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Northampton have the trophy. Sale have been shopping. Newcastle have changed practically everything. And there are still only four playoff places.
The PREM returns on Friday 25 September, with enough player movement to make the opening team sheets worth a second look. George Furbank in a Quins shirt. Courtney Lawes at Sale. George Martin packing down for Saracens.
Some of those moves could change the title race. Others will look considerably better in the announcement photos than they do on a wet Friday night.
Here’s where every club stands.
The champions remain the team to catch. Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith know how to get this attack moving, with plenty of quality around them.
But George Furbank’s departure leaves more than an empty shirt. Saints lose a leader and an excellent attacking decision-maker. James Ramm and Tom James also go.
New winger Malik Faissal is worth watching. Northampton’s record of developing players makes him particularly interesting.
Our call: still the favourites. Making them uncomfortable is one thing; finishing above them is another.
Finn Russell can make almost any attack worth watching. He still needs decent ball.
That is why Thomas du Toit leaving matters so much. Bath also lose Alfie Barbeary, with Dan du Preez and Jamie Bhatti arriving to reinforce the pack.
Ben Spencer’s early absence following shoulder surgery adds another complication.
There is enough talent here to win the competition. The question is whether Bath can consistently give their best players the conditions to prove it.
Our call: serious contenders, even if September requires patience.
Getting back to the final was impressive. Staying there is the next job.
Dallas McLeod arrives as Len Ikitau leaves, making Exeter’s midfield a combination to watch. Harry Wilson, Nika Abuladze and Will Butt also join, while Scott Sio, Christ Tshiunza and Josh Hodge depart.
Rob Baxter must preserve Exeter’s defensive strength while giving Henry Slade and the outside backs enough opportunities.
Our call: right in the playoff fight. Nobody should enjoy a trip to Sandy Park.
At Leicester, a respectable season rarely buys much breathing room.
Aaron Wainwright, Mako Vunipola, Joel Sclavi and Elliott Stooke bring plenty to the pack. They also have sizeable jobs replacing George Martin, Nicky Smith and Hanro Liebenberg.
Geoff Parling has new coaches around him, too. Experienced forwards still need time to become a convincing unit, particularly when the pressure comes on away from home.
Our call: dangerous at Welford Road, with their away results deciding whether they make the four.
Brendan Venter takes charge, and Tomos Williams, George Martin and Alfie Barbeary give him plenty to work with.
Williams is the exciting one. Give him a retreating defence and ordinary possession can become trouble.
The departures matter: Tom Willis, Alex Lozowski, Theo McFarland and Marco Riccioni leave significant responsibilities behind. Tighthead depth deserves attention, while Noah Caluori begins the campaign recovering from wrist surgery.
Our call: back in the playoffs, provided the impressive afternoons become the normal ones.
Bristol can make defending look impossible. They can also make their own supporters watch through their fingers.
AJ MacGinty’s influence could be crucial after an injury-disrupted year. Sometimes this team needs someone to slow the game down.
Ethan Staddon, Khalik Kareem and Josh Caulfield arrive; James Dun, Santiago Grondona and Sam Wolstenholme leave.
The attacking talent remains. Better decisions when momentum shifts would make an enormous difference.
Our call: capable of beating the favourites—and frustrating everyone predicting a breakthrough.
Look at that recruitment list: Courtney Lawes, Joe Marchant, Alex Lozowski, Nicky Smith, Tomas Francis and Christ Tshiunza.
Marchant working outside George Ford is especially appealing. Lawes brings experience that should help when matches become uncomfortable.
Rob and Dan du Preez leave, as does Raffi Quirke, so this is substantial change. Alex Sanderson now has to turn those additions into a settled team.
Our call: the strongest candidate to crash last season’s playoff party.
Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake, Jean Kleyn and Joe Joyce should make Gloucester harder to push around.
Winning collisions and protecting possession would give Charlie and Seb Atkinson a better chance to influence games.
Tomos Williams is a major loss, with Dan Robson arriving at scrum-half. Matías Alemanno and Cam Jordan also depart.
Our call: reasons for optimism, but Kingsholm needs results before anyone starts talking about a revival.
George Furbank alongside Marcus Smith should produce some excellent rugby.
Getting them good possession is the challenge. James Dun, Harry Johnson-Holmes and Sampie Swiegers reinforce a pack losing Stephan Lewies, George Turner and retiring Joe Launchbury.
Then there is Alex Dombrandt’s prolonged absence following an ACL injury. That leaves a substantial hole in the carrying and leadership departments.
Our call: potentially much improved, but with too many forward concerns to confidently back for the playoffs.
Hoskins Sotutu, Raffi Quirke, George Turner, Josh Hodge, Chris Harris and Werner Kok make this a very different squad.
Dan McFarland must turn those names into a team. Defensive communication, set-piece timing and trust take work.
Eduardo Bello and Fergus Lee-Warner are among the departures; captain Tom Christie supplies some continuity.
Our call: much more competitive. Still, climbing this table will take more than winning the summer headlines.
Friday brings Harlequins–Bath and Northampton–Newcastle. Saturday has Exeter–Gloucester and Sale–Bristol, before Leicester–Saracens closes the round on Sunday. That last one looks particularly tasty.
Our predicted finishing order: Northampton, Bath, Saracens, Sale, Exeter, Leicester, Bristol, Gloucester, Harlequins, Newcastle.
The title pick is Northampton. Tomos Williams is our signing to watch, with Malik Faissal the breakout candidate.
And the bold call? Newcastle beat two of last season’s top four at Kingston Park. They should finally make a few predictions look uncomfortable.