Will Leicester Tigers be the Premiership’s version of Arsenal and flop again?
SunSport's unique guide to the new 2017/18 Aviva Premiership season looks at who will challenge champions Exeter Chiefs and who is in line for the drop
THE new Premiership season kicks off on Friday night with champs Exeter Chiefs heading to Gloucester.
And SunSport have the full low-down on the new campaign from everything to the big-name summer signings to the price of a pie and a pint.
BATH
Director of rugby: Todd Blackadder
Captain: Matt Garvey
Star man: Toby Faletau – Lions no.8 has to recapture the same form he showed in New Zealand for his club.
Boy wonder: Sam Underhill – Big things are expected from the no.7 who is a favourite of England boss Eddie Jones.
Big-name signing: Freddie Burns – Part of the George Ford swap deal, played his best rugby to date last term.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pasty: £3.60
Cheapest adult ticket: £26
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Spine of the squad looks strong, have no excuses not to make the play-offs.
Last season: 5th Prediction: 4th
If they were a football team, they would be: Chelsea - Rich owner and like Blues their training-ground is plusher than Buckingham Palace.
EXETER CHIEFS
Director of rugby: Rob Baxter
Captain: Jack Yeandle
Star man: Jack Nowell – Winger personifies the team-spirit at Sandy Park and is their try-scoring talisman.
Boy wonder: Jack Maunder – Scrum-half, 20, is on the England radar after his breakthrough season.
Big-name signing: Matt Kvesic – Never done it at England level and will be hoping this move gets him back there.
Price of a pint: £4.10
Price of a pasty: £
Cheapest adult ticket: £2
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Will be tough to emulate last season's heroics - but squad is largely the same.
Last season: Champions Prediction: 2nd
If they were a football team, they would be: Leicester City - punched well above their weight to win the league against the odds.
latest rugby news
GLOUCESTER
Director of rugby: David Humphreys
Captain: Willi Heinz
Star man: Ross Moriarty – Frustrating Lions series, but back row has the strength to bounce back with the Cherry and Whites.
Boy wonder: Val Rapava Ruskin – If he can channel his badboy ways on the pitch he could give Glaws real bite.
Big-name signing: Jason Woodward – Full-back adds X-factor to the backs after losing star man Jonny May.
Price of a pint: £3.80
Price of a pasty: £5
Cheapest adult ticket: £20
Jonny Fordham's verdict: New coach Johan Ackermann will crack the whip at Kingsholm - and it's needed.
Last season: 9th Prediction: 10th
If they were a football team, they would be: Newcastle United - proud fans underachievers, but side is a shadow of glory days.
HARLEQUINS
Director of rugby: John Kingston
Captain: James Horwill
Star man: Kyle Sinckler – Fresh off an outstanding Lions tour the ferocious prop can rip into the Prem.
Boy wonder: Marcus Smith – Teenage fly-half is seen as the real-deal in Twickenham.
Big-name signing: Demetri Catrakilis – Quins have desperately been looking for a 10 to step into Nick Evans' boots - he can do that.
Price of a pint: £4.70
Price of a pie: £4.20
Cheapest adult ticket: £29.50
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Need the big-name players to stand up after letting them down the past two years.
Last season: 6th Prediction: 7th
If they were a football team, they would be: Tottenham – another set of bottlers from London.
LEICESTER TIGERS
Director of rugby: Matt O’Connor
Captain: Tom Youngs
Star man: Matt Toomua – Aussie playmaker will be a menace outside Ford in the centres.
Boy wonder: Ellis Genge – Devastating ball-carrier and tackler. Absolute mongrel, in a soft pack.
Big-name signing: George Ford – Back at Welford Road after his Bath nightmare. England man will sort this side out.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pie: £3.60
Cheapest adult ticket: £15
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Backline ripped up during internationals and the pack is too lightweight.
Last season: 4th Prediction: 5th
If they were a football team, they would be: Liverpool - have become serial underachievers for the size of their club.
LONDON IRISH
Director of rugby: Nick Kennedy
Captain: Topsy Ojo
Star man: Ben Franks – A World Cup winner with the All Blacks and a man who will steady the scrum.
Boy wonder: Joe Cokanasiga – At 17 stone and 6ft 4ins you can see why Eddie Jones loves the big Irish winger.
Big-name signing: Napolioni Nalaga – Fijian flier joined from French side Lyon will be looking to create magic.
Price of a pint: £4
Price of a pie: £3.90
Cheapest adult ticket: £21
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Talented young coaching squad, but lack the players to stay up.
Last season: Promoted
Prediction: Relegated
If they were a football team, they would be: Brighton – pretty inoffensive club, but going straight back down.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Director of rugby: Dean Richards
Captain: Will Welch
Star man: Toby Flood – Jonny Wilkinson's Kingston Park protege has returned to the Toon with a big fanfare.
Big-name signing: Maxime Mermoz – France centre adds more flair through gather middle for the Falcons.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £3.50
Cheapest adult ticket: £15
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Improving year-on year. Richards will be hoping his big-names can close out the games they should have won last year.
Last season: 8th Prediction: 8th
If they were a football team, they would be: West Brom - unfashionable side, but on the up and a surprise package.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder
Captain: Dylan Hartley
Star man: Courtney Lawes – Terrorising second-row can kick on even more after his best season to date
Boy wonder: Harry Mallinder – Bosses son plays anywhere across the backs and that will be key at Franklin's Gardens.
Big-name signing: Piers Francis – Fresh from Super Rugby, England man will pull the strings at no.10.
Price of a pint: £3.90
Price of a pie: £4
Cheapest adult ticket: £22
Jonny Fordham's verdict: No Picamoles, no party. Saints backline has to click early or it will be more misery.
Last season: 7th Prediction: 6th
If they were a football team, they would be: Arsenal - former champs gone off the rails, best player quit and too often flop in Europe.
SALE SHARKS
Director of rugby: Steve Diamond
Captain: Will Addison
Star man: Denny Solomona – An enigma, but could miss a huge chunk of the year with England duty despite his boozing shame.
Boy wonder: Tom Curry – The standout of the Curry twins. Openside has to back-up last year's stellar season.
Big-name signing: James O’Connor – Aussie busted for taking cocaine in Paris this year - will need to stay the right side of the law.
Price of a pint: £3.70
Price of a pie: £3
Cheapest adult ticket: £22
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Looking to be boom or bust at Sale, won't be boring supporting them.
Last season: 10th Prediction: 9th
If they were a football team, they would be: West Ham - good youth system, but love a bad-boy signing too.
SARACENS
Director of rugby: Mark McCall
Captain: Brad Barritt
Star man: Owen Farrell – Fresh after signing a new five-year deal. Drives this team and kicks the points.
Boy wonder: Nick Isiekwe – The new Maro Itoje - which is a scary thought in itself.
Big-name signing: Liam Williams – Will fill the hole on the wing left from Chris Ashton's departure to Toulon.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £4.50
Cheapest adult ticket: £28
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Even their tea-lady is world-class. No one comes close to them.
Last season: 3rd Prediction: Champions
If they were a football team, they would be: Manchester United – Have their very own version of the class of '92.
WASPS
Director of rugby: Dai Young
Captain: Joe Launchbury
Star man: Elliot Daly – Proven he can play anywhere, but will star in his favoured outside centre spot.
Boy wonder: Jacob Umaga – You'll recognise the surname - the nephew of Tana Umaga and already doing his famous name justice at youth level.
Big-name signing: Juan de Jongh – Springbok centre joins fellow South African Willie Le Roux at the Ricoh.
Price of a pint: £4.30
Price of a pie: £3.80
Cheapest adult ticket: £17
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Kurtley Beale will be a huge loss. But don't lose too many during internationals.
Last season: 2nd Prediction: 3rd
If they were a football team, they would be: Man City – Can't stop chucking the cash on big-name stars.
WORCESTER WARRIORS
Director of rugby: Gary Gold
Captain: Donncha O’Callaghan
Star man: Ben Te’o – Bath want the centre, but Worcester will do all they can to keep their battering-ram England centre.
Boy wonder: Jack Singleton – Rookie hooker travelled to Argentina and is coming through nicely.
Big-name signing: Peter Stringer – At 40 he will bring experience and game-winning nous.
Price of a pint: £4.20
Price of a pie: £3.30
Cheapest adult ticket: £20
Jonny Fordham's verdict: Don't expect anything but a relegation scrap.
Last season: 11th Prediction: 11th
If they were a football team, they would be: Crystal Palace – love scratching around at the bottom of the table.
