Scrum V's season preview

Cardiff Blues won the 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup final against Toulon in Marseille

Gone are the days, it seems, when Wales' rugby teams make as many headlines during the close season as they do during the playing year.

Even Dan Parks' Cardiff Blues' future was touted and confirmed while he was still playing for Glasgow last season.

There has been a merry-go-round of sorts, with openside flanker Rob Sowden-Taylor's switch from Cardiff Blues to Newport Gwent Dragons the biggest of the inter-region moves.

But of course still no firm news on when, if and for whom Gavin Henson will reappear in top-flight rugby - although Wales coach Warren Gatland is warning him he needs to make it snappy if he wants to play in the 2011 World Cup.

In Henson's absence last season, the Ospreys became the inaugural Magners League Grand Final winners, beating Leinster in Dublin in the final.

Cardiff Blues also earned silverware, making history by becoming the first Welsh region to win a European crown, albeit in the second-tier Amlin Challenge Cup with victory over Toulon in Marseille.

The Dragons won an increasing number of admirers as they overtook the Scarlets to finish as the third Welsh region in the Magners League.

But for the Scarlets, there was little comfort from a season in which their place in this season's Heineken Cup rested on the Blues beating Toulon to free up a space in Europe's premier competition this time around.

Scrum V broadcasters Gareth Charles and Gareth Lewis and Scrum V website journalist Gareth Roberts have given their predictions on how they think the four Welsh clubs will do this season.

606: DEBATE What are your predictions for Wales' rugby regions?

CARDIFF BLUES

Gareth Charles
Tremendous end to last season culminating in winning the Amlin Challenge Trophy a huge confidence boost but also suggests the Blues have developed a pragmatic side, allowing them to win games they would previously have lost. Dai Young has made no secret of the fact that one of the main aims of the season is making the Magners League title their third piece of silverware in as many years - why not?

One to watch: Casey Laulala
Magners League: Champions Heineken Cup: Semi-finals

Gareth Lewis

Started the season in stark contrast to how they ended it - they lost their first three but finished by beating Toulon in Marseille to lift the Amlin Cup. They have kept hold of arguably the best number eight in Europe in Xavier Rush (who at one point had signed for Ulster), have young guns Bradley Davies and Sam Warburton ready to fire with a year to go until the World Cup, have signed the highest points scorer in Magners League history in Dan Parks and will get a full season out of All Black Casey Laulala, who joined them part way through the last campaign.

Sometimes when there is so much promise the spectre of disappointment looms menacingly, but how about the Blues to win a third trophy in three years? Maybe four in three?...

One to watch: Casey Laulala

Magners: Champions Heineken: It is in their home city, so finalists

Gareth Roberts
The Blues will go into the season full of confidence after winning the Amlin Challenge Cup last season and holding on to talisman Xavier Rush. They have what it takes to come out on top of a Heineken Cup pool that includes Northampton, Edinburgh and Castres and mount a serious challenge in the Magners League

One to watch: Dan Parks
Magners League: Play-offs Europe: Heineken Cup semi-finalists

The cup fits Shane Williams as the Ospreys win the Magners League

OSPREYS

Gareth Charles
At their best - irresistible, but too often far too ordinary for a squad so bulging with talent that big name signings weren't really necessary. If they can build consistency, then performances like the one in last year's Magners play off final will be far from a one-off. The four-point penalty they start with for the controversial postponement of a game at Ulster may be too much for back-to-back championships and their Heineken pool is a stinker.

One to watch: Alun Wyn Jones

Magners League: Play-offs Heineken Cup: Pool stage exit

Gareth Lewis

They look to be in a great position with players coming through the ranks to challenge the established stars. Young prop Ryan Bevington had a good end to last season, Gareth Owen has been challenged to hold down a starting place, Ian Evans is hoping to put his injury nightmares behind him, Craig Mitchell showed strongly for Wales in the second Test against the All Blacks and Tom Prydie has more Wales starts than Ospreys.

Throw in Adam Jones, James Hook, Ryan Jones, Jerry Collins, Alun Wyn Jones, Andrew Bishop, Mike Phillips and Dan Biggar and you've got quite a squad.

Oh, and Shane Williams had his first full pre-season for seven years. Definitely top four in the Magners - maybe a Grand Final against the Blues - but they have a shocking Heineken Cup pool of Munster, Toulon and London Irish.

One to watch: Shane Williams

Magners: Play-offs

Heineken: They will get out of their pool, then who knows?

Gareth Roberts
Rarely, the Ospreys go into the season with no new big-name signings to accommodate, having instead brought in respected veteran hooker Mefin Davies from Leicester as their highest-profile recruit. That indicates they are confident in the talent at their disposal, whose response to their Heineken Cup exit to Biarritz ended with a 17-12 Magners League Grand Final win at Leinster. Expect that inner steel to continue this season and sweep them all the way to the Heineken Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in May.

Key player: James Hook

Magners League: Grand Final Europe: Heineken Cup final.

Jason Tovey is one of Newport Gwent Dragons' rising stars

NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS

Gareth Charles
Fed up with the back-handed compliment "doing so well on limited resources" but realistically automatic European qualification again the priority. Battling spirit and entertaining rugby meant that Rodney Parade had the best atmosphere of any Welsh ground, but they desperately need to start winning more on the road.

One to watch: Jason Tovey

Magners League: 8thHeineken Cup: Pool stage exit.

Gareth Lewis

I like going to Rodney Parade. Maybe I am showing my age, but this is how a rugby ground should feel. Close to the pitch, plenty of terracing, always loud and limited facilities. Who needs gleaming chrome toilets?

No one else seems to like it though - at least not visiting sides - as the Dragons' home form last season took them to the brink of the play-offs.

By their own admission they need to improve away. The back row looks fierce with Robin Sowden Taylor added to Gavin Thomas, Joe Bearman, Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau. They played some fantastic rugby with ball in hand last season, but will have to work hard to retain posession this time round.

Their reward for gaining automatic Heineken qualification? Toulouse and Wasps in the pool. Thanks for that.

One to watch: Toby Faletau

Magners: 6th Heineken: Pool stage exit

Gareth Roberts

After more seasons than they would care to mention in which only honest toil against the odds served them well, the Dragons last season began to see the emergence of some exciting Welsh talent to turn the heads of Wales coach Warren Gatland and his lieutenants. Expect more of the same this season as Paul Turner's side climb into the Magners League top six. However, their Heineken Cup exit at the pool stage seems assured as they face Toulouse, London Wasps and Glasgow.

One to watch: Will Harries

Magners League: 6thHeineken Cup: Pool stage exit.

Robin McBryde will coach the Scarlets' and Wales' forwards this season

SCARLETS

Gareth Charles
They had a season's experience gained by a number of youngsters while achieving back-door European qualification. Three important figures from within join the coaching staff to try to recreate the family atmosphere and traditional Scarlet values. But that means cutting down on basic errors and tightening up defensively as well as scoring memorable tries. Another tough season awaits.

One to watch: Rob McCusker

Magners League: 7th Heineken Cup: Pool stage exit.

Gareth Lewis

The Scarlets went into recession before the rest of the world, so are they going to come out of it sooner? By necessity they have had to blood a glut of younger players but Rob McCusker and Tavis Knoyle were rewarded for their hard-working displays with first Wales caps; young centre Jonathan Davies has really impressed the Wales management with his commitment and improvement from last autumn to last summer.

That said, the retirement of old heads Simon Easterby and Mark Jones will hit them, even though they had to make do without them for most of last season.

The green shoots of recovery will not be helped by a Heineken Cup pool including Leicester and Perpignan (remember they only qualified for this season because the Blues won the Amlin) but they saved their best form for Europe last time round.

Regan King is said to be back on top form after a serious hamstring injury and if he can get things moving and the Scarlets as a whole cut out the minor errors they may well avoid a double dip and follow an upward path. A hard long season though.

One to watch: Rob McCusker

Magners: 7th Heineken: Pip Perpignan to second place in the pool

Gareth Roberts

If the Scarlets are not to end up evolving into a Connacht-esque development region, they must throw off the tag of being a side capable of winning at places such as London Irish and Brive last term - but that also lost half of their home games. Financial constraints have forced the west Wales region to persevere with home-grown talent, including late developers such as Rob McCusker and Andy Fenby. They can perform more respectably in the Magners League, but should not expect Europe to be a happy hunting ground with Leicester and Perpignan in their pool along with Treviso.

One to watch: Regan King

Magners League: 7th Heineken Cup: Pool stage exit.