BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Celtic | Scarlets wear crown well

The Welsh-Scottish League has been consigned to history, with hardly a wet eye in the house.

Now we can prepare for another season of hi-jinks, high stakes, occasional high farce and the odd low blow.

Yet, most importantly, there is also promise of a resurgence in the club game in Wales that should keep the fans rolling through the turnstiles or following the action on their televisions, radios and computers.

The Welsh League - aka the Welsh Premiership - may not yet have been given a definitive name or even a sponsor, as the Welsh Rugby Union marketing department again shows the level of dynamic innovation we've come to expect.

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But at least the competition has its identity back as a domestic league for domestic clubs, with the Celtic League, Heineken and Parker Pen Cups, and lower-tier Parker Pen Shield providing the exotic element of the season.

Of course, the staple meat and potatoes of the Welsh League had to be overcooked somehow, which comes in the form of a new bonus point system to decide Heineken Cup qualification.

Last year we were busy keeping track of which matches in the Celtic League also counted towards the Welsh-Scottish League table.

That experiment has been abandoned, but now we must add up bonus points for the Welsh League that accumulate from success in other competitions.

The bonus points won't effect which team wins the Welsh League title, or who gets relegated, which apparently will happen to the bottom club this time - although that situation has been known to change mid-season.

But a 'Super Club' table will also coexist to decide who gets the Heineken Cup places after bonus points are dished out.

The WRU reasoning for this innovation is that clubs with the most Welsh internationals should be able to gather enough bonus points early to guarantee Heineken qualification, thus enabling them to rest Wales players at the end of the season.

With a World Cup on the horizon, it's understandable that Wales coach Steve Hansen wants to keep his squad as fresh as possible, but the 20-match limit for club games has always been a guideline - one which clubs have often ignored and may well continue to do so.

It is hard to predict if Wales will climb out of the international doldrums this season, and the summer tour to South Africa offered few clues.

Although the performances were encouraging, Hansen's men still lost 2-0 to a new-look Springboks side that, although looking competitive in the Tri-Nations, won just one of their four matches - a thriller in the last match at Ellis Park against Australia.

Come the autumn internationals, Wales will learn little against Romania on 1 November - who they beat 81-9 last year - and probably not much more against Fiji eight days later.

Then come Canada, who are likely to be in the same World Cup pool as Wales, and New Zealand, who definitely are. That match will show just how big a mountain Wales have to climb.

Bonus points make prizes

Back on the domestic front, Llanelli will be the target for the other Welsh clubs this season, easy enough to say when they are the defending domestic champions and reached the Heineken Cup semi-finals and the Principality Cup final.

But the Scarlets have one of the best packs in Europe, let alone the Welsh League, and have now added Wales prop Iestyn Thomas to their front row from Ebbw Vale.

Last season, the combination of a strong eight and the boot of fly-half Stephen Jones was enough to win them matches when a cutting edge in the backs was sadly lacking.

Coach Gareth Jenkins has moved to remedy that situation with the signing of three-quarter Matthew Watkins from title rivals Newport, and he could form a fine midfield partnership with Leigh Davies.

Wing Mark Jones and the adaptable Matt Cardey, both Wales internationals, missed large chunks of last season through injury. Cardey is struggling again, but if Jones stays fit this time Llanelli can go from strength to strength.

Closest challengers should again be the Black and Ambers, another side with an awesome pack who occasionally lacked that killer touch in the backs.

They may have lost Watkins to Stradey Park, but the recruitment of Springbok Percy Montgomery should more than make up for that, adding a real injection of pace from full-back, centre or fly-half.

Two sides with the opposite problem are Cardiff and Bridgend - fine backs, but less sure of themselves up front.

The Blue and Blacks have seen several key players and coach Rudi Joubert depart but, even with the loss of Rob Howley and Neil Jenkins, Cardiff will still have the most potent backline in the League.

The pack has also lost some stalwarts, notably Craig Quinnell and Jonathan Humphreys, but they will certainly be competitive under new coach Dai Young.

That is not something you can take for granted where Bridgend is concerned.

The Ravens have recruited some quality players and Wales lock Andy Moore is a huge catch from Swansea to add some ball-winning grunt to help unleash a potent backline.

But, despite the arrival of Phil Booth from Llanelli, Bridgend have still not fully solved the problems in the front row that undermined them last season.

It is difficult to see them finishing anywhere but just ahead of perennial whipping boys Caerphilly and Ebbw Vale - both beset by financial problems - considering the improvements made by others.

Transfer talk

While the Cheesemen and the Steelmen fall further behind, expect Neath, Pontypridd and Swansea to help make it one of the closest leagues for years.

Neath and Ponty come off the back of fine seasons and both should mount strong challenges to Llanelli and Newport in a chasing pack that includes Cardiff and Swansea.

Lyn Jones has built a side to be proud of at the Gnoll and surprised many with the quality of their play last season. But sides will now be ready for them now and a lack of depth in the squad could undermine their challenge.

At Sardis Road a similar effect has been caused by Lynn Howells, while the kicking of Neil Jenkins - back after a three-year 'holiday' in Cardiff - will be a huge fillip, once he recovers from his broken foot.

Swansea showed their true colours at the end of last season by battering the hopes of several title hopefuls and, despite losing their first-choice lock pairing of Moore and Tyrone Maullin, can only do better this year under new coach John Connolly.

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