The kids have been packed off to grandparents for the second week in a row, leaving me with a dangerous amount of time on my hands this afternoon. So, I present for your interest my season preview for Conference B - if the kids stay away long enough I might attempt Conference A...
Oh, and apologies if I've missed any earth-shattering marquee signings...
Dragons
(Notable) Ins: Zane Kirchner (Leinster); Gavin Henson (Bristol)
(Notable) Outs: Tom Prydie (Scarlets); Geraint Jones (Scarlets); Rhys Thomas (retired)
Last season (regular league): 11th
This season: 7th (conference); 13th (overall, regular season)
Players to watch: Gavin Henson, Hallam Amos
The Drags have lost some experienced Welsh talent to the Scarlets or retirement, and have recruited a couple of seasoned backs with excellent pedigree. Undoubtedly though, Kirchner and Henson have their best years behind them – will the chunk of salary budget spent on these two represent value for money? Time will tell, but it’s a gamble.
You can’t imagine losing Kingsley Jones as coach will exactly be a blow, with former Irish international Bernard Jackman taking up the reins. Off the field, over the summer the WRU took ownership to save the region from financial collapse, while back on the field, the much-maligned soggy sandpit of old is being replaced by a shiny new hybrid pitch. Champagne rugby surely awaits the Rodney Parade faithful…
Edinburgh
Ins: Mark Bennett (Glasgow); Robbie Freuan (Bath); Duhan van der Merwe (Montpelier)
Outs: Nasi Manu (Treviso); George Turner (Glasgow, loan)
Last season: 9th
This season: 4th (conference); 7th
Players to watch: Robbie Freuan, Darcy Graham
Edinburgh kick off their first full (sort of) season at Myreside, and the new Richard Cockerill era, in what could be an eventful 2017/18 season for the perennial underachievers. Cockers arrived to find that no one could tell him what the culture of Edinburgh Rugby was, so he is setting about creating his own from the basics. You suspect fewer Instagram pics of frothy lattés…
The head coach has revamped his coaching team, with club legend Roddy Grant joining ‘Kitty’ McRae, the latter after a highly successful stint at Scotland Sevens topped off with back-to-back Twickenham titles. With the raw material felt to be there already in the pack (if requiring to be roused from collective slumber by a size 12 boot up the backside from Cockerill), the much-maligned backline has seen surgery over the summer.
With Mark Bennett rupturing his ACL before the ink was even dry on his Embra contract, the long-suffering Black ‘n’ Red Army will have to wait until 2018 to see the first choice centre combination, and much will depend on the man mountain Freuan steering clear of injury, and bashing over the gain line with that cow-sized heart (valve) of his. Cockers’ blueprint screams go-forward power more than graceful dancing feet, with South African wing Van der Merwe (and indeed Jason Harries) adding to the impression of a beefed-up attack. However, the surprise package could be Hawick wunderkind Darcy Graham, stepping up from the academy slight in stature but fleet of foot, on the back of some impressive performances for Scotland U20s in the last couple of World Cups. Indeed the future is bright, with several academy graduates having the potential to make a mark this year.
Wary of another false dawn, the Gunners faithful will settle for a competitive showing this year, around the fringes of European qualification with the potential to squeeze over the line…
Leinster
Ins: Scott Fardy (Brumbies); James Lowe (Chiefs)
Outs: Zane Kirchner (Dragons); Mike Ross, Mike McCarthy (retired); Dominic Ryan (Leicester)
Last season: 2nd
This season: 1st (conference); 1st
Players to watch: Joey Carbery, James Lowe
The Dubliners didn’t muck about with their recruitment, going for a couple of top drawer SH imports – all killer no filler. Wallaby Fardy fills a Dominic Ryan-shaped hole in the second row, with the latter off to Welford Road, Richard Cockerill’s old stomping ground. Maori All Black winger Lowe arrives off the back of an impressive Souper season for the Chiefs, and will be looking forward to a reunion with Scotstoun-bound coach Dave Rennie. A project player if ever there was one.
While Lowe is certainly an upgrade on Kirchner, the retirements of the vastly experienced Mikes (Ross and McCarthy) may be keenly felt, with the prolific Leinster academy being relied upon to promote from within. Indeed, one of the graduates is a certain Nick McCarthy, pointing to an alphabetical progression / recycling policy is in place. Jonny Sexton and Rob Kearney will be very much kept on their toes by young Carbery, as back seat driver Stuart Lancaster looks on from the back of the coaches’ box.
Scarlets
Ins: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); Tom Prydie (Dragons); Geraint Jones (Dragons); Tom Grabham (Ospreys)
Outs: Liam Williams (Saracens); DTH Van der Merwe (Newcastle); Aled Thomas (retired); Rynier Bernardo (released)
Last season: 3rd (winners)
This season: 2nd (conference); 4th
Players to watch: Jonathan Davies, Steff Evans
A couple of big departures from the backline over the summer, with Lions’ Test full back Liam Williams joining the freshly-crowned European champions Saracens, and former Glasgow try machine DTHVDM heading to the north east. A lot of tries going out the door then, and until recently the cupboard was pretty bare in terms of replacements, with some region-shuffling going on but arguably no real quality arriving.
And then, perhaps emboldened by the extra half million in TV cash promised upon confirmation of the South African expansion, the club and WRU dug deep to find the necessary to line Leigh Halfpenny’s pockets with enough cash to tempt him back from Toulon / the wilderness. Mourad’s notoriously fragile patience had run out, and with the same view perhaps holding sway in Avivaland (1/2-P only ever seems to play for Wales or the Lions), realistically he was going to end up at a Welsh region. Which shouldn’t stop us sniggering at the back as Weegie forum-ites speculated that Leigh could be a stopgap injury ‘joker’ replacement for Hogg…
Their new recruit should kick Scarlets plenty of points, if he plays, but you suspect Patchell will be a more regular starter in reality. The high-profile departures, together with second season syndrome, may prove to be a challenge for the West Walians, much may depend on the form and fitness of their returning Lions stars, and the further improvement of Steff Evans on the wing.
Southern Kings
Ins: Er, tumbleweeds…
Outs: Schalk van der Merwe (Ulster); Makazole Mapimpi (Cheetahs); Irne Herbst (Treviso); Chris Cloete (Munster); Wilhelm van der Sluys (Exeter Chiefs)
Last season: N/A
This season: 5th (conference); 9th
Players to watch: Schalk Ferreira, 5 new Springboks
The Kings, traditionally whipping boys / relegation yo-yos of Super Rugby, rather overachieved this year with 6 wins from 15, and a creditable 11th out of 18 overall, probably. Can anyone actually master the advanced algebra required to calculate the multi-conference melting pot that is the overall standings?
What do we know of the Kings? They have a rather nice stadium (The Nelson Mandela Bay, as you’re asking), with a capacity many multiples of the crowd they’re likely to attract for that tasty end of season hit-out against Zebre. It was here that Alan Solomons honed his vision of total rugby before leading them to relegation and signing up with Embra, in fairness bringing with him ‘the Complete Package’, or Cornell Du Preez to the rest of us.
Their reasonable stab at Soup this season has resulted in a veritable exodus to their new stablemates in the Pro 14. None of the current team has been selected for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad. Who will replace them? Er, awkward silence… oh, hang on say the SARU, we’re going to draft a minimum of 5 current Springboks from the Bulls / Stormers / Lions / Sharks to bring them up to scratch. There must be a few Cape Town ‘boks sitting in their rather nice waterfront restaurants, praying the phone won’t ring…
Treviso
Ins: Marty Banks (Highlanders); Nasi Manu (Edinburgh); Whetu Douglas (Crusaders); Irne Herbst (Southern Kings); Federico Ruzza (Zebre)
Outs: Luke McLean (London Irish); Filo Paulo (London Irish); David Odiete (Rovigo)
Last season: 10th
This season: 6th (conference); 12th
Players to watch: Marty Banks, Nasi Manu
The perennial strugglers actually picked up 5 wins in the Pro 12 last season – who could forget the 21-6 pumping administered to the boys in black ‘n’ red? Looking at their somewhat impressive recruitment this summer, I have the nagging feeling the above lowly predictions may come back to bite me…
Perhaps most impressive is Marty Banks, fresh from coming off the bench – broken rib and all – to kick the winning penalty that beat the British & Irish Lions in Dunedin in June. A cult favourite at the Highlanders, with a highly accurate kicking game, he is sure to put Tommy Allan’s backside on the bench more often than not. Indeed with Ian McKinley and Edoardo Gori in the mix, it looks like the Italians have significantly more quality at half back than Embra.
Add to that the arriving Maori All Black Whetu Douglas, and permacrock former Super Rugby-winning captain Nasi Manu, and something may be stirring down Benetton way. Iren Herbst has been a standout on loan at the Kings this season, although he is committed to the Blue Bulls until the end of Currie Cup.
Treviso have recruited very well, and may be about to surprise a few people.
Ulster
Ins: Jean Deysel (Sharks); Schalk van der Merwe (Southern Kings); John Cooney (Connacht)
Outs: Ruan Pienaar (Montpelier); Roger Wilson (retired)
Last season: 5th
This season: 3rd (conference); 6th
Players to watch: On-field – Jacob Stockdale, Marcell Coetzee; Off-field Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding
And they called us Edinbokke?! With Saffers Louis Ludik, Wiehahn Herbst and Marcell Coetzee (the latter also a Springbok) already at the club, Ulster signed Arno Botha, before cancelling the transfer of the South Africa international on medical grounds in May. Not to be deterred, they dusted themselves down and poached another current Springbok, Jean Deysel, from the Natal Sharks. Oh, and Shalk van der Merwe from the Southern Kings, to refill their ‘Van der Merwe’ quota, with Franco of that ilk having joined Cardiff for the coming season.
Of course, the Springbok they really want, they can’t have, and a tearful Ruan Pienaar said his farewells before signing up with Stern Vern’s Montpelier revolution (although Cotter really wanted Greeg, but he couldn’t have him).
With Marcell Coetzee effectively like a new signing following an injury-plagued start to life in the North, All Black Jono Gibbes will inherit a mean and streetwise pack of beefy Boks, supplemented by the odd Lion in Best and Henderson. The former Clermont forwards coach will be licking his lips in anticipation, but his problems lie at half back. With the aforementioned Pienaar off to France, last season’s first choice combination is out of the picture due to the ‘unavailability’ of Paddy Jackson. He, and team-mate Stuart Olding, are to be prosecuted for rape, and are likely to miss the entire season as they are relieved of their duties pending the case.
Keeping comment strictly on rugby topics, this change at the heart of the backs may result in an unbalanced team of forward power, but no playmakers. One wonders if they’ll hire former coach Solly as a consultant?