The Guinness Premiership kicks off on Saturday with a double header at Twickenham. In eight months two teams will return to battle it out for the title but can anyone stop Wasps repeating last year’s success?

Although they did not make the final last year Gloucester in many ways were Wasps’ closest rivals beating them twice in the league. But an Andy Goode drop goal for Leicester knocked the regular season table-toppers out at the semi final stage. The West Country side will no doubt be towards the summit of the standings when the play-offs begin. But in recent years Gloucester have assumed an identity akin to Arsene Wenger’s latest Arsenal team. For the majority of the season they dazzle fans and opponents alike with pace, precision and wit but when the trophies require seizing a mental fragility betrays them as flair and enterprise deceive. Coach Dean Ryan has sought a dose of pragmatism with the signings of Ollie Barkley and Greg Somerville but the suspicions remain.

The 2007 Champions and last year’s runners up have once again under gone change at the top. The South African Heyneke Meyer has replaced Argentine Marcelo Loffreda. But the most significant departure is that of the unfashionable but effective Goode at fly half and in his place have come Toby Flood and Derick Hougaard, both of whom have yet to prove their true class. There remains pedigree in the Welford Road locker room with the old belligerent guard typified by Martin Corry and Ben Kay, and the ripening new crop of Tom Varndell, Tom Croft, Richard Blaze and Jordan Crane. But teething problems at the helming positions of head coach and fly half could see them fall short.

Of the other contenders Sale and Bath stand out. Sale imploded on the final day of last season and missed out on a play off place. But their summer recruitment has been positive with internationals Dwayne Peel and Mathew Tait joining the likes of Charlie Hodgson and Luke McAllister to create the most exciting backline in the league. Bath, meanwhile, have brought in league convert Shontayne Hape and former Australian international Justin Harrison but they are unlikely to successfully mask the departures of last season’s two main protagonist, Barkley and Steve Borthwick.

Wasps must be the favourites. Despite the retirement of their spiritual leader Lawrence Dallaglio, they have signed proven performers in Serge Betsen and Mark Robinson with the view to wining trophies now. And yet much of their momentum will be generated by James Haskell, Tom Rees and Danny Cipriani - all of whom demonstrate the quality and certainty of “test match animals”, as coach Ian McGeechan puts it. And with McGeehan plotting behind the scenes and Shaun Edwards barking from the sidelines, Wasps will again be the team to beat.