The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley finds the Welsh clubs in bullish form ahead of the new Magners League season.

"Welcome to another season then, or as the Magners League perhaps ought to put it, ‘Benvenuto’. As the League enters its tenth year, expansion is the theme, the advent of two new Italian sides broadening the league’s Celtic remit. Cue more games (42 of them to be exact), more matches on free-to-air television, more travel, more expenses and more demands. More than ever before, it would seem, only the strongest will survive.

"There were signs last season that there has been a shifting of the sands anyway. The bookies, as they did a year ago, have established an elite quartet whom they place as firm favourites to reach the top four. Glasgow elbowed their way into that select group, but unlike a year ago, it is the two powerful Welsh regions, the Ospreys and the Cardiff Blues, rather than Leinster and Munster, who are hogging the silverware, courtesy of their respective Magners League and Amlin Challenge Cup successes.

"The Welsh, as is their wont, are not innately modest when it comes to their exploits on rugby fields, and the Cardiff coach Dai Young was quite chipper on their behalf earlier in the week. “I think the Welsh challenge will be a strong one. If you look around then all of us have improved our squads on last year. So I think we will be major challengers again.”

Ahead of the new Magners League season, Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times talks to Aironi Rugby captain Josh Sole about the ambitious plans of the new Italian franchises.

"The biggest unknown quantity by far in the coming Magners League will be Aironi Rugby. Whereas Benetton Treviso have retained much of their old identity as one of the two new super franchises in Italian rugby, Aironi are much more of a new entity and have thus tapped into the rest of Italian rugby.

"The new club will be based in Viadana, in the region of Lombardy, and Viadana remain the largest shareholders in Aironi as well as being the bulk suppliers of the new squad.

"As for Viadana themselves in this brave new world of Italian rugby, they will no longer compete as a professional club. The senior and under-20 teams have merged with GranDucato Parma Rugby, and the club will continue as an independent at under-age level as well as one senior amateur team, thereby acting as a feeder for Parma and ultimately Aironi and the Italian national set-up."

Writing in the Irish Times, Johnny Watterson believes any side hoping to make an impression in this season's Magners League has to come flying out of the traps.

"Leinster and Munster in particular will be looking for a strong start as the increase in team numbers means there will be four extra rounds of matches in the league phase of the tournament. In order to accommodate this, some games are scheduled to be played during the international windows in November and when the RBS Six Nations championship is being played. Both Leinster and Munster have two scheduled matches in November.

"Leinster will have their eye on going one step further this time around, having fallen flat against Ospreys in last season’s Grand Final at the RDS. Bowe was one of the Ospreys’ two try scorers in their 17-12 victory in May and also grabbed a vital bonus-point try at his old stomping ground as the Ospreys beat Ulster 38-27 in April to stay on course for the play-offs.

"The 22-round league season kicks off on the first weekend in September and runs through until the weekend of May 6th of next year. All games in Round 22 will kick-off simultaneously to ensure no teams have advantage when vying for play-off places or European qualification."

Writing in the Western Mail, Gareth Griffiths reports that all four Welsh regions are claiming to be winning the battle to attract bumper crowds, something which in truth have eluded all of them since the inception of the regional game in 2003.

"It's become one of the rarest sights in Welsh sport.

"Not the rugby team beating the All Blacks, not John Toshack fielding a full-strength side in a friendly match in eastern Europe, not Bradley Dredge winning a golf tournament with a late Sunday afternoon surge.

"No, I’m talking about the seats being filled behind the posts at one of our four rugby regions, all of whom have attracted derision for the relatively paltry numbers through their turnstiles between September and May.

"In fairness, the gaps are more pronounced at the more cavernous homes of the Blues, Scarlets and Ospreys, with the sight nowhere near such a regularity at the Dragons’ more modest Rodney Parade base. But still, last season, the dwindling number of people prepared to shell out to watch the four Welsh regions became a hot topic, especially given the soaring attendances of Leinster and Munster."

There was to be no triumphant valediction to close Michael Cheika's reign at Leinster, writes the Irish Independent's John O'Brien.

"They billed it somewhat pretentiously as the Grand Final and, in truth, the occasion lived up to its name. The purists might argue that Leinster were denied the title they had earned over the course of the season, but the manner in which the Ospreys dismantled them in the first 40 minutes gave the lie to that assessment.

"At a ground that has only ever held despair for them, the Welsh side proved themselves worthy champions.

"We had assumed the imperatives would be greater for Leinster. They had a proud history at their adopted ground to defend and the emotional context of Michael Cheika and Malcolm O'Kelly, among others, making their valedictory appearances for the province. Not to mention their burning need to finish another season with a tangible reward to show for their efforts. They seemed to have any number of reasons to win."

The men of Ospreylia can no longer be accused of bottling it on the big day according to the Wales on Sunday.

"For the Ospreys, it was also a success that goes a long way to making amends for their heartbreaking Heineken Cup exit at the quarter-final stage to Biarritz.

"They now become the first team to win the Magners League three times, following up their title triumphs in 2005 and 2007, with the trophy being lifted jointly by skipper Jones and fellow back-rower Filo Tiatia, who was making his last appearance before hanging up his boots.

"It was a thoroughly deserved success for the often-criticised Liberty lads, who outplayed Leinster for an hour at the RDS and then held on defiantly in the final quarter with some Rorke’s Drift-style defence."

Writing in the Irish Independent, David Kelly reflects on the Ospreys resurgence this season.

"What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, the Ospreys shipped 79 points on two chastening weekends in Thomond Park to sunder their respective Magners League and Heineken Cup dreams.

"When coach Sean Holley emerged to face a typically abrasive grilling from his Welsh media f(r)iends, he couldn't help but acknowledge where his side ranked in terms of culture and organisation.

"...They've spent the past year learning. A year on from their humiliation at the hands of Munster, the Ospreys may have once more failed to crack Europe but, more significantly, a return visit to Limerick has offered succour to what is essentially a seven-year-old project.

"The Welsh region seemingly synonymous with big hair -- hence the nickname Hairsprays -- big pay packets and big egos have impressed everyone with their resounding response to their narrow defeat in this season's Heineken Cup quarter-final in Biarritz, a needless loss that matched their typecasting as gloriously extravagant losers."

As Leinster and Ospreys gear up for the title decider - the Western Mail insists that there is no question this year has been the best Magners League season ever.

"We’ve had it all. It may have taken a while to get going, but since the new year there has been revitalisation and a steady increase in drama and excitement, which culminates in the eagerly-anticipated play-off final on Saturday.

"The Welsh regions have kept us guessing all year and by hook or by crook they will all be in the Heineken Cup next year. But the Ospreys want to win the title and on recent form it will take some effort to stop them. It was the Ospreys’ performance against Biarritz that transformed their season. Before that game in San Sebastian they were the same old Ospreys, a hugely frustrating side to watch.

"They had talent in spades, but even when they won they left you distinctly underwhelmed. Despite eventually losing to Biarritz the Ospreys put together their finest display for many seasons. The players found the freedom to express themselves in a way they had been unable to do all year."

Glasgow's bid for their first real success and proof that they have become a Magners League heavyweight now comes down to two games, the first of which could be a bigger mental test than physical after Leinster named a second-string team for Friday night's trip to Firhill. David Ferguson writes in The Scotsman.

"After beating Ulster, Glasgow sit fourth in the league on 42 points, one behind the Ospreys and Munster, who meet each other on Saturday night at Thomond Park. Should Glasgow and Edinburgh win, the latter at home to Ulster on Sunday, both Scottish sides will have control of their own destiny in the last weekend.

"The key to making the last four for Alastair Kellock, the Glasgow skipper, lies in the improved consistency which has lifted his side into the top four. "The results speak for themselves," the skipper said of a record this season of six wins in eight home games after previous seasons of following big wins with demoralising defeats. "It's a difficult thing to get tagged with, being unable to back-up games (wins], but we've matured as a squad, got smarter, realised that every Monday you pitch up it doesn't matter anymore what you've done at the weekend.

"It (consistency] has also come from keeping the bulk of the squad together, getting to know the guys. I remember saying a while back that consistency may be a difficult thing to find but the teams that are continually pushing to the ends of the tournaments, or at the top of the league, are the consistent ones."

The Scotland on Sunday's Iain Morrison reflects on Edinburgh and Glasgow's failure to attract big numbers through the turnstiles.

"It is easy to blame the SRU for every evil in the world short of the bubonic plague but they have to shoulder at least some of the blame for poor attendances that are due to a lack of imagination as much as anything. The pro-team chief executives are in charge of their own marketing but one wonders why? Where is the expertise, where is "Firework Phil" Anderton when you need him?

"Murrayfield's head of marketing is Ruchi Aggarwal who argues for a two-pronged approach whereby "energy" is put into persuading those fans that are already "rugby-engaged" (ie club fans, members, volunteers etc) while the tougher, non-traditional supporters are targeted with money. She obviously hasn't visited Goldenacre or Myreside recently because there are no club fans, at least not in Edinburgh, and far fewer club members than there were ten or 15 years ago. Every adult male rugby player in the country could buy a ticket for Edinburgh's next home match and the crowd would still be less than two-thirds of Leinster's average gate.

"The best-supported teams in Europe have attracted crowds of up to 75,000 by appealing to people outside of the traditional rugby market which is blindingly obvious because historically speaking club rugby generated a fraction of those numbers. Amongst others, Aggarwal should be targeting middle-aged football fans who are fed up with junior learning another four-letter word every weekend when the pair of them could be enjoying a beer, a hotdog and some rugby at Murrayfield."

The proposal to have two Italian teams, comprised of home-based players, competing in an expanded, 12-team Magners League looks set to be formally shot down today, according to Gerry Thornley in the Irish Times.

"The Celtic League board had asked for a €3 million warranty from the FIR (Italian Rugby federation) to offset the costs of having two Italian franchises in the league for a four-year trial and set a deadline of this morning. However, the FIR president Giancarlo Dondi – the driving force behind the proposal – has said he will reject this demand.

"Dondi and the FIR had offered to refund the Irish, Welsh and Scottish teams for expenses incurred in travelling to matches in Italy, no profit-sharing for the Italian franchises and a projected Italian television deal of €300,000 to €400,000, but is believed to be furious at the demand for a €3 million warranty."

With so many of Scotland's players now plying their trade at Edinburgh and Glasgow, the forthcoming double-header between the sides won't just have a major impact on the Magners League table, writes Richard Bath in The Scotsman.

"With the exception of blindside flanker and the back three, where most or all of the main candidates play outwith Scotland, most of the players vying for inclusion in national coach Andy Robinson's 22-man squad will be on show. Some of the individual confrontations this will throw up are mouth-watering, and have traditionally resulted in matches between the two which are euphemistically referred to as "feisty" or "committed"."

In his weekly column in the Irish Independent, former Ireland fly-half Tony Ward argues that Jonathan Sexton is this season proving that he does indeed have what it takes to be a “great” No.10.

”He is already more important to Leinster than Ronan O'Gara is to Munster, given the quality (Paul Warwick and Jeremy Manning) in reserve down south. Neither Shaun Berne nor Isa Nacewa possess the fundamentals for out-half. Nacewa is an outstanding broken-field runner, albeit primarily from full-back, while Ian McKinley, though still learning the trade, appears the most promising and next in line to Sexton.

“Sexton too has still a lot to learn and much to prove at the highest level but, encouragingly for Declan Kidney, the last six months has seen him grab his long-awaited Leinster opportunity with confidence and conviction.

“He is learning not to get riled by the opposition, while the quality of his high-hanging 79th-minute restart - chased down by Shane Horgan, Cian Healy and Devin Toner amongst others - highlighted that still-developing appreciation of concentration in a crisis. It is what makes great out-halves great and Sexton has the potential to be just that.”

Writing in the Irish Times, Gerry Thornley argues that the only way that Connacht are going to be saved from the threat of extinction is if they save themselves – as they have "few friends within the corridors of power" at the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

”As low ebbs go, Friday night in the Sportsground was pretty grim. For the Connacht players, coaching staff, organisation and supporters, it was a demoralising night. Given where they are and where they’ve been for the last few years, attendances at the Sportsground have been a credit to their support base, but for many of the diehards in the crowd of 2,400-plus, the 30-6 defeat to Ulster was as dispiriting as any they could recall for years.

“Connacht had gone into the game confidently and the crowd were expectant after the win over Cardiff the week before. By rights of course, Connacht should have no business beating the likes of the Blues. Purely in terms of budgets, they probably have no right to beat anybody in the Magners League; Ulster included. They should finish 10th and last every season which, alas, has been their lot for the last two campaigns.

“But that doesn’t stop them dreaming, or, more to the point, believing – starting with the notion of finishing above one of the other Irish provinces and qualifying for the Heineken Cup for the first time. And realistically, Ulster are their nearest Irish targets.”

Watch a game of professional rugby these days and the chances are that you will see a running headbutt, according to Tom English in The Scotsman.

"They're all the rage right now. I've counted a dozen in the Premiership and the Magners League so far this season. If you're a piece of work and you're determined to inflict a bit of damage on an opponent then, unless you're thick, you don't do it with a punch (too easily seen by the referee) and you don't do it by gouging (the penalty, if caught, is far too risky).

"You do it by sizing up a ruck, picking a target and charging in head-first. It can look like an accident when done cleverly. It can look like you just came steaming in with the honest intention of lending your bulk to the ruck, but it is a vicious and cowardly act that is on the rise, big-time."

It has been sniffily dismissed by English and French clubs as being too easy, but there is much to admire in the Magners League, writes Eddie Butler in the Observer.

"The achievements of Leinster and Munster in the Heineken Cup took some of the heat off the tournament that fills in the weekends between European rugby – the Magners League. For many a season, the clubs of France and England rather sniffily said how easy the Irish and the Welsh and the Scots had it, being able to caress the best Celtic players through the calendar while they, the grands seigneurs, had to spill their blue blood weekend in, weekend out.

"Of course, how much blood – blue, red or fake – was actually lost on the playing fields of England also helped to reduce the condescension. But there's no escaping the feeling that the Celtic league remains cider to the porter of England.

Writing in the Irish Times, Gerry Thornley examines how the introduction of top-four play-offs might change the way the Magners League’s finest approach this year’s competition.

"The English Premiership put its best foot forward this weekend despite the sordid and lingering whiff of Bloodgate and the Bath drug scandal, not to mention a flight of Wild Geese-like proportions to France.

"There, they have already played four rounds of an over-crowded season in the Top 14, which at times resembles a circus, with 217 non-French registered players and where Racing Metro pay Sebastien Chabal €1 million per year. The rugby’s actually been a pretty lousy whistle feast too.

"To comparatively little fanfare, and over-shadowed a tad on the weekend that’s in it, the Magners League kicks off, the same league that provided the bulk of the Lions squad (and no less than 10 of any of the three starting Test sides), three of the last four Grand Slam winners, three of the last four Heineken Cup winners and the last five Triple Crown winners (yes, five!).

"This season, its ninth, the league is liable to be tougher to win than ever, or easier – depending on your viewpoint. For the first time, and not before time, there will be top four play-offs to decide the champions."

Rob Moffat has targeted a Celtic League title for Edinburgh as the 52-year-old former assistant set out his stall as the club's new head coach. Bill Lothian writes in The Scotsman.

"Savouring a move that gives Moffat the chance to draw on experiences of briefly holding the reins when he opened the professional era in charge of now defunct Borders 13 years ago, he said the time was right for both himself and Edinburgh to strike.

"The way I look at it, we have to move on and the natural direction after finishing second last year is to win the league," he said while quickly qualifying those remarks."

Writing in the Western Mail, Andy Howell looks at the task facing Ospreys coach Scott Johnson.

"Henson, who is believed to be on around £170,000 a year at the Ospreys, has missed a staggering 100 out of a possible 164 appearances for club and country in official tournaments since the Lions tour of New Zealand in 2005. He has taken part in just 12 out of 45 Tests for Wales and in 52 of the Ospreys’ 119 matches during that period, missing out on selection for the 2009 Lions.

Henson has two years remaining on his contract with the Ospreys but admitted, after injuring is right ankle during the humiliating EDF Energy Cup semi-final defeat to Gloucester last April that he was finding it more difficult to summon up the willpower to overcome his frequent set-backs."

Iain Morrison previews the return of former Scotland coach Matt Williams to Murrayfield where he will take charge of Ulster against Edinburgh in their Magners League clash next Friday. Read his thoughts in The Scotsman.

"The Belfast Telegraph had an interesting headline the other day: "How Matt Williams revived Ulster". For those of a sceptical outlook, the Belfast paper was indeed referring to the same Australian coach who was once in charge of Scotland and managed just three wins in 17 outings.

"The habitually talkative Williams is a little less chatty these days, still shunning the Scottish press after suffering a bruising time at their hands during his two-season stint at Murrayfield. At one point the Aussie hinted that the media's adverse reaction to him was motivated by his nationality and the evidence on that score is mixed; Dan Parks' experience may back him up although that of Nathan Hines suggests otherwise. It is more likely that his smooth, some would say glib, delivery grated with the rugby writers and public alike who were more accustomed to Jim Telfer's no-nonsense delivery."