THE new Premiership season kicks off on Friday night with champs Exeter Chiefs heading to Gloucester.
And SunSport have the full low-down on the new campaign from everything to the big-name summer signings to the price of a pie and a pint.
BATH
Director of rugby: Todd Blackadder
Captain: Matt Garvey
Star man: Toby Faletau – Lions no.8 has to recapture the same form he showed in New Zealand for his club.
Boy wonder: Sam Underhill – Big things are expected from the no.7 who is a favourite of England boss Eddie Jones.
Big-name signing: Freddie Burns – Part of the George Ford swap deal, played his best rugby to date last term.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pasty: £3.60
Cheapest adult ticket: £26
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Spine of the squad looks strong, have no excuses not to make the play-offs.
Last season: 5th Prediction: 4th
If they were a football team, they would be: Chelsea – Rich owner and like Blues their training-ground is plusher than Buckingham Palace.
EXETER CHIEFS
Director of rugby: Rob Baxter
Captain: Jack Yeandle
Star man: Jack Nowell – Winger personifies the team-spirit at Sandy Park and is their try-scoring talisman.
Boy wonder: Jack Maunder – Scrum-half, 20, is on the England radar after his breakthrough season.
Big-name signing: Matt Kvesic – Never done it at England level and will be hoping this move gets him back there.
Price of a pint: £4.10
Price of a pasty: £
Cheapest adult ticket: £2
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Will be tough to emulate last season’s heroics – but squad is largely the same.
Last season: Champions Prediction: 2nd
If they were a football team, they would be: Leicester City – punched well above their weight to win the league against the odds.
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GLOUCESTER
Director of rugby: David Humphreys
Captain: Willi Heinz
Star man: Ross Moriarty – Frustrating Lions series, but back row has the strength to bounce back with the Cherry and Whites.
Boy wonder: Val Rapava Ruskin – If he can channel his badboy ways on the pitch he could give Glaws real bite.
Big-name signing: Jason Woodward – Full-back adds X-factor to the backs after losing star man Jonny May.
Price of a pint: £3.80
Price of a pasty: £5
Cheapest adult ticket: £20
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: New coach Johan Ackermann will crack the whip at Kingsholm – and it’s needed.
Last season: 9th Prediction: 10th
If they were a football team, they would be: Newcastle United – proud fans underachievers, but side is a shadow of glory days.
HARLEQUINS
Director of rugby: John Kingston
Captain: James Horwill
Star man: Kyle Sinckler – Fresh off an outstanding Lions tour the ferocious prop can rip into the Prem.
Boy wonder: Marcus Smith – Teenage fly-half is seen as the real-deal in Twickenham.
Big-name signing: Demetri Catrakilis – Quins have desperately been looking for a 10 to step into Nick Evans’ boots – he can do that.
Price of a pint: £4.70
Price of a pie: £4.20
Cheapest adult ticket: £29.50
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Need the big-name players to stand up after letting them down the past two years.
Last season: 6th Prediction: 7th
If they were a football team, they would be: Tottenham – another set of bottlers from London.
LEICESTER TIGERS
Director of rugby: Matt O’Connor
Captain: Tom Youngs
Star man: Matt Toomua – Aussie playmaker will be a menace outside Ford in the centres.
Boy wonder: Ellis Genge – Devastating ball-carrier and tackler. Absolute mongrel, in a soft pack.
Big-name signing: George Ford – Back at Welford Road after his Bath nightmare. England man will sort this side out.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pie: £3.60
Cheapest adult ticket: £15
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Backline ripped up during internationals and the pack is too lightweight.
Last season: 4th Prediction: 5th
If they were a football team, they would be: Liverpool – have become serial underachievers for the size of their club.
LONDON IRISH
Director of rugby: Nick Kennedy
Captain: Topsy Ojo
Star man: Ben Franks – A World Cup winner with the All Blacks and a man who will steady the scrum.
Boy wonder: Joe Cokanasiga – At 17 stone and 6ft 4ins you can see why Eddie Jones loves the big Irish winger.
Big-name signing: Napolioni Nalaga – Fijian flier joined from French side Lyon will be looking to create magic.
Price of a pint: £4
Price of a pie: £3.90
Cheapest adult ticket: £21
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Talented young coaching squad, but lack the players to stay up.
Last season: Promoted
Prediction: Relegated
If they were a football team, they would be: Brighton – pretty inoffensive club, but going straight back down.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Director of rugby: Dean Richards
Captain: Will Welch
Star man: Toby Flood – Jonny Wilkinson’s Kingston Park protege has returned to the Toon with a big fanfare.
Big-name signing: Maxime Mermoz – France centre adds more flair through gather middle for the Falcons.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £3.50
Cheapest adult ticket: £15
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Improving year-on year. Richards will be hoping his big-names can close out the games they should have won last year.
Last season: 8th Prediction: 8th
If they were a football team, they would be: West Brom – unfashionable side, but on the up and a surprise package.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder
Captain: Dylan Hartley
Star man: Courtney Lawes – Terrorising second-row can kick on even more after his best season to date
Boy wonder: Harry Mallinder – Bosses son plays anywhere across the backs and that will be key at Franklin’s Gardens.
Big-name signing: Piers Francis – Fresh from Super Rugby, England man will pull the strings at no.10.
Price of a pint: £3.90
Price of a pie: £4
Cheapest adult ticket: £22
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: No Picamoles, no party. Saints backline has to click early or it will be more misery.
Last season: 7th Prediction: 6th
If they were a football team, they would be: Arsenal – former champs gone off the rails, best player quit and too often flop in Europe.
SALE SHARKS
Director of rugby: Steve Diamond
Captain: Will Addison
Star man: Denny Solomona – An enigma, but could miss a huge chunk of the year with England duty despite his boozing shame.
Boy wonder: Tom Curry – The standout of the Curry twins. Openside has to back-up last year’s stellar season.
Big-name signing: James O’Connor – Aussie busted for taking cocaine in Paris this year – will need to stay the right side of the law.
Price of a pint: £3.70
Price of a pie: £3
Cheapest adult ticket: £22
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Looking to be boom or bust at Sale, won’t be boring supporting them.
Last season: 10th Prediction: 9th
If they were a football team, they would be: West Ham – good youth system, but love a bad-boy signing too.
SARACENS
Director of rugby: Mark McCall
Captain: Brad Barritt
Star man: Owen Farrell – Fresh after signing a new five-year deal. Drives this team and kicks the points.
Boy wonder: Nick Isiekwe – The new Maro Itoje – which is a scary thought in itself.
Big-name signing: Liam Williams – Will fill the hole on the wing left from Chris Ashton’s departure to Toulon.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £4.50
Cheapest adult ticket: £28
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Even their tea-lady is world-class. No one comes close to them.
Last season: 3rd Prediction: Champions
If they were a football team, they would be: Manchester United – Have their very own version of the class of ’92.
WASPS
Director of rugby: Dai Young
Captain: Joe Launchbury
Star man: Elliot Daly – Proven he can play anywhere, but will star in his favoured outside centre spot.
Boy wonder: Jacob Umaga – You’ll recognise the surname – the nephew of Tana Umaga and already doing his famous name justice at youth level.
Big-name signing: Juan de Jongh – Springbok centre joins fellow South African Willie Le Roux at the Ricoh.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £3.80
Cheapest adult ticket: £17
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Kurtley Beale will be a huge loss. But don’t lose too many during internationals.
Last season: 2nd Prediction: 3rd
If they were a football team, they would be: Man City – Can’t stop chucking the cash on big-name stars.
WORCESTER WARRIORS
Director of rugby: Gary Gold
Captain: Donncha O’Callaghan
Star man: Ben Te’o – Bath want the centre, but Worcester will do all they can to keep their battering-ram England centre.
Boy wonder: Jack Singleton – Rookie hooker travelled to Argentina and is coming through nicely.
Big-name signing: Peter Stringer – At 40 he will bring experience and game-winning nous.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pie: £3.30
Cheapest adult ticket: £20
Jonny Fordham’s verdict: Don’t expect anything but a relegation scrap.
Last season: 11th Prediction: 11th
If they were a football team, they would be: Crystal Palace – love scratching around at the bottom of the table.
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