Aviva Premiership on the horizon

After an elongated absence from our lives the Aviva Premiership returns tonight with a bang and the stage is set for the most competitive and unrelenting Aviva Premiership season ever.

The domestic marathon kicks off with three sets of Friday Night Lights, two Saturday fixture and one Sunday service. 

At the Twickenham Stoop Harlequins will welcome Wasps Rugby and meetings between the two are always tightly contested and high tempo affairs. In South West London a number of high profile Aviva Premiership signings will be introducing themselves to the competition with Adam Jones, James Horwill, Jimmy Gopperth and George Smith all making their debuts. They’ll be a great deal of interest in how Ashley Johnson performs at Hooker and personally I’m looking forward to seeing what Charlie Walker can do for Harlequins out wide. It’s set to be a dry night in London so I expect plenty of rugby, on point set piece work and fiercely contested breakdowns.

At Sixways the Worcester Warriors face the ultimate test for their re-introduction to top flight rugby as they will host the Northampton Saints. History shows us that the Northampton Saints like starting with a bang as they have won their season opener for the past nine seasons. Dean Ryan is handing debuts to 5 summer signings; Donncha O'Callaghan, Phil Dowson, Wynand Olivier, Tom Heathcote and Darren Barry and all will need to deliver. Across the park there some cracking match ups with the battle of the full backs between Chris Pennell and Ben Foden topping the tree. On home soil I'm expecting Dean Ryan’s side to front up and be counted for however with a boosted squad the Northampton Saints should continue their opening round trend. 

In the North East the Newcastle Falcons will be welcoming Gloucester Rugby to town and Dean Richards is handing starting debuts to four of his key signings; Mike Delany, Taione Vea, Mouritz Botha and Todd Clever. The Falcons’ back line is filled with pace and fans have every reason to feel positive. In comparison to many Gloucester Rugby will arrive with a settled team and their buzz word of this season is consistency. In the absence of James Hook, Billy Twelvetrees will move to fly-half and new signing Willi Heinz has the unenviable task of filling the boots of Greig Laidlaw.

On Saturday afternoon The Rec will host the Exeter Chiefs for the second time in two weeks after their final pre-season head to head. The Chiefs ran away with the result last Saturday and have fielded the same starting XV however I don't expect them same to happen this time around. Bath Rugby are boosted by the return of their England players with George Ford and Anthony Watson starting and David Wilson and Sam Burgess on the bench. Bath haven’t lost on the opening weekend since 2006 however the Exeter Chiefs will arrive confident and ready to cause a stir, it should be a cracker.

The current Aviva Premiership Champions will open their account at home against the Sale Sharks. Saracens’ off season has been a productive and settled one according to their Director of Rugby therefore I expect them to fire from moment one in this match. The Sale Sharks produced a lot of good rugby last year and like many others consistency will be king. The lineouts should be fiercely contested with Maro Itoje and Jim Hamilton up against Josh Beaumont and Bryn Evans and for those that like a scrummage watch out for the Jamie George and Tommy Taylor head to head in the middle. The Sharks have won just once on Saracens soil in Premiership Rugby history can they double their victory count this weekend?

The final match of the weekend will be at the Madjeski Stadium where London Irish will face the Leicester Tigers. Both sides have new management at the helm and this first outing will test just how productive their respective summers have been. Logovi'i Mulipola  and Tom Croft are two welcome returnees and familiar faces amongst a line up that contains a 5 Premiership debutants. London Irish are handing the reigns at 10 to Chris Noakes who will partner up with Brendan McKibbin and they’re boosted by the return of internationals Jebb Sinclair and Halani Aulika. History points the odds in the direction of the Leicester Tigers - they’ve won their last three season openers and London Irish have beaten them just once in any tournament since 2009 however Tom Coventry and London Irish will be keen to start their campaign positively on home soil.