Premiership power rankings: ‘Dismal’ Saracens plummet while ‘history repeating itself’ for Sale Sharks
From left to right: Raffi Quirke, Ben Earl and Alfie Barbeary
Following the conclusion of Rounds Seven, Eight and Nine of the Premiership season,?here are our power rankings based on the teams’ results and performances from their respective fixtures.
Here is the previous power rankings for reference:?Premiership power rankings: ‘Worrying’ Sale Sharks sink while ‘classy’ Harlequins climb ladder.
10 Newcastle (-)
Steve Diamond’s side notched a solid win in round seven against Saracens, put in a spirited performance in defeat to Bath and then capitulated against Northampton. Still, it’s that win they should be most proud of, as they have taken some positive steps forward in both defence and attack. The capitulation against Northampton over the weekend might worry Diamond, but on the whole, they should be fairly pleased, all things considered.
9 Exeter (+1)
They’ve finally gotten off the zero with a win over Gloucester, and back that up with a fairly solid showing against Bath and you have an Exeter side starting to look up the table. The Sale defeat was dismal, let’s be honest, but yet there are some serious signs of growth in this side compared to where they have been. All season, Rob Baxter has said one win could turn into a run of form, but will it?
8 Harlequins (-3)
Resident entertainers Harlequins have struggled for results of late, losing two and drawing one of their past three Premiership outings, and that sends them plummeting down the power rankings. Their defeat against Bristol – in an all-time classic – showed they cannot rely on their usual ability to outscore opponents and the Gloucester defeat saw them nilled for the first time in 10 years. The draw against Leicester was a huge step forward after the Gloucester loss, but they slipped off when it mattered most and let the Tigers snatch a 79th-minute try. Work to be done at the Stoop if they want to make the play-offs.
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7 Northampton (-1)
We still don’t quite know what to make of Northampton this year, and they end this block of fixtures with one win from three. Phil Dowson’s side looked brilliant in their thumping of Newcastle, but that came off the back of two pretty lacklustre showings against Gloucester and Saracens, which is probably a metaphor for their season on the whole. Just consistently inconsistent – so to speak.
6 Saracens (-3)
A really tough block for six-time champions Saracens, who have only won one of the three fixtures, and the defeats to both Newcastle and Bath will also leave a sour taste in the mouth. They were certainly heavy favourites up at Kingston Park, but left licking their wounds after a dismal display, and to be honest the less said about the Bath loss the better as they were dismal. They, more than anyone, will be hoping for better things to come in 2025.
5 Gloucester (+2)
You feel the loss against Exeter was just a blip, given they had beaten both Northampton Saints and Harlequins in their two previous Premiership outings. There is a lot to like about the Cherry and Whites this year, and it seems their no-fear approach is now starting to get the results it threatened to do early doors. As a result, George Skivington’s side find themselves sixth in the table, and are within touching distance of the top four too. Vastly improved on where they were last year too.
4 Leicester (-1)
Prior to this block, Leicester looked like they were gunning for a title charge, but two losses and a draw have seen them slip out of the top four altogether. Michael Cheika’s side were ruthlessly dispatched at home by Bristol, fell away to Sale Sharks and if not for some late Dan Cole and Handre Pollard heroics at Allianz Stadium would have lost to Harlequins. The steel they had in the early rounds seems to have drifted out slightly, and this could be a good time for them to just take stock of things and go back to where they were previously.
3 Sale (+5)
Is history repeating itself? Prior to these three rounds, Sale were languishing down the foot of the standings and playing pretty poor rugby, but now they find themselves third in the table and are certainly the form team in the league too – which sees them skyrocket up the rankings. The introduction of Byron McGuigan as defence coach has clearly improved things in this department, and George Ford now back up and running at 100% is having a clear effect on their attack too. We all know what can happen when Sale get wind behind them, so watch this space.
2 Bristol (+2)
Pat Lam’s side never fail to entertain, and they’ve been brilliant in this three-game block – even with the heavy defeat against Sale. Their wins over Harlequins and Leicester proved they can blow teams apart when they get going, and crucially can back it up week after week too. Yes, the Sale loss will hurt them, but overall they should feel very happy with where they are right now and could be eyeing up a shot at the title.
1 Bath (-)
Three wins from three games means Johann van Graan’s side retain their spot at the summit. The results will certainly please the Rec faithful, but it’s the fact they have come in three different ways that should leave other teams in the league worried. They’ve had to grind out a tough win against Exeter, overcame some adversity against Newcastle and then simply blew Saracens off the park too. Winning in different ways, and playing new styles as the weeks go by, is a true sign of a champion team and they are looking likely to be in the mix come the end of the season.