New Pro14 set-up will take some time to get used to

THE newly-enlarged Pro14 League kicks off next weekend with a completely new format.

For the first time, the two new South African sides, the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs, will compete alongside Edinburgh and Glasgow in two conferences.

Edinburgh will be in the same conference as the lower-ranked Southern Kings, while the Cheetahs will join Glasgow’s conference.

Each conference will have two Welsh, two Irish and an Italian club making up the numbers. The top three teams in each table at the end of the season will find their way through to the quarter finals or, for those sides finishing first in their conference, the semi-finals.

Similarly, the top three will automatically qualify for the European Champions Cup and the bottom two for the secondary European competition.

There will be a further play-off between the fourth-placed teams to separate these into the respective competitions – the winner going into the premier competition.

It’s not the most-straightforward of seasons and I’m sure it will take fans and players alike some time to get to grips with it, but both Scottish teams have a lot to play for .

Both professional teams in Scotland have new coaches – Richard Cockerill at Edinburgh and Dave Rennie at Glasgow – and both will have a point to prove. In many respects, Cockerill’s task is easier. Edinburgh can’t get much worse than last year and the straight-talking Englishman has been laying down the law already.

Never one to compromise on standards, he has brought a fresh outlook to the capital side and is emphasising the importance of focusing on club performances first, rather than waiting for the Internationals to come around. One will lead to the other.

Along the M8, Rennie has to deal with Gregor Townsend’s legacy.

Having won the Pro12 a couple of years ago, last year Glasgow failed to reach those heights and have underperformed in Europe, perhaps with the exclusion of last year when they reached the quarter finals.

The side have a loyal and expectant following, so Rennie has a lot to live up to.

Neither team has made any ‘marquee’ signings in the close season, either. So both teams will have to rely on similar squads to last year, albeit with one or two new faces.

For Glasgow, the loss of Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg is significant, particularly from a leadership perspective – the erratic and often undisciplined Ryan Wilson has been handed the captaincy while Edinburgh are still waiting to appoint a leader.

In the new expanded Pro14 I expect Edinburgh to make more of an impact than Glasgow in their conference, simply because Cockerill will not stand for anything less.

Without Hogg and Gray, Glasgow have it all to do, but what an intriguing season lies ahead.