MATT SOUTHCOMBE
It’s a predictable answer but they are the most successful PRO14 side and the first to do the double. The only thing that could stand in their way is complacency. I was looking at their squad and you could field two Test back-rows alone. It’s terrifying. As cliched and predictable as it sounds, Leinster are the team to beat.
I would say it could well be a repeat of last year for the Scarlets. They’ll make the play-offs, probably get a home semi-final and more than likely make the final.
You always look at the ins and outs at this time of the season. Tadhg Beirne has gone but Blade Thomson covers lock and back-row and is dynamic replacement. They’ve lost Scott Williams but the return of Jonathan Davies is like a new signing. Aled Davies has joined the Ospreys but they’ve signed Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. On the balance of things, they’re not any weaker than last year. And I think Wayne Pivac will be determined to finish on a high.
The Cardiff Blues being back in the Champions Cup is a factor. They’ve not been in it for a long time and they’ve got to get used to fighting on two fronts. They’ve made the fewest new signings and you look at the headlines about Sam Warburton, but they’ve got an embarrassment of riches in the back-row.
They’ve got a nice blend. I think they’ll do well. The only question is how seamless the transition is after losing Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt.
But Jason Strange and John Mulvihill have made good first impressions. They’ve got the squad, the confidence and the attitude from last season - it’s just whether they can deal with the transition and the added weight of Champions Cup rugby.
In Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar, they have lost the fulcrum of that side.
I think the big factor in their season will be Matt Sherratt. For whatever reason, they went from scoring lots of tries to not being able to cross the whitewash.
He will sharpen up that attack and you look at the tools he’s got, Scott Williams and George North, they have got some weapons. I think the half-backs will be critical to their success. They haven’t signed anyone to replace Dan Biggar but if they get that right, they should be alright. It’s probably going to be a transitional season for them.
The Dragons are probably the most interesting of the four. Without a doubt, they have a significantly stronger squad and you could hardly get worse than last season’s results. Bernard Jackman’s has always said his philosophy was to weed out those he didn’t think were up to it, blood some of the younger players who might be and spend some money on recruitment.
You’ve got Richard Hibbard and Ross Moriarty coming in – two nononsense hard men.
The Dragons have been bullied at times in recent years – that shouldn’t happen with them. The standard should rise but the proof is very much in the pudding.
Winners: Cardiff Blues:
Leinster
2nd (Conference A), losing semi-finalist
3rd (Conference A), losing quarter-finalists
2nd (Conference B)
5th (Conference B) LEINSTER were by far and away the
Ospreys: Scarlets: Dragons:
best team in Europe last season and, on the evidence, it is difficult to back against them.
If the season had started in January, the Cardiff Blues would have made the play-offs and the Ospreys’ similarly dismal start to the year did for their chances.
The Ospreys have recruited better than the Blues but the Arms Park outfit have still made some decent moves. They both know the start ruined them last year and there’s a focus on getting that right. On paper, both teams have the quality to make it into the play-offs in conference A.
Looking at conference B, it’s fair to claim the Scarlets are the second best side in there and can challenge Leinster on their day but last year the