While the Super Rugby semi-finals will be contested on the weekend, the Northern Hemisphere clubs have already begun their pre-season preparations for the 2016-2017 season. That will be a promising season for all the european clubs, fighting for silverware.
Unfortunately, a general agreement about a global season to gather the Northern calendar and the Southern calendar has not be found yet. It means that the Rugby Championship will be running whereas the Aviva premiership clubs will be already playing their games.
Following a very good 2015-2016 season in the North with a very good rugby played and some incredible and unforgettable stories (Connacht and Exeter for example), there is so much at stake for the 2016-2017 season with the British & Irish Lions Tour coming in June.
That is definitely a new start for the Northern Hemisphere teams. The Top14, the Aviva Premiership and the Pro12 clubs are all heading into a new season. Obviously, the two european competitions (Challenge Cup and Champions Cup) will be definitely a big show.
Just three weeks before the end of the pre-season games and the start of the traditionnal domestic leagues, it will be interesting to make a preview for all the leagues. Who are the contenders ?! Can the defending Champions keep their titles ?! So many questions there !
1. The Aviva Premiership : So competitive league
With the Salary Cap which is providing a perfect equality between the clubs for many season now, the Aviva Premiership is unpredictable for the 2016-2017 season. The Saracens are the defending Champions, beating Exeter Chiefs in the final, at Twickenham.
All the clubs will chase the Saracens and first of all, Exeter Chiefs. The club has announced that all their key players had agreed to stay at the club further longer. It is including a number of England players such as Luke Cowan-Dickie, Henry Slade and wing Jack Nowell.
Some teams like London Wasps and Leicester Tigers are not too far behind. London Wasps is a strength for next season with their coach Dai Young playing an expansive rugby. Their pack will be more powerful thanks to the arrival of Irish hooker Marty Moore from Dublin.
Richard Cockerill, the Leicester Tigers boss, has recruited legends of the game as well. Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua is coming from the Brumbies, a Super Rugby franchise. Finally, Springboks winger JP Pietersen will also come at the club, leaving the Sharks.
Northampton Saints will be contenders with Bath Rugby. Jim Mallinder recruited French back-rower Louis Picamoles and named Tom Wood as the new skipper. As for Bath Rugby, Bruce Craig has convinced Crusaders tandem Todd Blackadder and Tabai Matson to come.
Besides, Harlequins and Sale Sharks can both have huge ambitions. Harlequins are celebrating his 150th anniversary with John Kingston, their new Director Of Rugby. Sale Sharks has managed to retain the home ground players such as number 8 Josh Beaumont.
Moreover, Gloucester and Worcester will look to reach new heights. Newcastle Falcons will probably fight for relegation even with Vereniki Goneva joining the team. Bristol have been promoted and Andy Robinson, their coach, relies on the likes of Matthew Morgan.
2. The Pro12 Rugby : Expansion to the United States ?!
The Pro12 Rugby is really exciting for the next season with the defending Champions Connacht Rugby, looking as strong as ever. Their academy is one of the best in Ireland and produced so many talents : Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Kieran Marmion and Jack Carty.
Other provinces from Ireland will try to catch the team from Galway. Leinster and Ulster will probably focus on regaining pride on the european stage while the Irish scrum-half Conor Murray is delighted with the arrival of Rassie Erasmus at Munster to start a new era.
After that, the Scottish provinces will be a threat for the next season too. Fijian second-rower Leone Nakarawa left Glasgow with Wallabies winger Taqele Nayaravoro. However, their Scotland contingent (WP Nel, Jonny Gray, Finn Russell, Sean Lamont) is so inspiring.
With Edinburgh Rugby, it is also a province which is making huge improvements with their coach Alan Solomons taking the credit. Then, the two franchises from Italy (Benetton Treviso and Zebre) play the game and keep improving their game in defence.
The Welsh provinces are also in the contest this season. Even if they failed to qualify for the Champions Cup, the Ospreys remain competitive with Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar leading them. Newport Gwent Dragons would like to improve their away performances.
Also, Scarlets will probably be competing for the Welsh bragging rights with the Ospreys. Their front-row (Ken Owens, Samson Lee) is strong with John Barclay at number 8 and Jonathan Davies back at centre. Winger Steffan Evans is a very promising player as well.
Cardiff Blues will have a word to say with the Wales flanker and skipper Sam Warburton, Lloyd Williams and Rhys Patchell. Finally, it was confirmed that Pro12 could expand to the United States and include an american province but that is far from done, as it stands now.
3. The Top14 League : More money, less rugby
The new TV deal which was agreed in the Top14 has increased, peaking at €340,000,000 and that is €100,000,000 more than the Aviva Premiership deal which is worth £220,000,000. That situation means even more money for the French clubs next seasons.
Politics in the French clubs, driven by the private owners, will not change. Looking for immediate success, they will try and sign big names from the Southern Hemisphere. That is always the same song : the clubs are not working in the interest of the national team.
French system is unequal and unperfect because the country board put in place a law to make sure that a certain number of players coming from the academies of the respective French clubs make the starting XV every weekend. The problem is that it does not work.
In fact, there is no criteria in the system about the nationality of the players. It means that youngsters coming from the Southern Hemisphere can fill these criterias wanted by the board. There is just no protection of the French players compared to the other countries.
Last season, the new Montpellier coach, Jake White, former Springboks coach, said that in some seasons, he will be able to start a team which will be 100% from South Africa. The tragedy is that he will do it and he will do it legally because that system is not working.
Overall, the Top14 league has not developped the true rugby values through the season. Each weekend is an opportunity to launch controversies between the games and the owners just love that. They are not rugby lovers but they are opportunists loving money.
That’s why there is not much to say about this league. Racing 92 won the league last season and the only thing which would be possible and useful to say is that : Toulouse, Toulon, Clermont, Bordeaux-Bègles, Castres Olympique, Montpellier will face Racing 92.
4. The European Competitions : Exciting times
That is surprising to hear that but for the first time for many years now, the Challenge Cup will probably be more interesting than the Champions Cup following a poor final between the Saracens and Racing 92 and some disappointing affluence during the two semi-finals.
In the Challenge Cup, teams who usually compete in the Champions Cup will play their game in the minor competition. For example, a final where Bath Rugby and the Ospreys could face each other would be just massive for the fans and the competition next season.
Other clubs have an opportunity to do well in the Challenge Cup such as Aviva Premiership clubs Gloucester Rugby and Harlequins along with Pro12 provinces Cardiff Blues and Edinburgh Rugby. It will not be easy for the French clubs to win Challenge Cup this time.
Moreover, in the Champions Cup, there will be some massive games in all the Pools. The fans are expecting a resurgence from Ireland with the four Irish provinces (Connacht Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Ulster Rugby and MunsterRugby) qualified for the competition.
After a miserable year when no Irish province got a Quarter-final ticket, the four provinces will be fired up but will have to compete well with the Aviva Premiership clubs. There are so many contenders which want to take the european crown and succeed to the Saracens.
For example, London Wasps, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks have all played a decent rugby last season. They are expected to build greatly on their respective momentum of last season as Champions Cup qualification was a big boost.
There is still a big question about the French clubs. Like every season, Challenge Cup and Champions Cup, it will always be interesting to witness who will be playing the competition and who will decide to play the league, opening the door for the opponents.
5. The British & Irish Lions in June, 2017 : The All Blacks are waiting
Obviously, the main event of the 2016-2017 season for the Northern Hemisphere will not even be the Six Nations Championship but the British & Irish Lions Tour. It will start in June,2017 with players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales taking on New Zealand.
The British & Irish Lions coach will be unveiled before the next Antumn Tour, in November 2016, as the new rules are stating that the British & Irish Lions coach, if already the coach of a rugby union country, will have to take a one-year sabbatical to focus only on the Tour.
It means that the squad for the June Tests will be unveiled probably at the end of May, following the european competitions and the domestic leagues play-offs. It will be a tough schedule for the British & Irish Lions players who will give everything for all the squad.
According to the schedule, the Northern Hemisphere players will face the five All Blacks franchises playing in Super Rugby. Games against a Provincial XV and the Maori All Blacks have also been staged. Finally, they will face the All Blacks three times on their home soil.
Competition for the places will be outstanding with the performances during all the season and especially during the Six Nations Championship deciding the squad. So far, the England Rugby players may have the edge after 2015 Six Nations Championship win.
The England Rugby manager Eddie Jones said that he wanted “at least” 15 England Rugby players in the British & Irish Lions squad. That statement is not very accurate given that his players will have to repeat the same performances soon to pretend joining the squad.
Nevertheless, the New Zealand team remains far ahead of the British & Irish Lions. They will play at home in front of their home crowd. Last time that the New Zealand players faced the British & Irish Lions, the All Blacks comfortably won the series (3-0 win).
Conclusion :
The upcoming 2016-2017 season in the Northern Hemisphere will be very exciting because they will be a huge competition. The Aviva Premiership league is unpredictable and that is great to witness a perfect equality between the different clubs thanks to the Salary Cap.
About the Pro12 Rugby, it is expected that the provinces from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales will do everything they can to win the league. An expansion to the United States which could include an american province is a step forward but there is still work to do.
Then, there will be the Top14 league with French clubs getting even more money. That is not sure that more money will mean more domination in Europe. However, the only thing which is absolutely sure is that the national team will definitely not improve this season.
For the first time for many seasons now, the Challenge Cup is looking very competitive. The Champions Cup, which adaopted a new format two season ago, failed to generate success and passion during the 2015-2016 season so that will be a massive challenge, then.
In conclusion, the end of the 2016-2017 season in the North will be full of memories with the British & Irish Lions going to New Zealand to face the All Blacks and their Super Rugby franchises. The challenge is huge and no doubt that there will be pride on the line for both.
That is a new season ! That is a new Journey !
Max.
Rugby, Only Rugby ! 