The Guinness Pro14 – 16.6% bigger and possibly better than last season – kicks off on Friday night. Robin Davey examines what might happen on the opening weekend and how the four Welsh regions might perform this season.

 

The phoney war is over, pre-season friendlies which can be meaningless are done, and now it’s the real thing as a new professional rugby season in Wales gets under way on Friday night.

The Guinness Pro 12 League has evolved into the Pro 14, split into two conferences of seven teams with the addition of two South African sides, bringing in a much-needed injection of capital.

The Scarlets, boosted by the arrival of Leigh Halfpenny on his return to Wales, are sure to defend their title with another brand of thrilling rugby and can expect to challenge strongly again.

The Ospreys are never far away, Cardiff Blues will aim to build on a disappointing season last time out while the Dragons will be out to make an impression at last after being taken over by the WRU.

It’s the capital city of Cardiff which gets an exciting new chapter started from a Welsh point of view as the Blues entertain Edinburgh on Friday night.

Both teams languished in the bottom half of the table last season, the Blues only just, finishing in seventh position, two places above their Scottish rivals.

Edinburgh have suffered in the shadow of their more successful Scottish counterparts Glasgow for some seasons, but will threaten a revival this season under the redoubtable Richard Cockerill.

The successful former Leicester chief, who arrived via a spell with Toulon after taking them to Top 14 final, is already making waves north of the border.

“I feel too many guys at Edinburgh have historically used it as a place to play a few games, to get themselves fit for Test matches. Scotland don’t want that and I won’t tolerate it,” he said.

“I’ve no interest in the national team. These guys have to do it for Edinburgh first, the sooner they realise that the better for everybody.”

Typically fighting talk from Cockerill then. Cardiff Blues have been warned! They struggled to find any real rhythm last season, mixing good results with bad, leaving head coach Danny Wilson frustrated.

It’s a blow they’ll be without Ellis Jenkins, one of the best young flankers in Wales, for the start of the season due to injury.

And they’ve been upset at losing out to the Scarlets on Halfpenny as well as a summer when investment appeared to have dried up.

But under the leadership of the vastly experienced Gethin Jenkins they will still aim to improve on last season’s disappointing showing.

Saturday afternoon sees the Dragons and Ospreys in action against Leinster and Zebre, respectively.

Rodney Parade will witness a new-look pro team, rebranded as the Dragons, the Newport Gwent part of the title dropped, under WRU ownership with a new pitch and a new head coach in Bernard Jackman.

Not only that, but the league opener there hails the return of former golden boy Gavin Henson who will be out to prove some of the old stardust is still there, while ex-Springbok Zane Kirchner is another new recruit.

But visitors Leinster will be out to spoil the party. They’re one of the league’s giants, past winners, brimful of internationals and they arrive on parade confident after demolishing the Dragons 54-22 there near the end of last season.

The Dragons could have done with a less testing opener and for all the optimism swirling around Rodney Parade after the WRU takeover, they still conceded a massive 201 points including 31 tries in their admittedly tough friendlies against Montpellier, Northampton, Exeter and Glasgow.

The Ospreys, on the other hand, could not have wished for a better start as they host hapless Zebre, the Italian outfit almost going under during the summer until propped up by the Italian Federation.

The Ospreys fell away badly in the final stages of last season and last week went down 40-14 against Leicester, but with Lions Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb and Justin Tipuric in their ranks they will surely be right up there come the play-offs.

Which brings us to the final game of the weekend for the Welsh teams with the fascinating clash between the Scarlets and Southern Kings on Saturday evening.

It’s fascinating for a variety of reasons – the first game in defence of the title the Scarlets won so spectacularly last season when they beat Munster convincingly, the debut of Leigh Halfpenny, who will slot easily into the vacancy left by Liam Williams, now with Saracens, and the debut appearance by the South African newcomers.

The Cheetahs and the Kings are coming. Pic: Getty Images.

The Southern Kings have struggled for players after a number left for Super Rugby, but under head coach Deon Davids they have promised to play an exciting brand of rugby and while the weather is better, at least, we can expect to witness lots of tries.

Fans will anticipate keenly visits to Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein, base of the Cheetahs and Kings as the Pro 12 expands its playing base.

And there is promise of more to come with America, Canada, Germany and Spain all mentioned as possible countries to be involved in the future.

That makes for an exciting future. But for the here and now it’s customary to make some rash pre-season predictions.

So, it’s the Scarlets to retain their title with some more thrilling rugby and be the only Welsh side to make the semi-final play-offs.

The other three regions to miss out with Leinster, Munster and Glasgow making up the final four, but the Ospreys and Ulster to make the new quarter-final stage.