Overall PRO14 tide is rising but reigning champions Leinster will be the team to beat once again

THE summer’s business has weakened them slightly, but Leinster remain the team to beat in this year’s Guinness PRO14. It’s hardly a shocking prediction, but despite the expectation of an improved competition this season it is difficult to look past Leo Cullen’s team as the best equipped to manage the campaign that tests squad-depth above all else.

The tide appears to be rising across the board; the South Africans should be better after a proper pre-season and a campaign to get used to life up north; while the traditional whipping boys, Dragons, Zebre and Treviso, are all expecting an improved effort.

Glasgow may be treading water, but Edinburgh appear to be on the up while Scarlets will be as good as ever with signs of life in Swansea and Cardiff suggesting a more competitive competition all round.

For the Irish provinces, it has been a summer of change.

With a new coach and a schedule that offers them four home games in their first five fixtures, Connacht have an early chance to put the Kieran Keane year behind them, while Ulster have had a summer of upheaval to follow an awful campaign.

Munster look best-placed to challenge Leinster’s dominance but injury to Conor Murray undermines the good feeling produced by their new arrivals.

The decision to stick with the same conferences again may guarantee an even number of home games over two seasons, but it won’t have gone down well for the teams in the far tougher Conference B.

Last year’s contenders will be confident of getting themselves back into position and this competition has thrown up a different winner in each of the last four seasons.

Leinster were the last team to retain the trophy in 2014 and the most likely scenario is that they’ll repeat that trick in Celtic Park next May. CONNACHT

Last season was awful out west and over the summer new coach Andy Friend has swept in on a wave of goodwill and a favourable schedule can get him off to a strong start.

John Muldoon’s retirement removes a pivotal figure from the dressing-room, but the arrival of Kyle Godwin, David Horwitz and Colby Fainga’a from Australia should strengthen the ranks, while Robin Copeland could prove a canny acquisition.

Coaches generally take a season to bed in their new ideas and, after Keane came and went, the province need to back Friend and give him time.

Six losing bonus points last season suggests they are not far away and if they can turn those results around and close the gap they’ll have a chance given they are in the weaker Conference A. However, a slow start and injuries to key positions could derail their efforts. Exciting arrival: Kyle Godwin; Big departure: John Muldoon; Good season: Win the games they’re expected to win and make the Champions Cup; Bad season: Same again.

LEINSTER

Following last season is quite the task and in many ways Leo Cullen is on to a loser from the off. He has been weakened by the retirement of his captain Isa Nacewa and the loss of Joey Carbery (pictured) and Jordi Murphy to rivals, but retains the strongest squad in the competition.

Johnny Sexton will be captain, but he is rarely involved in regular season action which

means Scott Fardy will be the key man in driving standards when the internationals are away,

At full-strength, they remain the best around while their reserves aren’t bad either.

They know the territory and have the firepower to negotiate their way through the campaign and, when the business end rolls around again, no-one will want to face them. Still the team to beat. Exciting arrival: Felipe Contepomi; Big departure: Joey Carbery; Good season: Retain at least one of their trophies; Bad season: Anything less.

MUNSTER

After coming in mid-season last time out, Johann van Graan has a full run at year two and it will be interesting to see how Munster evolve under his leadership.

Simon Zebo is a major loss, but the arrival of Tadhg Beirne, Joey Carbery and Mike Haley in particular has the Thomond Park

faithful believing their long wait for a trophy could end in 2019.

The loss of Murray for the early season is a major blow and they need temporary replacement Alby Mathewson to fit in quickly, but with Beirne’s breakdown threat and Carbery’s running game they can improve on a solid campaign last time out.

If they can manage the time when Murray is out, they look best-placed to challenge Leinster. Exciting arrival: Joey Carbery; Big departure: Simon Zebo; Good season: Win the PRO14 and make the Champions Cup semis; Bad season: Fail to get back to the last four in both competitions.

ULSTER

This is year zero for Ulster as they look to rebuild after a horrific season on and off the pitch,.

Dan McFarland has landed and finds a much-changed squad after a summer of big-name departures and a few high-profile arrivals.

If the new coach can improve the team’s edge up front with Jared Payne adding aggression to the defence, then Billy Burns can get a new-look backline moving.

The Ravenhill faithful will need to be patient and it might be next season before they can fully move on from last year.

Exciting arrival: Jordi Murphy; Big departure: Paddy Jackson; Good season: Make the play-offs; Bad season: Fail to make Europe.