Premiership Rugby: Does World Cup clash help or hinder domestic game?
- Published
A weakened Saracens began the defence of their Premiership title with a 65-10 loss at Exeter Chiefs
Imagine if Premier League football had carried on during last year's World Cup in Qatar.
Teams would have been forced to field teams deprived of their best players, who were away on duty with their national teams.
As it was, the competition took an enforced break of 43 days and only resumed once all the players had returned to their clubs.
This autumn, we are in the midst of the Rugby World Cup, but this weekend marked the beginning of the Premiership season.
Familiar faces shine in France
The first Premiership match Saracens captain Owen Farrell could play is against Leicester Tigers on 4 November
The opening three weeks coincide with the knockout stages of the tournament in France and clubs have had to build up during pre-season without players who they hope will be integral to their chances this season.
Overall, it raises the question whether the clash is helping or hindering the domestic game.
Champions Saracens have had 13 players on duty in France, the most of any Premiership club, and they were hammered 65-10 by Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in their season opener.
For the first game of any season, fans want to see new arrivals and the headline across the three days was Scotland fly-half Finn Russell stepping out for Bath in their home win over Newcastle Falcons.
He was only available because Scotland had been knocked out of the World Cup in the pool stages, whereas other familiar Premiership players were making headlines in France.
Owen Farrell lifted the Premiership trophy with Sarries at Twickenham in May, but instead he kicked the crucial drop-goal and penalty as England edged past Fiji in Marseille.
Leicester Tigers, who lost at Bristol Bears on Friday, would have loved to call upon South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard, but he was kicking a crucial late penalty in their epic win over France on Sunday night.
With England through to the semi-finals, they are guaranteed two more matches at the World Cup. That takes in the next two weekends and ensures that rugby focus will be dominated by exploits of the Red Rose.
Against that backdrop, Premiership clubs have to play second fiddle. But these are difficult times with three fewer teams starting this campaign following the financial collapse of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish.
Finn Russell only made his Bath debut as a replacement because Scotland had been knocked out of the World Cup
Trickle down effect
The general consensus is that the situation is "not ideal". But after four magnificent quarter-finals at the World Cup, all shown live on terrestrial television, maybe that showcase is good for rugby as a whole.
"We have spoken a lot about trying to decongest the calendar," Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson told BBC Sport.
"What I hope is that the World Cup engenders loads of interest in the rugby and that trickles down, people come and watch Sale, come and watch Northampton and pick a local team to support and get behind them.
"In an ideal world, we would have Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam playing for us and Sale would have the Curry brothers and all the other international players they had missing.
"Ideally, you would keep it decongested, but what we need to do is to get more people coming to watch the games."
In a meeting between two of last season's top four, Sale Sharks and Northampton Saints were without a combined 10 players on World Cup duty
More people through gates
This season, the slimmed-down Premiership will be staged over 18 rounds, with no teams having to take a weekend off.
That has created space in rugby's crowded calendar and means that there will be no league action during the Six Nations in February and March, with the Premiership taking a break from the end of January until 23 March.
That is an "improvement" for Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson, as his club tries to build on last season's runners-up finish, which brought a big upturn in the club's attendances.
"It's not ideal, but it happens every autumn and it has been happening every Six Nations," he said.
"The restructuring of this season with no games during the Six Nations allows most of the internationals to be back for more games, and that is an improvement.
"But a better option would probably be an extra three weeks and play on into July.
"But no matches during the Six Nations is a good step forward. The 10-team league, as harsh as it was for those clubs last year, means that we are able to see more of our international players in club rugby, which we know is going to bring more people in.
"The neutral supporter supports players as opposed to clubs - we know that from the research. So anything that can get more people through the gates, the better."
So the hope seems to be that as the World Cup builds to a crescendo, the Premiership will be ready and waiting to pick up welcome new converts to the game.