Guinness Premiership Week 2: Gloucester Out Ahead with 2 Win Bonuses

In the shadow of the Rugby World Cup, England's domestic league has kicked off and it's business as usual up at the top.

Gloucester have done in the first fortnight what they signally failed to do throughout last season: get a couple of win bonuses. The first week's demolition of newbies Leeds Carnegie was dominated by the 5 tries taken by convert Les Vainikolo, but the big man ended the match at Saracens in hospital with a badly cricked neck. Glaws led 19-14 at the half and pulled away through a Ryan Lamb interception and Luke Narraway try to lead 33-26 going into the final 15; Sarries scored again and it took a late line-out steal to put ex-England full back Olly Morgan in at the corner and hand Gloucester an away bonus point, 38-31. Props to Dan Scarbrough, who looks to have sustained a lengthy lay-off through a bad leg injury. More time to get his excellent website Rugby Reunited off the ground - support the guy and join up, Scrumbaggers!

Harlequins stuck away Leeds Carnegie at home 39-15 to sit just behind Gloucester at the top of the table with 10 points. Dean Richards has made a big thing of having the smallest squad in the Premiership and being a tight-knit bunch; Stuart Lancaster would probably swap seats with him. Tries came from Jordan Turner-Hall - a definite option for England at inside centre - Simon Keogh, Tom Guest and Chris Malone. Scrumbag was down at Bath a few weeks ago for pre-season and heard mutterings that Andrew Brownsword should never have let the Irish journeyman go, he's worth a lot of points over the season and so it's proving. Quins could challenge for a top-four place if they maintain momentum this season; like Gloucester, international duty won't impact them too much, and then there's only the injury potential of junior tournaments like the European Challenge Cup and the Anglo-Welsh to worry about. You can get 7-2 on Quins to make the playoffs, 25-1 to top the league and 50-1 to win the Grand Final. 25-1 looks like a fair price.

But someone will have to make it past Leicester first, an even taller order once Aaron Mauger arrives to fill the gap left by Daryl Gibson. The Tigers left it late at Welford Road to stick away traditional nemesis Bath, 26-16. Bath are also remarkably unaffected by the World Cup, and their back division looks competitive this time round. But not enough to trouble a weakened Leicester side here; the scores were tied 16-all on 73 minutes, but Andy Goode slotted a cool penalty and Matt Smith went over late on to take the game. Tigers sitting nicely in 3rd place, Bath 4th.

Wasps are always going to be up against it during international tournaments; you can't lose fetcher Tom Rees, hooker Rapha Ibanez, meathead Joe Worsley plus Eoin Reddan, Dan Leo, LBND et al to the World Cup without feeling it. They went to Worcester this week - another team waiting anxiously for the Cup to finish - and came away with a 24-24 draw after leading 16-7 at the half. The Warriors left it late to snatch two points from Dom Feaunati and Kai Horstmann scores. Wasps are now sitting 9th, one place ahead of perpetual table-propper-uppers Worcester. Cecil Duckworth will be wanting more after almost having a stroke again last season.

Last season was an unusual one for Sale and Bristol, who played at Edgeley Park yesterday; the Sharks found themselves on the wrong end of a season-long streak of bad luck and injuries, and Richard Hill's Bristol ended up in the final four, before getting well stuffed by Leicester in the semi-final. It's a more difficult balancing act than ever for Mr Dill this season, with the Heineken Cup looming; it's perfectly possible for Brizz to get knocked out of Europe at their first go in the group stages, then be fighting relegation back to Division One. Still, he's a canny operator, but losing 20-6 to a Sale team still smarting from being beaten 33-12 by Newcastle on the first weekend is the sort of result that won't lend him vaulting optimism. A dull game was brightened only by Charlie Hodgson's soft hands, putting away Ben Foden in the 24th minute. Bristol sit just above Leeds at the bottom; Sale are not impressing in 8th.

Newcastle made the trip to London Irish and came away with a doughnut. Toby Flood had travelled to France after driving last weekend's win, and this match was won by another English prospect at 10, Shane Geraghty, 19-0. With Bob Casey back to guarantee line-out ball, Irish coach Brian Smith was disappointed that his side didn't capitalise on their domination to double their try count and take the bonus point. Irish now sit 7th, Newcastle 6th.

This weekend sees a couple of big match-ups: Wasps welcome Tigers in a repeat of the European Cup final, and Gloucester and Worcester contest the M5 derby at Kingsholm, live on Sky. The Warriors always compete down the road, but Glaws will fancy their chances against Worcester's mix of journeymen and Gloucester discards. Sale go down to the Rec, the Irish get a west country welcome at Bristol, the Falcons welcome London's aristocrats up in the north east and Sarries ride into Leeds looking for an away bonus.

Scrumbag Predictions: wins for Leicester, Gloucester, Bath, Quins, Saracens and Irish