The Rugby Premiership betting preview reflects Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan beliefs that his side have not talked about their momentous Grand Final win in the run-up to the new Premiership season, starting on Saturday. It is hard to believe that the 26-16 victory over rivals Leicester, a fitting send-off to the retiring Lawrence Dallaglio, has not got a mention at Adams Park, but Wasps will have their work cut out in the face of some stiff competition this year. The play-off format gives four teams the chance to win the Premiership in a post-season finale. Wasps came second in the Premiership table last year but are favourites (11/4) to lift the trophy at Twickenham again. An international-class squad packed with talent such as Raphael Ibanez, Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey, Ricky Flutey, Phil Vickery, James Haskell and Tom Rees, could be a good shout to top the Premiership table, at 7/2.
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Last season, Gloucesterwere given a painful reminder that consistency in the regular season is not rewarded without big-game play-off performances, when they were beaten 25-26 by Leicesterin the semi-finals. Three times in the last six years the Cherry and Whites have finished in first place but failed to deliver in the final four. Mike Tindall's men, sure to be bolstered by the arrivals of Olly Barkley and Greg Somerville, are 3/1 to win the Premiership again and 4/1 to go one better with a Grand Final win. Much of their try-scoring potential will depend on weighty wing Lesley 'The Volcano' Vainikolo, who is 6/1 favourite to top the try-scoring table this term. Last year's beaten finalists Leicester, 3/1 to finish top and 3/1 to take the title, will be desperate to reclaim the crown they lost to Wasps last year. New fly-half Toby Flood, an acquisition from Newcastle, will add to a squad fit to reach Twickenham again. Speaking to the BBC, forwards coach Richard Cockerill has already spelt out the Tigers burning desire to return to winning ways after a trophy-less season which left Argentine coach Marcelo Loffreda out of a job: "We are not going to talk about what we are going to do and how we are going to do it in public, we have set our targets and we are going to fight on all fronts."
Bath, who have enjoyed no silverware since their 2003 Heineken Cup win, finished in an encouraging third place last season in a campaign which represented a return to form. However, the loss of Olly Barkley and Steve Borthwick to Gloucesterand Saracens respectively looks set to hurt the fallen giants of English rugby, who are 8/1 to win the league and 8/1 to taste glory in the Grand Final. Sale Sharks, who retain the distinction of being the only side to finish top of the table and then go on to win the Grand Final, are 9/1 to launch a successful title bid. Having supplemented their backs with the signings of promising Wales scrum-half Dwayne Peel and England's livewire centre-cum-full-back Matthew Tait, the pride of the north-west are expected to mount a much more convincing play-off challenge than last year's disappointing fifth place finish. Other outfits with an outside chance of stealing Grand Final glory through the back door of the play-offs are strengthened Saracens (8/1) and improving Harlequins (16/1), with Jonny Wilkinson's Newcastleout at 125/1.
Posted: Saturday, 6th September 2008
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