karlpejera: From Leicester to Leeds, a look back at 2010-11

Exeter have delighted, Saracens have excelled, London Irish have had their moment while Wasps have floundered and only Jimmy Gopperth has kept Newcastle alive

Leicester Tigers

Last season 1st (and champions) Current position 1st

Have they lived up to expectations? Nothing short of retaining their title will satisfy the Tigers but there is still work to be done. The Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster highlighted certain issues, not least a suspicion that Ben Youngs and Toby Flood are feeling the effects of a hectic season. If they do happen to meet a resurgent Northampton in the play-off semi-finals, victory is far from certain. That said, Anthony Allen, Manu Tuilagi, Scott Hamilton, Thomas Waldrom and Martin Castrogiovanni have all done enough to merit a Twickenham finale.

Highlight of season Still to come, they hope, but their 37-6 victory at Bath was sweet.

Player of the season Anthony Allen

Predicted finish Finalists

Saracens

Last season 3rd (losing finalists) Current position 2nd

Have they lived up to expectations? No other contender is finishing faster than Sarries. Their bonding trips to Florida and the Oktoberfest may have raised eyebrows but the benefits are increasingly evident. One more win in their final game will equal the record of 18 regular season wins since the introduction of a 12-team Premiership in 1999, although losing to Quins on Saturday might suit if it secures a home semi-final against Gloucester. They have scored 28 fewer tries than Leicester but boast the meanest defence of any of the top four teams. Taking into account a glut of injuries, Brendan Venter's relocation back to South Africa and the Gavin Henson saga, this has been a cleverly judged campaign.

Highlight of season Their late-season surge, which currently extends to eight successive league wins.

Player of the season Eric Joubert

Predicted finish Champions

Gloucester

Last season 7th Current position 3rd

Have they lived up to expectations? Yes, particularly if you saw their woeful opening-day defeat at Exeter. Consistency still eludes them and their defence has the occasional wobble but with ball in hand they can be deadly. Although Saracens blew them away in Watford recently, they are deserved play-off participants. In Freddie Burns, Charlie Sharples, Johnny May and Ryan Mills they also have a posse of talented young English-qualified backs. Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu this week scooped three awards at the club's end-of season awards: player of the year, player's player and try of the season.

Highlight of season Hard to look past their extraordinary 41-41 draw at Welford Road last month.

Player of the season Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu.

Predicted finish Semi-finalists

Northampton Saints

Last season 2nd Current position 4th

Have they lived up to expectations? They would not swap their present position but promise still has to be translated into silverware. Their first-choice XV is good enough to beat anyone, particularly up front, but their strength in depth has been less evident. If they ultimately falter, fingers will also be pointed at their half-backs. As Perpignan discovered, though, they can be mighty foes when Messrs Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Mujati, Lawes, Dowson, Ashton and Foden are all firing. Their lineout fell apart at Welford Road back in January but the Tigers will still be wary.

Highlight of season Reaching the Heineken Cup final for the first time in 11 years.

Player of the season Soane Tonga'uiha

Predicted finish Semi-finalists

Bath

Last season 4th. Current position 5th

Have they lived up to expectations? For their ambitious owner Bruce Craig, the answer has to be no. It was evident from relatively early in the campaign that other teams had more tight-five oomph and injuries to Butch James and Olly Barkley were equally damaging. Steve Meehan has been eased aside as head coach and Sir Ian McGeechan will be expected to guide the club into the play-offs next year. Nick Abendanon and Matt Banahan are maturing into fine players and Carl Fearns is an encouraging summer arrival. If Danny Cipriani wants to find somewhere in England to rebuild his reputation he need look no further.

Highlight of season Smashing Wasps 43-10 at Twickenham last month.

Player of the season Matt Banahan

Predicted finish 5th

London Irish

Last season 6th Current position 6th

Have they lived up to expectations? At the start of November, Irish sat atop the Premiership table and looked certainties for the play-offs. Once again soft mid-winter pitches slowed their progress and one or two players shrank when the going got tough. They also badly missed the experience of the underrated Declan Danaher and Sailosi Tagicakibau. Next season they will be without Seilala Mapusua, who is off to Kubota Spears in Japan. The challenge for the innovative Toby Booth will be to ensure the Exiles remain equally competitive without their midfield anchor.

Highlight of season Beating the Ospreys to end a ruinous 10-game losing streak in all competitions.

Player of the season Alex Corbisiero.

Predicted finish 6th

Harlequins

Last season 8th Current position 7th

Have they lived up to expectations? Not yet. They are finishing the season strongly but have too often lacked the ability to finish their forwards' approach work. Two draws and seven losing bonus points, more than any other team in the league, betrays a campaign of near-misses; the good news is that they are a young side who look set to improve further next year. If Joe Marler and George Lowe continue to progress they will be candidates for national recognition sooner rather than later.

Highlight of season Beating Munster at Thomond Park to reach the Amlin Challenge Cup final.

Player of the season Chris Robshaw

Predicted finish 7th

London Wasps

Last season 5th Current position 8th

Have they lived up to expectations? Rarely have Wasps caused their supporters more angst. Very little has gone right on or off the field, to the point where the future looks worryingly murky. Showpiece games in Abu Dhabi and at Twickenham attracted plenty of attention but heavy defeats in both fixtures swiftly diluted the promotional benefits. The Andy Powell saga, the departure of the director of rugby, Tony Hanks, a succession of injuries, a crumbling pack ... hoicking Josh Lewsey out of retirement betrayed the collective yearning for former glories. A failure to qualify for the Heineken Cup may offer short-term breathing space but the rebuilding job could take a while.

Highlight of season Beating Toulouse in the Heineken Cup pool stages.

Player of the season Joe Simpson

Predicted finish 8th

Exeter Chiefs

Last season Championship play-off winners Current position 9th

Have they lived up to expectations? To their lasting credit, the Chiefs have confounded almost everyone. Not only have they stayed up, they have claimed some significant scalps ? Saracens, Northampton, Gloucester, Harlequins ? along the way. At no stage did they appear relegation candidates, with Rob Baxter and Ali Hepher proving a shrewd managerial combo. The matchday atmosphere at Sandy Park also compared favourably with any ground in the Premiership. With a raft of new signings to bolster the existing settled squad, this could be just the start.

Highlight of season All of it.

Player of the season Tom Johnson

Predicted finish 9th

Sale Sharks

Last season 11th Current position 10th.Have they lived up to expectations? Mike Brewer was hired as head coach to oversee a dramatic improvement but it ended bitterly. The Sharks have won only six league games all season and Brewer's no-nonsense regime prompted their linchpin Charlie Hodgson to agree a summer move to Saracens. The arrival of Steve Diamond appears to have steadied the ship but the landscape has changed drastically since Sale were crowned Premiership champions in 2006. The promise of James Gaskell is undeniable but the loss of Carl Fearns to Bath is another significant blow. The only way is up.

Highlight of season The departure of Brewer.

Player of the season Sisa Koyamaibole

Predicted finish 10th

Newcastle Falcons

Last season 9th Current league position 11th

Have they lived up to expectations? Alan Tait has done his best but the Falcons looked short of firepower from the outset. Barring a last-weekend disaster they should now be safe but it is a brave man who insists they will prosper next season. Only the accurate kicking of Jimmy Gopperth, the Premiership's leading points-scorer, has kept them afloat; no team in the league, Leeds included, has scored fewer tries. Luke Fielden, Ally Hogg and Tim Swinson all deserved better but Micky Young's switch to Leicester will hardly boost battered northern morale.

Highlight of season Beating Leeds 22-5 at Headingley in February to boost their survival hopes.

Player of the season Jimmy Gopperth

Predicted finish 11th

Leeds Carnegie

Last season 10th Current position 12th

Have they lived up to expectations? Neil Back had challenged Leeds to push on towards the top half of the table. It never looked like happening, particularly when Hendre Fourie, Steve Thompson and Marco Wentzel were missing. The departure of the director of rugby, Andy Key, did little to improve things and, ultimately, Leeds possessed insufficient quality to compete with their wealthier rivals. How they must have cheered when Bedford looked like upsetting Worcester last week; it is now hard to see them escaping. If they do finish bottom, they will have to rely on the Cornish Pirates overcoming Worcester over two legs in the Championship play-off final.

Highlight of season Beating Northampton would rescue a wholly forgettable campaign

Player of the season Hendre Fourie

Predicted finish 12th