Following the conclusion of the first half of the Premiership season, Planet Rugby takes a look at the mid-term reports for each team.
Newcastle: B
They are already two wins better off than they were last season, and to be perfectly honest they have been good value for this with improved performances right across the nine league game to date. Away games are still hard for them to manage, look at their recent loss to Northampton for example, but they are far more competitive at home and are starting to bring fans back to Kingston Park as a result. They are still bottom of the table, granted, but much improved so far from the Falcons.
Exeter: E
Northampton: D
Nobody can really say where Northampton are at the moment, but their eighth-place ranking feels like a big drop-off from the defending champions. The injury to Alex Mitchell early doors was a huge blow, and things have quickly turned around for them since his return, but that in itself is a sign of a team not fully firing. It just feels something hasn’t quite been there this year, be it that errors creeping in or even a change to their system, it just hasn’t quite clicked yet. Their win against Newcastle was probably the first time we saw what they are capable of though, and if they play like that for the second half of the season they could cause some damage; but on the whole four wins from nine for the defending champions isn’t good enough.
Harlequins: D
Gloucester: B
Leicester: B
Saracens: B+
Sale: B+
Bristol: A
Bath: A+
The Blue, Black and White machine have been in spectacular touch this year, sitting on a record of eight wins from nine and five points clear at the top. Johann van Graan’s side have taken another step forward in their journey this season, and have just improved on almost everything that made them Premiership finalists last year. They almost have this robotic ability to scan their opponents and find the perfect way of beating them, which has been the driving factor behind their success this season. Could it finally be their year?
