All good things must come to an end. Exeter’s opening round defeat at Leicester in the Gallagher Premiership has already set people thinking that their mini-dynasty of success in England might about to run its course.
With 21 more rounds of regular season action to go such talk is wholly premature but as change is one of the constants of life at some point or another a dominant team in sport will be knocked off their perch.
As far as the United Rugby Championship is concerned, it will be fascinating to see if the change of format, the introduction of South African teams and new laws will end Leinster’s monopoly of the competition.
The four Irish provinces dominated last season’s Pro14 and Leinster were the standout team, claiming their fourth successive title and their eighth overall with victory over Munster in the final.
Those two, followed by Ulster, are the top three in the betting with Leo Cullen’s champions odds-on to go all the way and reclaim the silverware again.
Having to play against Leinster and Munster twice will count against Ulster and Connacht, while the Scottish sides, Glasgow and Edinburgh, are in a state of transition and will not have it all their own way against Rainbow Cup winner Benetton and Zebre.
Bulls to take charge
Which leaves us with the four Welsh regions and the new South African entrants. Our guest expert, Chris Rowe, says the Sharks are contenders for a top-four place especially with the recruitment of ex-Ulster scrum-half Ruan Pienaar bringing some much-needed nous of northern hemisphere conditions.
However, Rowe tips the Bulls to be the leading contenders from South Africa. The Bulls topped their group in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup and were worthy winners of the recent Currie Cup and will be more battle-hardened than their European counterparts.
“They’ve brought in Bismarck du Plessis, marquee players like Johan Goosen and Marcell Coetzee and youngster like Elrigh Louw and Jan Hendrik Wessels, have come into the side recently, and looked like Springboks in the making,” said Rowe.
“They should pull away from the South African teams so 9/10 about topping their group is a great bet.”
Taking Liberties!
As for the Welsh, Scarlets are the shortest price of the quartet at 20/1. But like Cardiff, who have brought back Dai Young, they have a revamped coaching team and that will ultimately take some time to bed in.
The Dragons are the perennial also-rans but the Ospreys, at a whopping 150/1 with William Hill, could be dark horses.
Toby Booth is a few years into his project to turn around the fortunes of the once-dominant region who have some big-name players in their squad.
Maybe not to the same level as when they were labelled ‘the Galacticos’ but any squad with Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and George North in it has to be respected, especially as there will be fewer clashes with international weekends in the URC than previously in the PRO14.
Tomas Francis is a shrewd signing from Exeter, while Gareth Anscombe’s return from two years of injury hell will give everyone at the Liberty Stadium a lift.
With some firms offering 80/1, 150/1 looks overly generous.
