5 players who failed to impress on the opening weekend of the Premiership

Monday, 20 September 2021 at 10:19

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byRugby Rucker

The Gallagher Premiership is back with a bang. The fan-filled stadiums also added to the thrill and emotion of the return of the English top flight.

Over 250 points were scored, and only Bristol Bears failed to score a try during the opening weekend of the Gallagher Premiership.

Considering this is the first game of the season, a lot of poor performances can be attributed to lack of match fitness. At times, players just have bad games, which is completely understandable.

However, having a strong start to the season is every player's aim. Certain players who were not able to do well during the opening weekend have been ranked on this list:

You can check out ou team of the week for Round One here.

#1. Josh Hodge (Exeter Chiefs)

Age: 21
Position: Fullback
Honours: England U20s
Rating: 5/10 from The Rugby Paper

He's an exciting player to watch but had a dog's dinner performance against Leicester. Hodge is an exciting attacking talent with all the flair in the world - but he needs to improve his shambolic defending and get the basics right. There is no chance of an England call-up right now when you compare his form with the likes of Freddie Steward and George Furbank.

DID YOU KNOW? Hodge came from South Cumbria where he represented Sedbergh School in the starting XV to win the 2017 Daily Mail Trophy

#2. Danny Cipriani (Bath)

Age: 33
Position: Fly-half
Honours: England, 16 caps
Rating: 6/10 from The Rugby Paper

His chances of an England recall are slim following the emergence of Marcus Smith and his unfortunate Bath debut did anything but improve his chances. Clobbered by Rohan Janse van Rensburg in the second half, the playmaker was hauled off for a head injury assessment, before watching an unlikely victory slip through his new team’s fingers.

Paul Morgan

@PaulMorganMedia

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catch him while you can - Danny Cipriani - is this the farewell Gallagher Premiership tour? rugbypass.com/news/danny-cip…

11:36 AM · Sep 12, 2021

#3. Piers O'Conor (Bristol Bears)

Age: 26
Position: Centre, Fullback
Honours: England U20s, England XV
Rating: 5/10 from Bristol Live

Bristol Live: "The centre barely touched the ball and when he did the delivery to him put O’Conor into really tough positions. Saracens’ rush defence led by Dom Morris and Nick Tompkins muzzled the dog lover."

DID YOU KNOW? O'Conor is qualified to play international rugby for Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and England

#4. Callum Sheedy (Bristol Bears)

Age: 25
Position: Fly-half
Honours: Ireland U19, England XV, Wales
Rating: 5/10 from Bristol Live

Bristol Live: "The fly-half was guilty of taking too many risks, pushing passes that were not on and faltering under the intensity of the visitors’ defence."

DID YOU KNOW? Sheedy has previously played on loan for Clifton, Dings Crusaders, Cinderford and Jersey Reds

#5. Jack Singleton (Gloucester Rugby)

Age: 25
Position: Hooker
Honours: England
Rating: 5/10 from The Rugby Paper

The 3-cap England hooker really struggled on the opening day against Northampton Saints, bein sin-binned for a deliberate knock while a number of his line-out throws failed to hit their target. Having been on the cusp of the England starting XV back in 2019, he now has a lot of work to do to get back into contention.