Aviva Premiership 2016-17 Season Preview Part Four

Image via Steve Bardens/Getty Images Europe

This week, The Shaun Wren Blog has been building up to the 2016-17 Aviva Premiership season with a series of previews.

Part One – Bath Rugby, Bristol Rugby and Exeter Chiefs

Part Two – Gloucester Rugby, Harlequins and Leicester Tigers

Part Three – Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks

For the final preview, before Gloucester welcomes Leicester Tigers to Kingsholm for tonight's season opener, we focus on the final three teams – Saracens, Wasps and Worcester Warriors.

Saracens

IMAGE VIA SARACENS

Last Season – First (Champions)

DoR/Head Coach – Mark McCall

Captain – Brad Barritt

Signing In – Schalk Burger (Stormers); Alex Lozowski (Wasps); Savenaca Rawaca (Fiji Sevens); Mark Flanagan (Bedford Blues); Sean Maitland (London Irish); Vincent Koch (Stormers).

Signing Out – Rhys Gill (Cardiff Blues); Catalin Fercu (Timisoara Saracens); Kieran Longbottom (Sale Sharks); Dave Porecki (London Irish); Aaron Morris (Harlequins); Thretton Palamo (Bristol); Biyi Alo (Worcester Warriors); Ben Ransom (London Irish); Jacques Burger (retired); Charlie Hodgson (retired).

Player(s) to Watch – Maro Itoje & Nick Tompkins – It’s hands down Itoje is one of the world leading locks in the world and will continue his dominates. He’ll also (in my opinion) be Sarries next captain, only teammate George Kruis in his way, and a future England skipper in the making. After the centre made his way into the first team last season, Tompkins could really step it up this season and could easily be Sarries and England’s next young star.

Predictions – First (Champions) – With the talent of the signings and players moving up from the academy it’s hard not to think the current defending Premiership and European champions won’t be doing the double-double this season.

Wasps

IMAGE VIA WASPS

Last Season – Third

DoR/Head Coach – Dai Young

Captain – Joe Launchbury

Signing In – Marty Moore (Leinster); Tommy Taylor (Sale Sharks); Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks); Tom Cruse (London Irish); Guy Armitage (London Welsh); Craig Hampson (Bristol); Tom Woolstencroft (Bath); Marcus Garratt (Cornish Pirates); Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs); Matt Symons (London Irish); Nick de Luca (Biarritz); Kyle Eastmond (Bath); Willie le Roux (Sharks).

Signing Out - Charles Piutau (Ulster); Alex Lozowski (Saracens); George Smith (Suntory Sungoliath/Queensland Reds); Jamie Stevenson (London Scottish); Ruaridh Jackson (Harlequins); Bradley Davies (Ospreys); Carlo Festuccia (Zebre); Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne); Ed Shervington (retired); James Downey (retired); Ben Jacobs (retired); Andrea Masi (retired).

Player(s) to Watch – Willie le Roux, Tommy Taylor & Dan Robson – You can’t argue Wasps have one of the best looking 9-15 and le Roux will continue where Charles Piutau started and is just one of top notch signings. Taylor can continue where he left off at Sale and with a better team (no offence Sharks fans) and if the young hooker makes a good start I can see him in England’s Autumn Internationals and Six Nations squad. Taylor could be joined by Robson after taking the opportunity in Joe Simpson’s absence and become one of England’s best scrum-halves last season and should be England’s starting number nine.

Predictions – Second – This is the only team who could take Saracens all the way and I wouldn’t be surprised if they pip them to the Premiership title and again with the backline, they have it's going to be special.

Worcester Warriors

IMAGE VIA WORCESTER WARRIORS

Last Season – 10th

DoR/Head Coach – Carl Hogg

Captain – Gerrit-Jan van Veltze

Signing In – Ben Te'o (Leinster); Jackson Willison (Grenoble); Will Spencer (Bath); Marco Mama (Bristol); Perry Humphreys (promoted from Academy); Dewald Potgieter (Yamaha Júbilo); Matt Williams (Northampton Saints); Francois Hougaard (South Africa Sevens); Biyi Alo (Saracens); Alafoti Fa'osiliva (Bath).

Signing Out – Darren O'Shea (Munster); Charlie Mulchrone (Harlequins); Jean-Baptiste Bruzulier (Nevers); Ben Sowrey (Newcastle Falcons); Heath Stevens (London Welsh); Joe Rees (Rotherham Titans); Andy Symons (Gloucester); Alex Grove (Birmingham Moseley); Matt Gilbert (Hartpury College RFC); Dan Sanderson (Yorkshire Carnegie); Ravai Fatiaki (released); Dan George (released); Sam Smith (retired).

Player(s) to Watch – Ben Te’o – Sam Burgess’ former rugby league teammate whose been a success in union with Leinster and even though he didn’t play in England’s tour of Australia he’ll add a lot to the Warriors backline and will want to make his case in front of Eddie Jones and make an impact in the Premiership to get that number 12 jersey.

Predictions – 10th – Dean Ryan leaving will be a big blow to Worcester and if he stayed I’d put them up a position higher, but now look set to be in another closer relegation battle. Nothing exciting for Warriors fans to look forward too.