Head coach: Toby Booth
Captain: Bob Casey
Ground: Madejski Stadium (24,100 capacity)
Last season: GP - 3rd (Lost to Leicester in Grand Final) ECC - Lost to Bourgoin in quarter-finals
England elite squad: 3 (S Armitage, D Armitage, Hodgson)

Last season's surprise package came up short in the Grand Final by the narrowest possible margin and with limited disruption on the personnel front, they look well placed for another top-four challenge.

The arrival of fly-half Ryan Lamb should see them continue their attractive blend of attacking rugby, and compensate for the loss of Shane Geraghty to Northampton, if Mike Catt can work on the frailties that dogged Lamb at Gloucester.

Much will again be expected of the Armitage brothers, Delon and Steffon, along with highly-rated England Saxons prop Alex Corbisiero, while the addition of France defence coach Dave Ellis could prove to be a masterstroke.

"I've very excited about the new season. Finding a better goal-kicker was my aim this season and that is why we recruited three of them [Lamb, Chris Malone and Eoghan Hickey]. We lost the final by the smallest of margins. We never lost one game by more than six points and only once did we kick 100% of our goals. Winning is about improving those little margins.."
Head coach Toby Booth