Ospreys boss Johnson hails 'diverse' Magners League

MAGNERS LEAGUE
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Friday, 10 September Kick-off: 1905 BST Coverage: Live on TWO Wales & online, highlights on Sunday's Scrum V

Italians side Benetton Treviso beat the Scarlets 34-28 on their Magners League debut

Ospreys boss Scott Johnson has hailed the revamped Magners League as being "cosmopolitan" with a "completely different philosophy" to its rivals.

Italian sides Benetton Treviso, who travel to Liberty Stadium on Friday, and Aironi are new this season.

Treviso beat the Scarlets 34-28 on their debut last weekend and Johnson said: "This is the great strength of the Magners.

"We have got so much diversity within our own group."

Johnson's reigning champions lost 27-26 at more familiar rivals Ulster on Friday, but he says classing Treviso's win over the Scarlets as a surprise would be condescending to the Italian side.

He added: "I wasn't surprised and I'm glad for the sake of the tournament that we've now got a genuine competitor and for rugby as a whole I think it's wonderful that they're in the tournament.

I wasn't surprised [Treviso won] - it sounds disparaging to the Scarlets, but I'm not saying that; I'm saying that it was good for the tournament and good for them [Treviso] Scott Johnson

"So I think it gives us greater credibility. They're in Europe and the Magners League has produced so much good for Europe over the last five or six years and I think that will just make Europe a little more difficult, which is good too for the game.

"I wasn't surprised [Treviso won] - it sounds disparaging to the Scarlets, but I'm not saying that; I'm saying that it was good for the tournament and good for them [Treviso].

"It's a great credit to the Magners that we've got a new team in and they've done well first up.

"So I think Italian rugby's really on the up. I've watched improvement over the last few years, subtly, and the results probably haven't gone their way.

"But there's genuine talent across the board, they've got more players to pick from and we expect a very physical encounter.

606: DEBATE The Magners League has a requirement for greater skill levels due to the greater emphasis on back play, whereas the Aviva Premiership has a requirement for power and higher fitness levels The Great Aukster

"And for people to think that they're there as just tokenism have got this wrong and we're not going in there light [on Friday], that's for sure.

"I think this is the great strength of the Magners because we have got so much diversity within our own group.

"And I think that's great. When you look at the [English] Aviva Premiership and the Top 14 in France everyone does it their own way whereas we've got this completely different philosophy within our own group and I think that's one great for rugby.

"It's great for your coaching, it's great for players so this cosmopolitan feel that we have in the Magners League is fantastic and going forward is something I'm really looking forward to."