England winger Anthony Watson is among those who want top-flight players to be limited to just 20 matches a season to protect them from the rigours and demands of the modern game.
Wales captain Sam Warburton recently announced his retirement aged just 29 and he’s not the first international to give up the game at a relatively early age. Even at junior levels, there is barely a match goes by nowadays without some kind of head injury suffered and Watson says players need help to manage an increasingly heavy workload and avoid injuries which can end a career or worse.
The BATH winger will miss his team’s first match of the new Gallagher Premiership season, which starts this weekend, as he is currently recovering from injury and his team are not one of those fancied to contesting the Premiership Final next May. Todd Blackadder’s team have finished fifth and sixth in the last two season but consistency continues to elude the west country side, who are 28/1 to win the Premiership Final with Boylesports and 25/1 with same firm to win the Premiership Regular Season.
SARACENS are a best 15/8 to top the Gallagher Premiership at the end of the Regular Season and only 13/8 to win the Premiership Final. They’ve won the Premiership Final in three of the last four years and provided 10 of the England squad that toured South Africa in the summer so look the team to beat again, despite the claims of EXETER, though don’t expect them to be ‘at it’ from whistle one.
The Chiefs are only a best 5/2 with Boylesports in respective markets to win both the Regular Season and Premiership Final. Runaway winners of the Regular Season last term, they’ll use their defeat in the final as motivation for this season but Rob Baxter’s team may also take a few weeks to get up to speed as they also had plenty of players touring in the summer.
WASPS did well to reach the semi-finals last season after an injury-plagued campaign. They could yet rise to the summit if they could learn how to close games down. Too often, their pack finds itself being pushed back and Dai Young has still not really addressed that problem over the summer but they have overall strength-in-depth and are only a best 11/2 in both featured markets.
LEICESTER had more stability at the helm last season and Matt O’Connor has set about making his mark since the spring. The Tigers have brought in 11 new players and 16 have been shown the door. They are a general 12/1 to win the Premiership Final and a best 10/1 with Betfred to top the Regular Season standings but need to turn Welford Road back into a fortress.
After that we’re into the realms of what-ifs and maybes as this will probably be a season of consolidation for NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (33/1 with Boylesports for the Regular Season) under an unfamiliar new coach. Chris Boyd replaced club legend Jim Mallinder in January but has only had a few weeks to work with his players.
Gallagher Premiership Regular Season Best Odds
Saracens 15/8
Exeter Chiefs 5/2
Wasps 11/2
Leicester Tigers 10/1
Gloucester 14/1
Bath 25/1
Newcastle 25/1
Northampton 33/1
Sale Sharks 50/1
Harlequins 66/1
Bristol 100/1
Worcester 500/1
(Odds correct at 2.30pm August 28)
