Runaway Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs have continued where they left off before lockdown with 23 points from a maximum of 25 since the competition restarted in mid-August – not that you’d expect anything different from a side managed by Rob Baxter.
The Chiefs have won each of their five games – three with a bonus point – and were only one try short in wins over Leicester and Bristol from enjoying a perfect record.
Bath, too, could and probably should, be boasting a five wins from five record but, somehow, they conspired to lose at home to Wasps.
Even so, the appointment of Neal Hatley as head coach seems to have galvanised what was otherwise an underachieving squad of stars.
The 33/1 about them winning the Premiership did look good value back in mid-August and that’s been reflected in their odds being slashed to 12/1.
Wasps are next in the ‘form table’ with 18 points from a possible 30. If Wasps fans thought their win at Bath was remarkable, then the one at Saracens last time out beggared belief, considering they were priced at 12/1 to down the reigning champions.
Sale at home was a slip-up, admittedly, but let’s remember the Sharks are second favourites for the title and Steve Diamond erecently pointed out his side always seem to start up slowly after a break.
That win down at Wasps has been followed by bonus-point victories over Bristol and Leicester as they look to put a disappointing home defeat to Exeter behind them.
Saracens could easily have been riding high at the top of the form table had it not been for a last-gasp defeat at Bristol and Owen Farrell’s red-card shocker against Wasps, while Bristol and Gloucester join Sale in having picked up 15 points from their five matches.
London Irish are the only side yet to win since the restart but there were encouraging signs in their 36-23 defeat at Gloucester and they’ll be targeting this Sunday’s home game against notoriously poor travellers Harlequins as one where they can finally break their duck.
