Features

Positive start in the Premiership

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 04/10/2009
Rugby Union betting

The first four rounds of this season's Guinness Premiership campaign are over and only one side has won all of their games, while three teams are still to secure a victory.

Saracens are the surprise early leaders but the only comfortable victory they enjoyed was the 22-9 win at Harlequins. Their successes against London Irish, Northampton Saints and Gloucester were all narrow affairs with Sarries eventually prevailing by four or fewer points on each occasion.

It is quite a transformation for a team that finished ninth last season and endured a massive overhaul in the summer with a plethora of South Africans being added to the squad.

There is a feeling that Saracens' luck must change soon and, as a result, the online betting currently suggests that it will be Leicester Tigers and London Irish challenging for the title in eight months' time.

Can Leicester secure back-to-back Grand Final successes? - Latest Rugby Union Betting

The two teams contested last season's Grand Final, with the Tigers eventually emerging victorious, but they have started the current campaign slowly and failed to score a try or concede one in their first three matches.

They finally opened their try account in the 20-20 draw at Bath, but that result left them back in fifth spot, five points behind Saracens.

London Irish have looked the most complete side in the opening month of competition, hitting back from their opening weekend defeat against Saracens to thrash Gloucester and Leeds before beating Wasps 28-16 to go second in the table.

Elsewhere, Northampton have started well after finishing eighth last term with their only defeat coming against the table-topping Sarries, while Wasps appear to have learned from last season's mistakes and are fourth after winning their first three games before losing to the Exiles.

Sale made a superb start to the campaign, beating Leicester on the opening weekend, but they have stuttered since, failing to win any of their next three matches while Worcester and Bath have made solid if unspectacular starts to the season.

Newcastle Falcons have amazingly drawn three of their first four matches but there are worrying signs at Gloucester where the Cherry and Whites have lost three games in a row, including a humbling 40-10 loss at London Irish.

There should be no relegation fears at Kingsholm though as Leeds already appear overwhelming favourites to go straight back down after suffering big losses against Worcester, London Irish and Northampton Saints.

That is also good news for Harlequins who still do not appear to have got over their nightmare summer.

They lost their first three matches before grinding out a 17-17 draw with Newcastle Falcons, but at least the headlines are now more concerned with matters on the pitch rather than the Bloodgate scandal that threatened to engulf the sport.

BET NOW