many of those around these days.  I have no doubt Tony Rowe has an ego and equally no doubt that he could have taken ownership of the club at some point if he had so desired. Thanks to his financial support through sponsorship and his tireless efforts in the management of the club he has developed a modern day rugby club and I don’t see him sacking RB if we have a bad run.

 
So hold on to your seats because we are nearly up and running again and before I close I’ll put my neck on the line and say we will finish either fourth or fifth in the AP and one way or another we’ll get out of our group in the HK.  

 Now I’m getting excited!