Six Premiership players with big points to prove in 2017/18
Rugby NewsWednesday, 02 August 2017 at 10:49
RUCK selects a handful of top-flight stars who need to hit the ground running this season...
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1. Toby Flood (Newcastle Falcons)
A lot of fans doubt the ex-England fly-half can still cut it at the very top level.
He's returned to his first club, Newcastle Falcons, where he'll be key to their game-plan, making it imperative that he gets off to a solid start with both the ball in hand and off the kicking tee.
2. Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
There is no doubt that Sam Underhill is a raw talent.
Making his England debut in Argentina, the flanker showed he is fiercely aggressive and competitive at the breakdown.
To establish himself as a regular under Eddie Jones, he'll have to hit the ground running with Bath in the Premiership.
3. Christopher Tolofua (Saracens)
With the Lions hero expected to miss the start of the season on an extended break, talented France international Tolofua will have the opportunity to prove himself, with good performances vital to his chances of displacing the England man.
LIST FINISHES ON PAGE TWO
4. Danny Cipriani (Wasps)
On his return season to Wasps, the fly-half was totally outshone by his teammate Jimmy Gopperth.
With Dai Young further strengthening his back-line with the likes of Marcus Watson and Springbok international Juan de Jongh, the playmakers place in the team could be in doubt if he fails to get off to a good start.
5. Liam Williams (Saracens)
The versatile back is now officially a world class player.
His questioners were proven wrong with that try of unearthly quality in the first Lions Test against the All Blacks.
Nevertheless, there will now be an increased level of expectation on his shoulders heading into the new season.
Embed from Getty Images
6. Matt Kvesic
This will be the flankers chance at an England shirt.
Eddie Jones, despite picking him in his first ever squad, has not picked him since January 2016.
Kvesic has been accused of being one-dimensional at times but he'll be hoping to prove the doubters wrong with a fresh start at Exeter Chiefs this season.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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