2017-18 Guinness Pro 14 Season Preview

The Guinness Pro 12 is now more. Expansion has seen it become the Guinness pro 14 Championship. Two South African teams are now in the competition, joining two from Italy, four from Ireland, two from Scotland and four from Wales.

The 2017-2018 Guinness Pro 14 season starts today, September 01. The final will be played in Dublin, Ireland on May 26 2018. The decision to play in Ireland comes with the provinces having dominated the league since it was first created.

Benetton Treviso
The better of the two Italian sides has tended to be a Lower-Table performer. Travis’s best season since joining the league was in 2012-2013 when the club finished 7th. The season included 10 wins and 2 draws. Last season the return was 5 wins. Among the new recruits for the new season is Juan Ignacio Brex. The Argentine joins from Viadana.

Prospects: Lower-Table

Cardiff Blues
The Welsh region has the means to be a strong side but many leading players are managed through the season. Blaine Scully joined the Cardiff Blues in 2015 from the Leicester Tigers. He has received regular game time and the same is likely true for the new season. His Eagles teammate Cam Dolan has departed. Pumas fullback Joaquín Tuculet is another former Cardiff Blues player.

Prospects: Quarter Finals

Cheetahs
One of the two new sides is the Cheetahs. Playing out of Bloemfontein the former Super Rugby team will add to the competitiveness of the league. Playing in Conference A will give the team plenty of opportunities for league victories. Getting beyond the regular season will be demanding with a Quarter Finals appearance being arguably a mark for success.

Prospects: Quarter Finals

Connacht
The 2016 Guinness Pro 12 Champions face a daunting task of regaining their crown. Being in Conference 1 does not make for a clear path to the finals. Connacht will need to finish above three of the Cardiff Blues, Cheetahs, Glasgow Warriors, Munster, the Ospreys and Zebre. On paper it is a task that the province will struggle to realize. Eagle AJ MacGinty and Canadian Shane O’Leary are former players.

Prospects: Lower-Table

Dragons
Rebranded from the Newport Gwent Dragons to now just being the Dragons, the team will continue to play out of Rodney Parade. Still retaining the reputation as being Wales’ weakest side it will likely require a miracle to reach the Quarter Finals. The first goal will be to sit above Benetton Treviso in the Conference. The two sides are clear favorites to finish bottom of Conference A. Puma Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Eagle Paul Emerick both played for the region.

Prospects: Lower-Table

Edinburgh
The Scottish capital side, Edinburgh has had a poor run of seasons. So much so that since 2010 the team has finished 8th or lower. Turning things around this season appear unlikely. National rivals, the Glasgow Warriors retain a far stronger roster than Edinburgh and dominate the Scottish test side. Six of the new recruits this season are from the Academy. Argentina’s Felipe Arregui was at the club last season.

Prospects: Lower-Table

Glasgow Warriors
The side representing Scotland’s largest city has the means to be champion. The Glasgow Warriors side has an extremely strong player roster and also a world class coach. USA Eagles second-rower, Greg Peterson has been at the side since 2015. Canadian flier DTH van der Merwe is a former Warrior and arguably the best import in the club’s history.

Prospects: Conference A Winner, Champions

Leinster
A Glasgow Warriors vs Leinster Final is plausible. On paper the two sides are solid predictions to win the respective  Conferences. Their caliber of players, history and comparative lack of travel compared to some make them well positioned to perform well this season. Pumas Felipe Contepomi, Mariano Galarza and Juan Gomez all played for Leinster.

Prospects: Conference B Winner, Finalists

Munster
The Southern Irish province is another title contender. With a strong roster and a formidable home fortress, Munster will need to play poorly not to feature in the play-off’s. No player from the Americas is currently at the province. In the past Lucas González Amorosino, Eusebio Guiñazú and Mario Sagario all played for Munster.

Prospects: Semi Finals

Ospreys
Arguably there strongest Welsh region is the Ospreys. The Swansea-based side has a roster packed with talent but it has had the tendency to play poorly in the later half of the competition. Following Six Nations duty results have slumped. Will history repeat itself this season? Former USA Junior Hanno Dirksen is still an Ospreys as is Canadian speed-merchant, Jeff Hassler. Tyler Ardron has departed to play in New Zealand.

Prospects: Semi Finals

Scarlets
The 2017 champions surprised many. Repeating the triumph again this season would also be unexpected. The Llanelli-based Welsh region presently has no players from the Americas. Last season DTH van der Merwe won the Pro 12 title with the team. One of the greatest Eagles of all time, Dave Hodges, is a former Scarlet.

Prospects: Quarter Finals

Southern Kings
The Port Elizabeth side had a strong Super Rugby campaign. But with South Africa cutting two sides there was no means of being retained for the 2018 Super Rugby season. This is the Guinness Pro 14 Championship’s gain. Not only is the competition getting a capable team but it is going to benefit tremendously from the added revenue. Pumas Tomás Leonardí and Nicolás Vergallo are former Kings’ players.

Prediction: Mid-Table

Ulster
The northern Irish province has not spark which took it to the European Champions Cup Final in 2012. The new season sees the roster looking thinner than previously and banned players has not helped the cause. Still at Ulster is the uncapped Callum Black. He remains eligible to play for the USA. He could have played in Rugby World Cups 2015 and 2011. The fact that his did not eventuate means the chances of an eventual Eagles cap are minimal.

Prospects: Upper-Table

Zebre
The Parma-based side is yet to have a good season. Will this change in 2017-2018? Based on off-field activities it is not likely. The side came close to collapsing and there was a strong push to relocate to Rome. Among the player movement for the new season is the arrival of Eduardo Bello. He joins Serafin Bordoli to give Zebre two Argentine players. Both Bruno Postiglioni and Guillermo Roan have departed.

Prospects: Lower-Table