London Welsh away on opening day will be a carnival day for the hosts in their first experience of Premiership rugby and Cockers is right to warn that Tigers cannot afford to get carried away in any of the festivities when there are valuable points at stake.
At the same time, though, we’ll enjoy seeing some fresh faces in the competition and it’s not as if Welsh are a club without a past.
After previous Premiership appearances against London Irish and London Scottish (back in the days of Rugby Special, Nigel Starmer-Smith and cotton shirts), Tigers favourite George Chuter will be in line to complete his ‘Happy Families’ set of Exiles in the autumn.
The curtain comes up on Welford Road’s season when Worcester arrive in Round 2 before back-to-back clashes with the last two league champions, Saracens away (though probably not at home for them either) and Harlequins in Leicester.
Exeter at home and new-look Sale in their new home at Salford come next before we go into the Heineken Cup.
With so many changes in coaching, playing and even home venues in the Premiership, it’s an exciting start to the season.
There can’t be a supporter of either side of the county line who cannot recite the date of both games against Saints (November at home, April down the road) and Gloucester provide the opposition in the Christmas fixture which is always a sell-out at Welford Road.
The Tig will not be alone in applauding London Welsh on to the pitch in February when they run out at Welford Road for the first time as a Premiership outfit, and then we’ve still got Saracens, Sale and Wasps on our own soil before London Irish in the last game of the regular season.
We’re counting the days.
