The opening weekend of the Premiership season ignited a debate over the direction of modern rugby, as a record-shattering 52 tries were scored across fewer matches than usual. This prolific offensive output prompted comparisons to basketball, fueling both praise for the entertainment value and concern that defensive fundamentals might be eroding. However, the intensity subsided slightly in round two, which saw 41 tries. While still high by historical standards, this follow-up round highlighted a defensive grit in games like Sale’s hard-fought win over Saracens and Leicester’s victory against Newcastle, suggesting that the sport remains as cyclical as ever. A fter one weekend of the Prem season the feeling was we had crossed the Rubicon. Eclipsing the previous record for round one despite the fact that fewer matches were played added further weight to the argument – a criticism and a compliment – that the English club game is creeping closer towards a form of basketball, a remarkable 52 tries.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter believes that trends in the game naturally ebb and flow, predicting a return to defensive dogfights as the season progresses. Courtney Lawes, who recently returned to the Premiership with Sale, echoed this sentiment. Having observed the league from France, Lawes noted that while offensive performance is crucial, the eventual league champion may well be the team with the most disciplined defense. He pointed to Sale’s ability to remain competitive against Saracens despite a 20th-minute red card for Jacques Vermeulen as evidence that defensive structure remains a decisive factor. So perhaps the shark has not been jumped just yet and defence may not be optional after all. According to indeed, there was a consensus in pre-season that rugby is cyclical, trends will come and go and attacking impetus will be en vogue for a time before defences get back on top. “The game ebbs and flows,”, Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter. “There were some really high-scoring games last season but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see some real dogfights and nailbiters this season, I think that’s the way the. “A lot of tries, 40 points, 30 points each way, that’s quite interesting,” Lawes says. “It’ll be interesting this season.
Despite the high-scoring perception, Northampton’s Phil Dowson challenged the notion that teams have abandoned defensive intent. He compared the current fluctuation to the NFL, where success frequently shifts between dominant offensive and defensive eras. Dowson admitted that the game’s appearance is changing, asking rhetorically what supporters truly want to see on the pitch—a high-scoring 48-32 match or the traditional 9-3 defensive slog. For Leicester’s Geoff Parling, the current product is enjoyable, but he cautioned that a high try count does not inherently guarantee a high-quality contest, noting that a low-scoring, 9-8 physical battle can be equally beautiful. Certainly compared with seasons of yesteryear, but equally giving a sense that defences had their day in some cases, a sizeable number.
A significant factor in these tactical shifts is the influence of England head coach Steve Borthwick, who has encouraged referees to adjust their interpretation of specific laws ahead of next year’s World Cup in Australia. These adjustments are aimed at sharpening the breakdown, an area of focus evidenced by the 15 holding-on penalties in the first round and 18 in the second. These figures indicate a continued effort to align the domestic game with the physical intensity required at the international level. Dowson highlighted the difficulty of managing the breakdown, noting that in a single match, teams must navigate approximately 200 such situations.
Ultimately, while the absence of relegation and improvements in pitch quality have encouraged a more expansive game, the league is still finding its balance. Whether the current trend represents a permanent evolution or a temporary shift remains to be seen. As the season matures, the tension between all-out attack and defensive organization will continue to define the tactical landscape, as teams look to refine their approaches ahead of international considerations.
