Last season’s runners-up (Ulster) are another side who cannot be ruled out, especially not at 12/1.
Edinburgh
Despite a semi-final loss in overtime to Ulster, Edinburgh (12/1) are well placed to overthrow reigning champions Leinster (4/6) after a revival of magnitude.
Richard Cockerill has been shrewd with his time at Murrayfield; he’s built an ethos unlike most others and turned the flimsy Edinburgh pack of old into a snarling, grunt-filled power machine.
Pierre Schoeman and Rory Sutherland have been two of the best props in world rugby this past season, the latter tipped to feature in next year’s Lions tour of South Africa.
A back-row treasure trove of Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie, Bill Mata and Magnus Bradbury is enough to compete with everyone and create mayhem at the breakdown.
Ulster
Last season’s runners-up are another side who cannot be ruled out, especially not at a best-priced 12/1. Ulster came up short against Leinster and Toulouse but with another year’s experience under their belts, the province’s young guns should kick on again.
Moving Jacob Stockdale to full-back has given them a different focus in attack and the addition of Ian Madigan can only help but take the pressure off John Cooney in the points-scoring stakes.
If Cooney can translate his European form onto the domestic stage, Ulster will be well set to be amongst the movers and shakers at the top end of the conference system.
They’ll be looking to push on from being fifth-ranked, in terms of overall points, last season.
Munster
Johann van Graan has kept the Munster (6/1) train rolling along but without being able to shake off their nearly-man tag.
Signing two World Cup winners, Damian de Allende and RG Snyman, was a master-stroke. If Munster can get the latter back fit for a large proportion of the season, then they’ll have two match-winners right there, despite losing the totemic Thomond atmosphere.
With stacks of international talent spread throughout the team and a back row of Peter O’Mahony, Tadgh Beirne and CJ Stander to wallop opposition packs with, Munster have enough about them to move a step closer to Leinster.
A good season very much hinges on if the likes of Snyman and Joey Carberry returning to fitness though. Carberry arrived as a marquee signing in the summer of 2019 but only played twice.
Scarlets
Glenn Delaney has seen his side strengthen both on and off the field over the summer, and that is the key to success – an all-round club ideology.
Rhys Patchell is close to a return and with Sione Kalamafoni adding a destructive ball-carrying game, to allow the likes of fellow newbie Johnny Williams to attack from, the blend of power and pace is just right to give you a decent run for your money at 14/1.
Flair has always been a Scarlets thing, but the recent toe-to-toe encounter with Toulon, in Toulon, on a boggy surface provided us with enough evidence that they’ll be good enough to overpower anyone on their day.
The injury woes in recent years have truly forced the West Walians to increase depth, with Aled Brew another good short-term signing on the wing.
Leinster will be strong favourites to lift the title again, but if you fancy longer odds, then there are other options to have a punt on.
