Aironi Rugby
City: Viadana/Parma/Reggio Emilia (Italy)
Stadium: Stadio Luigi Zaffanella (capacity: 5,500) and Stadio Giglio (29,546)
Best finish: N/A
Last season: N/A
Head coach: Franco Bernini (Italy)
Captain: Quintin Geldenhuys (Lock, Italy)
Star man: Marco Bortolami (Lock, Italy)
Other notable players: Salvatore Perugini (Prop, Italy), Pablo Canavosio (Scrum-half, Italy), Julien Laharrague (Wing, France), Kaine Robertson (Wing, Italy)
Pre-season: no idea...
Verdict: As a totally new club, they are an unknown quantity. Viadana, who make up a large part of the franchise lost all six games in last year’s Heineken Cup. They will need to be strong in the forwards to avoid embarrassment. A season of struggle, I fear.
Benetton Rugby Treviso
City: Treviso, Veneto (Italy)
Stadium: Stadio Comunale di Monigo (6,700)
Best finish: N/A
Last season: N/A
Head coach: Franco Smith (South Africa)
Captain: Antonio Pavanello (Lock, Italy)
Star man: Luke McLean (Full-back, Italy)
Other notable players: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Hooker, Italy), Simon Picone (Scrum-half, Italy), Andrea Mercato (Fly-half, Italy), Joe Maddock (Wing, New Zealand)
Pre-season: no idea...
Verdict: Last year’s Heineken Cup campaign saw one (shock) win, against Perpignan. But the squad looks weak, and I think any result other than last place would be happily accepted.
Cardiff Blues
City: Cardiff (Wales)
Stadium: Cardiff City Stadium (26,828)
Best finish: 2nd (2006-07 & 2007-08)
Last season: 5th
Head coach: Dai Young (Wales)
Captain: Paul Tito (Lock, New Zealand)
Star man: Jamie Roberts (Centre, Wales)
Other notable players: Gethin Jenkins (Prop, Wales), Martyn Williams (Flanker, Wales), Dan Parks (Fly-half, Scotland), Leigh Halfpenny (Wing, Wales)
Pre-season: wins against Exeter (26-21) and Newport Gwent Dragons (19-3)
Verdict: The Amlin Cup winners of 2010 go into this season looking for a place in the top four (the play-off positions), having just missed out last time. They are strong throughout the team and, if Dan Parks can recreate his Glasgow magic, the play-offs are a realistic target.
Connacht Rugby
City: Galway (Ireland)
Stadium: Galway Sportsgrounds (5,500)
Best finish: 9th (2003-04)
Last season: 10th
Head coach: Eric Elwood (Ireland)
Captain: John Muldoon (Flanker, Ireland)
Star man: Fionn Carr (Wing, Ireland)
Other notable players: Sean Cronin (Hooker, Ireland), Robbie Morris (Prop, England), Ian Keatley (Fly-half, Ireland), Gavin Duffy (Full-back, Ireland)
Pre-season: losses against Harlequins (40-7) and Saracens (22-5)
Verdict: Very much Ireland’s fourth team, Connacht have made no great signings and have also lost their experienced head coach Michael Bradley. The appearance of the Italian teams might give them hope of not finishing bottom for a change.
Edinburgh Rugby
Edinburgh (Scotland)
Murrayfield (12,464 of 67,800)
Best finish: 2nd (2008-09)
Last season: 6th
Head coach: Rob Moffat (Scotland)
Captain: Roddy Grant (Flanker, Scotland)
Star man: Tim Visser (Wing, Netherlands)
Other notable players: Ross Ford (Hooker, Scotland), Mike Blair (Scrum-half, Scotland), Phil Godman (Fly-half, Scotland), Chris Paterson (Wing/Full-back, Scotland)
Pre-season: loss against Bath (49-21) and win against London Irish (19-17)
Verdict: Edinburgh will hope to consolidate last year’s relative success with a similar squad. Tim Visser is one to watch, as he scored more tries than anyone else in the division. Should be around the midway point again, probably just missing out on the play-offs.
Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow (Scotland)
Firhill (10,887)
Best finish: 3rd (2009-10)
Last season: 3rd
Head coach: Sean Lineen (Scotland)
Captain: Alastair Kellock (Lock, Scotland)
Star man: Max Evans (Centre, Scotland)
Other notable players: John Barclay (Flanker, Scotland), Johnnie Beattie (Number 8, Scotland), Chris Cusiter (Scrum-half, Scotland), Graeme Morrison (Centre, Scotland)
Pre-season: losses against Sale (23-22) and London Wasps (36-17)
Verdict: They remain a strong unit but the losses of Thom Evans (injury) and - especially - Dan Parks (to Cardiff) will hit them hard. Parks was the man they depended on for many of their points and, unless adequately replaced, Glasgow are very unlikely to repeat the top-four finish of last season.
Leinster Rugby
Dublin (Ireland)
RDS Arena (18,500)
Best finish: Winners (2001-02, 2007-08)
Last season: 2nd
Head coach: Josef Schmidt (New Zealand)
Captain: Leo Cullen (Lock, Ireland)
Star man: Brian O’Driscoll (Centre, Ireland)
Other notable players: Jamie Heaslip (Number 8, Ireland), Jonathan Sexton (Fly-half, Ireland), Gordon D’Arcy (Centre, Ireland), Rob Kearney (Full-back, Ireland)
Pre-season: losses against London Wasps (41-6) and Leicester (37-14)
Verdict: Poor pre-season form cannot take away from a squad rich in talent and international experience. O’Driscoll still has the ability to turn games on an instant and is ably supported by some of the stand-out Irish internationals. Should make top four (unless distracted by European competition) and are contenders to win it – they’ll be hungry to avenge the defeat by the Ospreys after finishing top of the league.
Munster Rugby
Limerick/Cork (Ireland)
Thomond Park (26,500) & Musgrave Park (8,300)
Best finish: Winners (2002-03, 2008-09)
Last season: 4th
Head coach: Tony McGahan (Ireland)
Captain: Paul O’Connell (Lock, Ireland)
Star man: Paul O’Connell (Lock, Ireland)
Other notable players: John Hayes (Prop, Ireland), Tomas O’Leary (Scrum-half, Ireland), Ronan O’Gara (Fly-half, Ireland), Doug Howlett (Wing, New Zealand)
Pre-season: loss against Leicester (17-13) and win against Gloucester (15-10)
Verdict: The team remains strong up front and has sprinklings of quality throughout the back line. I just wonder if European priorities, international call-ups and ageing legs (O’Gara, Howlett, etc) will cost Munster. They ought to make the top four again, but there’s certainly stiff competition to overcome first.
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport (Wales)
Rodney Parade (12,000)
Best finish: 3rd (2003-04)
Last season: 7th
Head coach: Paul Turner (Wales)
Captain: Tom Willis (Hooker, New Zealand)
Star man: Aled Brew (Wing, Wales)
Other notable players: Luke Charteris (Lock, Wales), Robert Sidoli (Lock, Wales), Joe Bearman (Flanker, England/Wales), Ashley Smith (Centre, Wales).
Pre-season: win against Cornish Pirates (27-11) and losses against Worcester (45-10), London Irish (33-20) and Cardiff Blues (19-3)
Verdict: An inexperienced-looking squad could well be set to struggle this year. A few bright individuals aside, they’ll do well to match the 7th place of last year. Might do best when other teams’ stars are on international duty.
The Ospreys
Swansea (Wales)
Liberty Stadium (20,500)
Best finish: Winners (2004-05, 2006-07, 2009-10)
Last season: Winners
Head coach: Scott Johnson (Australia)
Captain: Alun Wyn Jones (Lock, Wales)
Star man: Tommy Bowe (Wing, Ireland)
Other notable players: Jerry Collins (Flanker, New Zealand), Ryan Jones (Number 8, Wales), Shane Williams (Wing, Wales), Lee Byrne (Full-back, Wales)
Pre-season: wins against Ospreys Regional XV (58-22) and Leeds (31-28) and loss against Gloucester (24-14)
Verdict: Joint favourites alongside Leinster, the Ospreys are hoping to be the first team to retain the title. I actually think they just have the edge on the Irish squad-wise, with such quality in the backs to exploit the solid platform built by the equally-capable forwards. It is possible that they could go all-out trying to become the first Welsh team to win the Heineken Cup (they have a squad capable of it), but even so should make the top four and then, who knows.
The Scarlets
Llanelli (Wales)
Parc y Scarlets (14,870)
Best finish: Winners (2003-04)
Last season: 9th
Head coach: Nigel Davies (Wales)
Captain: Matthew Rees (Hooker, Wales)
Star man: Stephen Jones (Fly-half, Wales)
Other notable players: David Lyons (Number 8, Australia), Jonathan Davies (Centre, Wales), Regan King (Centre, Australia), Sean Lamont (Wing, Scotland)
Pre-season: loss against Gloucester (26-6) and wins against Worcester (43-14) and Exeter (24-20)
Verdict: The Scarlets will look to put last season’s abysmal effort behind them. But they just don’t have the quality that the Ospreys or Blues have and – even with Stephen Jones’ dependable kicking – will probably fall short of the top half.
Ulster Rugby
Belfast (Northern Ireland)
Ravenhill (12,800)
Best finish: Winners (2005-06)
Last season: 8th
Head coach: Brian McLaughlin (Ireland)
Captain(s): Rory Best (Hooker, Ireland), Chris Henry (Number 8, Ireland)
Star man: Simon Danielli (Wing, Scotland)
Other notable players: BJ Botha (Prop, South Africa), Stephen Ferris (Flanker, Ireland), Ruan Pienaar (Scrum-half, South Africa), Andrew Trimble (Wing, Ireland)
Pre-season: losses against Bath (26-14) and Harlequins (24-0) and win against Leeds (19-16)
Verdict: My team. Last season was a mix of the sublime and the substandard. They do, though, look like putting together a decent squad, with young talents coming through - watch out for Jamie Smith in particular. Is it too soon for them to really challenge? Yes. Top half probably their limit – any improvement on 8th again would be hugely welcomed.
First fixtures:
Glasgow v Leinster (3rd September, 19.05 k.o.)
Ulster v Ospreys (3rd September, 19.05 k.o.)
Connacht v N. G. Dragons (4th September, 17.30 k.o.)
Cardiff v Edinburgh (4th September, 18.30 k.o.)
Benetton Treviso v Scarlets (4th September, 19.05 k.o.)
Munster v Aironi (4th September, 19.30 k.o.)
