We are now half way through the PREM season and so it’s time to look at how the teams stack up. We did this exercise after round 5 (which you can check out here) and it’s fair to say there’s been a quite a lot of movement since. Some teams have confirmed their hot starts were not a fluke. Others have fallen off over the festive season.
As ever, these are not the table standings. These are our opinions on who really are the best teams in the PREM. At the moment I see 4 real contenders for the title, then another 3 teams that have to improve to catch those top 4 up. Then the less said about the other 3 teams, the better right now.
For those in a hurry, we’ve also tried to sum up every teams situation in one short, sharp sentence.
1. Bath
Previous Ranking: 1↔
One sentence summary: The chasing pack have all but caught up with the champs.
I know, I know, they’ve recently been beaten convincingly at home by Northampton, but they are still the champs, and they still look like a quality team. Through the first 4 rounds of the season they were the clear number 1. Since then we’ve seen chinks in their armour. First the loss away to Leicester, then the Champions Cup reality check away in Toulon, and now they’ve conceded their first home loss of the season against the Saints. It would be easy to start dropping Bath down these power rankings, but here at Gameline Sports we like to think we are good at not overreacting, at looking at things holistically and remaining level-headed. To me, Bath are still the top team in the PREM, but the gap to the rest has shrunk significantly.
2. Northampton Saints
Previous Ranking: 3↑
One sentence summary: Saints are back on the title march.
What a win in round 8 at the Rec! It’s hard to believe now that the 2023/24 champions finished a lowly 8th last season. Clearly what we’re seeing is that last season was an anomaly. Last year they struggled in the league, but were strong still in the Champions Cup. This year they’ve had no such domestic struggles. Saints are back to their best. They’re well coached, their top players are healthy and they look ready to challenge for the title once more. They’ve built the depth in their team now that they don’t need to rely on their best players to win matches. If Fin Smith is out, Belleau can run the show. If Furbank is out, Hendy is an excellent option. They are built to compete over 18 weeks and they have a good chance of adding an extra 2 weeks to the PREM season come June.
3. Exeter Chiefs
Previous Ranking: 6↑
One sentence summary: They just keep delivering.
I think we’ve got to the point now where we have to treat Exeter as a legit title contender. Initially they were notching some good results but after coming 9th last season and being a cut below the rest of the league, it was hard to truly take them seriously. We’ve had 9 rounds now and they’ve won 6 games and currently sit just 4 points off the top of the table. They look totally transformed, as a young squad has matured and been boosted by some excellent recruitment. Some of their young players, like Daf Jenkins and Greg Fisilau, have taken big leaps forward this year. Meanwhile they’ve brought in Varney, who’s another one that’s taken a big jump this season, and Ikitau, as well as Dweba and Tom Hooper up front. All have made a big impact, although unfortunately for them, World Rugby’s dream team 12, Len Ikitau is now likely to be sidelined until April. I still have slight trepidation calling them a title contender, but every time I watch them play, I’m more and more impressed. Even in their loss to Bath, I came away with more confidence in this team.
4. Bristol Bears
Previous Ranking: 7↑
One sentence summary: They’re playing smarter and have found a winning formula.
Bristol Bears have been great value for money the last few years, running it from everywhere. The only problem is, I can’t really think of any teams that have won major trophies playing that way. Rugby more generally is shifting to favouring contestable kicking since the outlawing of escorting. Bristol this season seem far more calculated with the way they play. They kick more in their own half and they seem to take pride in defence. Their demolition of Harlequins in Big Game 17 felt like a great display of where this side have progressed to. In front of 60k fans on a clear night, it would have been easy to try and put on a show and overplay, but Bristol systematically dismantled Quins. They won comfortably off the back of discipline, accuracy and ironclad defence, complimented by brilliant attacking patterns and a sprinkling of individual star dust. Louis Rees-Zammit might just be the signing of the season, he looks genuinely world class right now. Pat Lam is determined to win the PREM with Bristol and this year they absolutely have the chance to do this.
5. Leicester
Previous Ranking: 4↓
One sentence summary: Slowly getting better but still a tier below the top 4.
If you exclude a game against Newcastle Red Bulls – who are a step below the top 7 teams – Leicester haven’t won another game away from home in the PREM this season. Fortunately for them though, they are unbeaten in the league at home. So where does that leave them? They’re a mid-table team right now. Yes, they are absolutely in the race for the top 4, but they simply aren’t winning the games that the teams ahead of them in these rankings are winning. They don’t feel like a true title contender right now but they do seem to be improving as new head coach Geoff Parling has more time with them.
As we head into the second half of the PREM season, it very plausible that they can grow into a true contender. Although on what we’re seeing right now, there is still plenty to be done to reach that.
6. Saracens
Previous Ranking: 2↓
One sentence summary: Something is missing but they still have too much class to write off.
I don’t really know what to think of Saracens right now. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought of them as the 2nd best team. They had Farrell back running the show. All those incredible backrowers and experienced backs were slicing teams open. But they’ve just not been that good in the last month or so. Against Leicester, who are just one place above them in these rankings, they never really looked like they could win. This is not the Sarries team of years gone by. Their best players are aging and they aren’t as effective as they perhaps once were. I still though have more trust in them than almost any team to pull a performance out the bag when they need it.
Hopefully for Saracens the return of Itoje can be the spark they need. If not, there could be some tough questions being asked as this PREM season progresses.
7. Sale Sharks
Previous Ranking: 5↓
One sentence summary: Need to start winning away to bridge the gap to the top 6.
Sale have not had the start to the season they would have wanted. In my previous power rankings I mentioned how Sale had an excellent record as home, losing just once in the PREM there last season, but if they want to fight for top 4 they need to be winning away. Since I wrote that they’ve lost one game at home to Exeter but are still yet to register a win on the road. It almost came against Bristol this weekend if not for a late Bears try, but the fact they were close against a strong side is at least a consolation.
They have however shown an uptick in form over the last few weeks. History shows us this is a team that can make a run and climb up the table late in the season. But their margin for error has shrunk. They’re a better team than their league standing suggests but they need results.
8. Gloucester
Previous Ranking: 9↑
One sentence summary: Now just playing for pride but in need of a long term rethink.
Now we come to the teams that are so far off where they’d expect to be that their CEOs are making statements acknowledging their underperformance. I’m putting Gloucester ahead of Harlequins for now because at least they can blame bad injury luck on their 11% win record. If you’re 1 win from 8 though, you’d really want to get a victory against a winless Newcastle side. Especially after losing the week before at home. But it wasn’t to be.
It’s been a tough season for Gloucester. They need to rethink the way they play and their recruitment and player retention. The additions of Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will add considerable strength and toughness up front. But I can’t help but wonder how you let Tomos Williams, your club captain and the best player in the league, go to a rival as soon as his contract is up. On a positive note, the second half of this season should be better than the first for Gloucester. Can’t get much worse.
9. Harlequins
Previous Ranking: 8↓
One sentence summary: Need to fix things quickly just to get back to being competitive.
Sorry Quins fans, your team is pretty terrible right now. They’ve not upgraded their squad over the last couple seasons and they look devoid of elite talent. Outside of Marcus Smith I just don’t see any players that are able to impact games in a major way. Their attack is hapless right now. Teams are finding it far too easy to defend them and then in defence they aren’t putting up enough resistance. They’ve had some major personnel losses in recent seasons, both coaches and senior players. When talent is walking out the door, you really need more talent coming in. As far as the PREM is concerned, this season is a write off. Now they need to figure out a way to make things work and get back to playing some rugby that can win them games.
10. Newcastle Red Bulls
Previous Ranking: 10↔
One sentence summary: On the rise but still limited by the talent of this season’s squad.
I really wanted to put Newcastle Red Bulls ahead of Gloucester and/or Harlequins, but I thought better of it. The last couple weeks have been great for Red Bulls. They notched their first point of the season after scoring 4 tries in Bristol, in a game they led until halfway through the second half. This week they beat Gloucester to give their new owners their first PREM victory.
It’s easy to get excited about the signings Red Bulls are announcing for next season, but perhaps the biggest, and the one that’s already showing an impact, is the signing of Stephen Jones to run their attack. The former Wales and Lions outside half has built up an impressive resume and is highly rated by those he’s worked with in both Wales and New Zealand. Newcastle have looked better in recent weeks, and whilst their squad still isn’t particularly competitive, I do expect them to claim another win, or perhaps two more this season.