Magners League Season Preview

Written by our chief content writer, Billy Betts

We must mourn the loss of poor Setanta's demise and subsequent loss of rights to the Magners league TV contract.Now have to brush up on our bleeding Welsh and Irish to follow some of teh matches , it is probably a good thing for us punters that more people will be watching it on RTE2, TG4, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland, BBC Wales, and S4C means more money bet on events which gives us stronger markets to bet on.

I think it could be rugby overload personally and it will be interesting to see how gates fare especially at the Sportsground for Connacht when TG4 are showing live rugby. It may mean more in time will go who wouldn't have before but in a recession it will usually mean people cutting back and sitting in the armchairs.

Last season I backed Glasgow at a huge price(40/1) and got a real close run for my money with them unlucky with injuries and running out of steam in the semi final. One trend will become clear after the introduction of the playoffs is watch the team that has injuries now and is resting plenty of players. I suspected last season (why didn't I back it though-cos I'm an eegit) that the Ospreys would come on with a late run after playing dismal start f season rugby with many players rested and injured for most of September/October. Your team needs to time it's run smoother than a Jamie Spencer hold up mount and hit the top 4 at the business end juggling European campaigns as well as supplying their star players to the national teams.

The big two in Ireland have been written off as on a dangerous downward curve. Leinster are hoping Mike Ross can come to the party up from after Stan Wright was ruled out for 6 months and their youth players will need to explode onto the scene in Luke Fitzgerald style but that can't be rules out and so too Munster have ammunition with players like Damien Varley and Johne Murphy could prove to be international class. The backlines look healthy, it's up front where the blood just doesn't seem to be coming through.

Ulster are the new Man City with all their super signing from the Boks. Ruan Pienaar will have got the Ulster folk excited about the season ahead and last season showed signs of Ravenhill starting to become that fortress again. I really like the look of the squad and although I don't think they should of let Isaac Boss or Nagusa go, they could very well finish in the top 4 and may even come ahead of the big two who are in a season of rebuilding. Up front they look the strongest province and I can see them winning a few battles of attrition

Connacht, well at least they won't finish last this season thanks to the addition of the Italian sides. I'm sorry to rain on anybody's parade but i don't fancy them one iota to beat anybody else and can see the Dragons beating them on Saturday in Galway.

So who will win it. All the buzz is about Cardiff and if Dan Parks plays like he did last season for Glasgow and Scotland, they'd have a cracking chance at 9/2 but I have serious reservations and wonder does Dan parks tight kick for the corner type of rugby suit a side like Cardiff. I'll pass

Glasgow themselves don't seem to have strengthened this summer and a backwards step looks on the cards. Edinburgh too don't have enough big names while the Dragons and Scarletts will win some big ones this season while not actually getting into the top 4.

That leaves last season's champions Ospreys as the team to beat. They look head and shoulders above everyone else out there. Whether they concentrate more on the Heineken cup is another thing but they have too much class to finish outside the top 4 and from there, they'll win it again. They may have been deducted 4 points for not playing Ulster last season and fined €100,000 but that won't stop them.
Good Luck with your bets

Verdict:
Ospreys 5/2 Grand Final winners
Ulster top Irish side 11/2


Friday night Double
Leinster Evens to beat Glasgow
Ulster 10/11 to beat Ospreys

Yes I know your probably thinking, how can he tip Ospreys to win the bleeding league and then below it tip Ulster to beat them first up. Its the quality of the sides each team has put out and the fact Ulster should win at Ravenhill. Ospreys started slow last season and I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen again. They have not lost an opening fixture since 2003 but stats are made to be broken.

Backing Glasgow each week made me plenty of money last season but this looks a weak Glasgow side. No Parks, No Cusiter nor Kelloch means no chance I'm betting them to beat a decent looking Leinster side. I'm very surprised Glasgow are favourites.