London Irish Rugby Team

Bath


Coach: Michael Foley
Captain: Steve Borthwick
Stadium: Recreation Ground
In: David Bory (wing, Castres), Pieter Dixon (hooker, Stormers), Andy Dunne (fly half, Harlequins), Peter short (flanker, Narbonne), Michael Stephenson (wing, Newcastle)
Out: Robbie Fleck (centre, retired), Jonathan Humphreys (hooker, new Ospreys assistant), Geraint Lewis (flanker, Bristol)
Other players: Olly Barkley, Andy Dunne, Danny Grewcock
Last season: 4th
Pre-season:
Dragons - Bath 20 - 14
Launceston - Bath 10 - 56

Bristol


Coach: Richard Hill
Captain: Matt Salter
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
In: Mark Denney (centre, Castres), David Lemi (wing, Samoa), Tommy Hayes (fly half, Worcester), Geraint Lewis (flanker, Bath), Brian Lima (centre, Munster), Gareth Llewellyn (lock, Narbonne), Mark Regan (hooker, Leeds), Andy Reay (centre, Harlequins), Lee Robinson (wing, Plymouth Albion), Martin Rospide (prop, San Isidro,), Jacob Rauluni (scrumhalf, unnattached), Mariano Sambucetti (lock, Argentina), Dan Ward-Smith (no 8, Plymouth Albion), Roy Winters (flanker, Harlequins)
Out: Adam Billig (released), Jim Brownrigg (released), Owen Evans (released), Hentie Martens (released), Luke Nabaro (released), Ed Pearce (released), Mark Woodrow (released)
Other players: Manuel Contepomi, Brian Lima, Gareth Llewellyn, Bernardo Stortoni
Last season: promoted
Pre-season:
Coventry - Bristol 18-28
Bristol - Harlequins 14-40
Clifton - Bristol 24-46
Bristol - Cardiff Blues 24-22

Gloucester


Coach: Dean Ryan
Captain: Jake Boer
Stadium: Kingsholm
In: Patrice Collazo (prop, Toulouse), Quinton Davids (lock, Western Province), Mike Tindall (centre, Bath), Ludovic Mercier (fly half, Pau), Peter Richards (scrum half, Wasps), Rob Thirlby (wing, Penzance and Newlyn), Bryan Redpath (assistant coach, Sale)
Out: Andy Gomarsall (scrum half, Worcester), Dave Ellis (defence coach), Nigel Melville (Director of Rugby)
Other players: Mefin Davies, Mike Tindall, Phil Vickery
Last season: 6th
Pre-season:
Gloucester - Viadana 62-5
Gloucester - Leeds Tykes 31-19

Leeds Tykes


Coach: Phil Davies
Captain: Stuart Hooper
Stadium: Headingley
In: Gordon Bulloch (hooker, Glasgow), Roland De Marigny (full back, Italy), James Isaacson (prop, Newcastle), Chris Jones (centre, St Helens RL), Justin Marshall (scrum half, Canterbury), Roland Reid (flanker, London Irish), Kees Lensing (prop, Bulls), Daryl Powell (assistant coach, Leeds Rhinos)
Out: Duncan Hodge (fly half, Edinburgh), Matt Holt (prop, retired), Mark Regan (hooker, Bristol), Jon Callard (assistant coach, RFU Academy)
Other players: Iain Balshaw, Gordon Bulloch, Roland De Marigny, Justin Marshall, Andre Snyman
Last season: 8th
Pre-season:
Clermont Auvergne - Leeds Tykes 34-27
Gloucester - Leeds Tykes 31-19
Leeds Tykes - Edinburgh Gunners 12-7

Leicester Tigers


Coach: Pat Howard
Captain: Martin Corry
Stadium: Welford Road
In: Leo Cullen (lock, Leinster), Ian Humphreys (fly half, Belfast Harlequins), Shane Jennings (flanker, Leinster), Alex Moreno (prop, Brive), Ian Nimmo (lock, Heriot's)
Out: Neil Back (retired, now assistant coach), Martin Johnson (retired)
Other players: Leo Cullen, Daryl Gibson, Ben Kay, Lewis Moody, Geordan Murphy, Graham Rowntree, Ollie Smith, Alex Moreno
Last season: lost in playoff final
Pre-season:
Connacht - Leicester Tigers 22-17
Leicester Tigers - Munster 50-19

London Irish


Coach: Toby Booth
Captain: Ryan Strudwick
Stadium: Madejski Stadium
In: Danie Coetzee (hooker, Blue Bulls), Michael Collins (prop, Waikato), Riki Flutey (fly half, Wellington), Paul Franze (Penrith Panthers RL), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (no 8, San Isidro), Olivier Magne (flanker, Clermont-Ferrand), Ben Willis (scrum half, Beziers), James Storey (centre), Toby Booth (forwards coach), Brian Smith (now Director of Rugby)
Out: Geoff Appleford (centre, Northampton), Roland Reid (flanker, Leeds), Gary Gold (head coach, Western Province)
Other players: Justin Bishop, Bob Casey, Mike Catt, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Olivier Magne
Last season: 11th
Pre-season:
Harlequins - London Irish 14-28
Ulster - London Irish 9-17
London Irish - Exeter Chiefs 36-16

London Wasps


Coach: Shaun Edwards
Captain: Lawrence Dallaglio
Stadium: Causeway Stadium
In: Peter Bracken (prop, Connacht), Eoin Reddan (scrum half), Jeremy Staunton (fly half/full back, Harlequins), Raphael Ibanez (hooker, Saracens), Leon Holden (technical coach, NZ), Ian McGeechan (Director of Rugby, SRU)
Out: Trevor Leota (hooker), Peter Richards (scrum half, Gloucester), Will Green (prop, Leinster), Craig Dowd (retired, now forwards coach), Warran Gatland (Director of Rugby, Waikato)

Other players: Matt Dawson, Raphael Ibanez, Josh Lewsey, Jonny O'Connor, Tom Voyce, Joe Worsley
Last season: champions
Pre-season:
Newbury - London Wasps 12-59
Neath-Swansea Ospreys - London Wasps 10-18

Newcastle Falcons


Coach: Ross Nesdale
Captain: Ian Peel/Jonny Wilkinson/Colin Charvis
Stadium: Kingston Park
In: Anthony Elliott (wing, Rotherham), Owen Finnegan (flanker, ACT Brumbies), James Hoyle (wing/centre, Sale), Robbie Morris (prop, Northampton), Andy Perry (lock, Plymouth Albion), Tino Paoletti (prop, Plymouth Albion)
Out: Michael Stephenson (wing, Bath), Epi Taione (wing/centre/flanker, Sale), Craig Hamilton (lock, Glasgow), Semo Sititi (No 8, Borders), Galo Alvarez Quinones (prop, released)
Other players: Matthew Burke, Colin Charvis, Jamie Noon, Tino Paoletti, Matthew Tait, Jonny Wilkinson
Last season: 7th
Pre-season:
Newcastle Falcons - Glasgow Warriors 32-11

Northampton Saints


Coach: Paul Grayson
Captain: Steve Thompson/Bruce Reihana
Stadium: Franklin's Gardens
In: Geoff Appleford (centre, London Irish), Pat Barnard (prop, Stormers), Daniel Browne (no 8, Grenoble), Sam Harding (flanker, Canterbury), Sean Lamont (wing, Glasgow), Ben Lewitt (flanker, Bedford), Seamus Mallon (centre, Ulster), Colin Noon (prop, Leicester), James Percival (lock, Worcester), David Quinlan (centre, Leinster), Carlos Spencer (fly half, Auckland), Luke Harbut (prop, trial)
Out: Shane Drahm (fly half, Worcester), Ed O'Donoghue (flanker, Worcester), Marc Stcherbina (centre, Cardiff Blues), Corne Krige (flanker, retired)
Other players: Ben Cohen, Sean Lamont, Tom Smith, Carlos Spencer, Steve Thompson
Last season: 10th
Pre-season:
Treviso - Northampton Saints 22-5
Munster - Northampton Saints 20-18
Leinster - Northampton Saints 16-18

Sale Sharks


Coach: Kingsley Jones
Captain: Jason Robinson
Stadium: Edgeley Park
In: Valentin Courrent (scrum half, Brive), Mark Taylor (centre, Llanelli Scarlets), Epi Taione (centre/wing/flanker, Newcastle), Daniel Larrachea (fly half, Bayonne), Lionel Faure (prop, Section Pauloise), Nathan Bonner-Evans (no 8, Neath-Swansea Ospreys), Elvis Seveali'i (centre/wing, Neath-Swansea Ospreys), Nick Wakley (full back, Doncaster)
Out: Mike Hercus (fly half, Llanelli Scarlets), Chris Rhys-Jones (centre, St Helens RL), Pierre Caillet (second/back row, Beziers), Josh Taumalolo (centre/full back, Coventry), James Hoyle (centre, Newcastle), Phil Davies (back row, Bayonne), Bryan Redpath (retired, assistant coach, Gloucester)
Other players: Sebastien Bruno, Sebastien Chabal, Mark Cueto, Charlie Hodgson, Mark Taylor, Andy Titterel, Jason White
Last season: 3rd
Pre-season:
Edinburgh Gunners - Sale Sharks 24-25
Sale Sharks - Doncaster 59-0

Saracens


Coach: Steve Diamond
Captain: Hugh Vyvyan
Stadium: Vicarage Road
In: Andy Farrell (Wigan RL), Shane Byrne (hooker, Leinster), Nnamdi Obi (wing, Henley), Billy O'Driscoll (centre, Henley)
Out: Raphael Ibanez (hooker, Wasps)
Other players: Shane Byrne, Thomas Castaignede, Richard Hill
Last season: 5th

Worcester Warriors


Coach: Anthony Eddy
Captain: Pat Sanderson
Stadium: Sixways
In: Shane Drahm (fly half, Northampton), Chris Fortey (hooker, Gloucester), Andy Gomarsall (scrumhalf, Gloucester), Kai Horstmann (no.8, Harlequins), Nicolas Le Roux (full back, Brive), Ed O'Donoghue (lock/flanker, Northampton), Jonny Tuamoheloa (flanker, Newbury), Mark Tucker (centre/wing, Northampton), Emiliano Bergamaschi (prop), Uche Oduoza (wing)
Out: Tommy Hayes (fly half, Bristol), James Percival (lock, Northampton), Clive Stuart-Smith (scrum half, Llanelli Scarlets), Neil Lyman (prop, retired), Neil Cole (released), Ben Daly (released), Mark Gabey (released), Chris Hall (released), Jon Higgins (released), Brad Macleod-Henderson (released), Neil Mason (released), Daren O'Leary (released), Duncan Roke (released), Giscard Pieters (released), Paul Sampson (released)
Other players: Andy Gomarsall, Ben Hinshelwood, Thomas Lombard
LAst season: 9th
Pre-season:
Llanelli Scarlets - Worcester Warriors 20-24
Worcester Warriors - Treviso 26-7


prima giornata:
Venerdì 2 Settembre
Sale Sharks - Newcastle Falcons (ore 20:00)

Sabato 3 Settembre
London Wasps – Saracens (ore 14:00)
Leicester Tigers -Northampton Saints (ore 15:00)
Leeds Tykes - London Irish (ore 160)

Domenica 4 Settembre
Bristol Rugby - Bath Rugby (ore 13:00) SKY
Worcester Warriors - Gloucester Rugby (ore 15:00) SKY

le due partite di domenica potranno esser viste anche in italia su sky sport due, a partire dalle 14 di domenica.