Italian newcomers inject fresh excitement into the Magners mix
The Irish provinces and top Welsh regions, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys, are doing so through choice as their summer tourists are given a longer pre-season lead-up and will return in dribs and drabs throughout September. The newly-strengthened Dragons and Scarlets only having a handful of Test stars to worry about.
In Scotland, it is less calculated, however, with Glasgow and Edinburgh nursing injury problems that will ensure they are not at their strongest. Edinburgh have named a starting XV closer than any to a first-choice line-up, but, without Johnnie Beattie, John Barclay, James Eddie, Al Kellock and Chris Cusiter, the Glaswegians take to the Firhill pitch tonight with a vastly reshaped side to that which ended last season in Swansea at the play-off stage.
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Hide AdThe two sides most bristling with excitement are the Italian newcomers, Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby from the Viadana area. Italian rugby is making a long-awaited entry to a leading northern hemisphere tournament, and will provide a few surprises. Just as Italy were expected to take a few years to get to grips with the intensity of the RBS Six Nations, the Italians do not expect to be consistent this season. But this is a level below international, so differences will be smaller, and no Scottish team will surely dare underestimate any Italian side.
Under director of rugby Franco Bernini, and coaches Andrea Moretti, Andrew Scotney and Rowly Phillips, Aironi have pulled together a strong squad of leading Italian caps.
Locks Marco Bortolami, 6ft 8in skipper Quintin Geldenhuys and Carlo Del Fava link up, Fabio Ongaro and Matias Aguero are back from Saracens, Fabio Staibano from Castres and Salvatore Perugini from Bayonne, so one can expect a solid front five.
Treviso have lorded it over the Italian Super with six wins in eight years, and have now added Italy forwards Valerio Bernabo, Paul Derbyshire and Manoa Vosawai, a Tongan-born ball-carrier, and wings Michele Sepe and Joe Maddock over the summer. It is always guesswork at this stage, but the unpredictable nature is made greater by those newcomers, the influence of national coaches over early-season team selections and the fact all teams are now gunning for the top four and play-offs rather than first place outright.
Reigning champions Ospreys, Munster and Cardiff are the early favourites by dint of their strength in depth, but while the Magners title is now a contest of timing over eight months and 22 games still little provides more confidence than victory on the opening weekend.
AIRONI RUGBY
Ground: Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
Capacity: 6,000
Head coach: Franco Bernini
Captain: Quintin Geldenhuys
Capped players: 20
Ins: M Bortolami (Gloucester), F Ongaro, M Aguero (both Saracens), N Williams (Munster), F Staibano (Castres Olympique), S Perugini (Bayonne), J Laharrague (Montauban), D Demas (Cheetahs), D Des Fountain (Stormers), J Sole, K Robertson, C del Fava, Q Geldenhuys (all Viadana), G Pizarro, A de Marchi (both Rovigo), L Mercier (Petrarca), A de Marchi, S Favaro, R Quartaroli (all Overmach Parma), N Cattina (Calvisano), G Venditti, G Rubini, T Tebaldi (all Gran Parma), G Biagi (Cavalieri Prato), G Krause (Venezia), R Bocchino, P Buso (both Roma).
Outs: None.
BENETTON TREVISO
Ground: Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Capacity: 6,000
Head coach: Franco Smith
Captain: Antonio Pavanello
Capped players: 23
Ins: M Pratichetti (Viadana), M Sepe (Viadana), G Padro (Petrarca), P Derbyshire (Petrarca), M Vosawai (Overmach Parma), F Minto (Overmach Parma), E Gori (Cavalieri Prato), V Bernab (Rugby Roma), J Maddock (Bath).
Outs: None.
CARDIFF BLUES
Ground: Cardiff City Stadium
Capacity: 26,828
Head coach: David Young
Captain: Paul Tito
Capped players: 23
Ins: D Parks (Glasgow), M Paterson (Hurricanes), T Brown (London Welsh), B Griffiths, T Davies (both Doncaster).
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Hide AdOuts: S Morgan, R Sowden-Taylor (both Dragons), D Flanagan (Ospreys), D Allinson (London Irish), (Dragons), S Norton-Knight (Sanyo Wild Knights), A Powell (Wasps).
CONNACHT
Ground: Galway Sportsground
Capacity: 5,000
Head coach: Eric Elwood
Captain: John Muldoon.
Capped players: 6
Ins: S Monahan (Leinster), D Fanning (Leinster), E Taylor (Queensland Reds), C Willis (Ulster).
Outs: G Naoupu (Kobe Kobelco Steelers).
EDINBURGH
Ground: Murrayfield
Capacity: 67,144
Head coach: Rob Moffat
Captain: Roddy Grant
Capped players: 17
Ins: N Talei, A Grove (loan), J Gilding (all Worcester), E Lozada (Toulon), D Denton (Edinburgh Academical), S McInally (Watsonians), J King (Melrose), L Jones (Selkirk)
Outs: A Hogg (Newcastle), J Hamilton (Gloucester), R Grant (Glasgow), D Callam (released), S Cross (retired).
GLASGOW WARRIORS
Ground: Firhill
Capacity: 10,887
Head coach: Sean Lineen
Captain: Ally Kellock
Capped players: 16
Ins: R Grant (Edinburgh), F Martin Aramburu (Dax), R Harley (West of Scotland), J Fleming (Dundee HSFP), R Wilson, A Muldowney (both Moseley), D Weir (Glasgow Hawks), A Dunbar (Selkirk), C Fusaro (Heriot's FP), H Pyrgos (Loughborough University), T Ryder (Saracens, loan).
Outs: K Brown (Saracens), D Parks (Cardiff), M McMillan (Bath), D Turner (Toyota Shokki Shuttles), T Barker (Ulster), T Evans (retired).
LEINSTER
Ground: Donnybrook
Capacity: 18,000
Head coach: Joe Schmidt
Captain: Leo Cullen.
Capped players: 21
Ins: J Schmidt (head coach from Clermont Auvergne), E O'Donoghue (Ulster), I Boss (Ulster), H van der Merwe (Golden Lions).
Outs: M Cheika (head coach to Stade Francais), CJ Van Der Linde (Cheetahs), S Keogh (Released), C Keane (Released), M O'Kelly, G Dempsey, Bernard Jackman (all retired), K Tonetti (Sale).
MUNSTER
Grounds: Thomond Park, Limerick, and Musgrave Park, Cork
Capacities: 25,600 and 8,685
Head coach: Tony McGahan
Captain: Paul O'Connell
Capped players: 23
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Hide AdIns: J Murphy (Leicester), S Tuitupou (Worcester), W Du Preez (Cheetahs), P Borlase (Crusaders), C Hircock (Bedford).
Outs: N Williams (Aironi), J Manning (Newcastle), J Brugnaut (Racing Metro), J de Villiers (Stormers), C O'Boyle (released), E Grace (Exeter).
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS
Ground: Rodney Parade, Newport
Capacity: 10,000
Head coach: Paul Turner
Captain: Tom Willis
Capped players: 15
Ins: M Jones (Worcester), H Ellis, A Ellis (both Wasps), N Griffiths (Doncaster), A Coombs (Newport), T Evans (Hartpury College), S Morgan, R Sowden-Taylor (both Cardiff).
Outs: R Fussell (Ospreys), N MacDonald (Melbourne Rebels), G Webb (Otago), J Arlidge (Nottingham), J Harris, A Walker (both released).
OSPREYS
Ground: Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Capacity: 20,520
Head coach: Sean Holley
Captain: Ryan Jones
Capped players: 27
Ins: D Flanagan (Cardiff), R Fussell (Dragons), M Davies (Leicester), M Allen (Pontypool).
Outs: E Shervington (Worcester), M Breeze (London Welsh), L Davies (Dax), R Davies, J Vaughton (both released), L Bateman, F Tiatia (both retired).
SCARLETS
Ground: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Capacity: 15,000
Head coach: Nigel Davies
Captain: Matthew Rees
Capped players: 18
Ins: J Ajuwa (Llandovery), G Quinnell (Viadana).
Outs: R Higgitt (Worcester), D Daniel (Carmarthen Quins), J Corsi (released), M Jones, S Easterby (both retired).
ULSTER
Ground: Ravenhill, Belfast
Capacity: 11,600
Head coach: Brian McLaughlin
Captain: Rory Best
Capped players:16
Ins: R Pienaar, J Muller (both Sharks), P Wannenburg (Bulls), T Barker (Glasgow).
Outs: E O'Donoghue, I Boss (both Leinster), T Nagusa (Montpellier), C Schifcofske (Crusaders, Rugby League), J Fitzpatrick, M McCullough (both retired), T Horua (released).