South African sides will be competitive in a league of sharply-contrasting styles

RUGBY SENSE FROM THE S4C PUNDIT

IF, like me, you were beginning to get your head around the various battles within the old PRO12, then fear not because the new PRO14 is just as competitive.

There will be something to play for in almost every match and the twoconference system will make things even more uncertain as we reach the final stages of the season.

Obviously, the biggest change is the introduction of the two South African franchises. Sides that have been cast adrift by Super Rugby have found a new home. So what will they add to the PRO14?

The depth of quality players in South Africa is at an historic low. The very best players that represent the Springboks remain loyal to their home teams held by decent contracts and pride in the jersey.

But those fine regional players, ranked just beneath the international team, that used to ensure the outstanding standard across the provincial game, have been tempted away to France and England with lifechanging amounts of money.

Even players in the level below that, who were never in contention of becoming international players, have grasped opportunities to make a good living in Europe.

There are 11 South Africans playing in the Welsh regions. These are not marquee players, but jobbing players that would have made the rugby back home more competitive and at a higher standard.

However, I suspect that the South African additions to the league will be competitive. They will be far better that the Italian sides and will be particularly difficult opponents when the European sides have Test call-ups.

The other factor to consider is that this league will be played during the winter in Europe but in the summer months in South Africa. Teams will go from a cold wet January night in Glasgow one weekend to the blazing mid-summer heat of South Africa the next.

Not only will there be a contrast in conditions, but also in style of play. Top of the ground, open and fast rugby in one game to box-kicking scrummaging rugby the next. Home advantage will be crucial and the change in style and mindset will test players and coaches.

It promises to be interesting at the very least and I’m sure some fans will even take the opportunity to follow their teams on away trips. I have been to Bloemfontein, it’s an interesting place, a bit like Banwen without the rain.

Of course, the main motivating factor in adding the South African sides was the additional £500,000 each PRO12 team will receive. In today’s market place that would buy you one good international player. Such is the financial might of the French and English game, there will have to be a response by the international community before whole countries are stripped of their talent and the game withers away to resemble a niche sport played in a few countries, like rugby league.

The Welsh regions all start the season from different positions.

The Dragons are the most interesting region this season. They are now an extension of the WRU and, as such, will be an example of what could happen to the other regions in the future. The WRU will be keen to show they can run a commercially viable and effective region. Ideally, they want to fill their team with Welsh players and offer regular rugby to those talented prospects that are stuck on benches in other regions.

They have invested in the pitch and have brought in a new coach, and the S4C cameras are there to see them take on Leinster in the opening match of the season tomorrow. A tricky encounter, for sure, but now is the time to play them while some of their stars are absent, still recovering from the Lions tour.

It will be a slow process for the Dragons to evolve a side of young Welsh talent. They will be wanting in some areas, no doubt, but they need to be measured in three years and judged for the players they develop in that period rather than what they do in the next few months.

Expectation will be nothing short of stratospheric in the Scarlets region. But the high-skill fast-tempo attacking rugby that overwhelmed both Munster and Leinster a few months ago is not the easiest to reproduce. It’s not the same as winning through brute force, the subtleties and fine details integral to playing a high- risk strategy needs team cohesion and achieving that can take time.

However, they have proved that on their day they can beat anyone and that should motivate them in working to recapture the magic.

The reports coming out of the Blues this summer are cause for concern. A last-minute withdrawal from the WRU was unexpected and then to release a South African secondrow before he has even played a game suggests a degree of disharmony or unclear thinking.

They have a strong lobby of senior players, they have a chairman that enjoys being hands-on and they have a well-respected coach eager to turn his team into a genuine title contender in his third season in charge. Unity is required because the capital city has been without a decent side for far too long.

Finally, the Ospreys have been in transition for a while and need to find consistency this season. They have looked to expand their game, but have been hampered by injuries, particularly in midfield. It has been a tough move away from the old physical style that made them a force in seasons past and now I see their strengths in their exciting outside backs.

The first Saturday in September is a special time as the preparations end and the real business begins. A year ago today, who but the most ardent one-eyed west Walian would have predicted the Scarlets would win the league in that fashion.

I am making no such predictions other than to say that, after an initial bedding-down period, I think the rugby will be better, the league will be more competitive and the competition will prosper. Just remember, the majority of the Lion test team came from the PRO12, so there can’t be much wrong with the game here.