ROUND ONE: PREM AND PRO14 REVIEW SEP 18

So here we go again for another rugby season, with the added spice of a World Cup in Japan right at the end of it. First up was a tight win for new boys Bristol over Bath in the West Country derby, which was high on entertainment, low on quality, and Bath will need to do better. The stand out player for Bristol was the Aussie, Luke Morahan, who meant the Bears did not miss Charles Piutau as expected. There were also wins for Gloucester, Quins and Wasps, who beat Worcester by a point, in a game that Worcester should have won, and may rue missing their chance, come the end of the season.

Matt O'Connor lasted just one game of new season as Leicester Tigers coach

Exeter thumped Leicester, resulting in the first managerial casualty of the season in Matt O'Connor, although reading into the reasons for his sacking, from dictatorship management style to losing the dressing room, it appears that Leicester's poor pre-season preparation seemed made the match result inevitable. Leicester is a proud club, once a heavyweight of European rugby, but they have no right to remain at the top table on reputation alone, and the players and management need to step up and support the temporary coach, Geordan Murphy, to ensure the club does not miss out on Champions Cup for a consecutive year.

In the Pro 14, the Irish teams were denied a clean sweep by Glasgow, who beat Connacht by one score, thanks to a late Stuart Hogg drop goal. There were also victories for Ospreys and, unusually, both the Italian teams. Benneton and Zebre will be more competitive this year, not sure the South African teams will be, as other clubs appear to have pinched some of their stars, having seen them in action last season. The favourites for play offs remain Leinster, Munster, Glasgow, Scarlets and the improving Ulster, Edinburgh or Ospreys.