Welsh Rugby uncertainty: Regions begin new season as obstacle-filled route provides difficulties and challenges.

However, for many, the talk for the forthcoming season hasn’t been about Cardiff winning in Dublin against Leinster in pre-season. The prospect of what Ross Moriarty will bring to the Ospreys, and whether the Scarlets will be the best-performing region for the second consecutive season. 

It all sounds positive, right? This pre-season has been unprecedented, with the uncertainty of the game in Wales, hammering players and staff at all four regions. All speaking and all worried about the future of Welsh Rugby. 

We’ve seen fans protesting against the WRU, showing unity and solidarity at the Dragons’ pre-season match against the Scarlets at Rodney Parade. Supporters of both clubs were seen posing with a banner ‘#saveourgame’, which isn’t the first time it’s been used. 

Welsh Rugby’s governing body is currently in a consultation process that finishes at the end of September, with the final decision set to be made before Wales’ Autumn Nations Series. 

Despite all the problems and challenges facing Welsh Rugby, a new season is quickly approaching, and for the players, the aim is to get off to the best possible start. And the question is, can they be competitive whilst attempting to ignore all the outside noise? 

Ruck Rugby takes a look at all four Welsh sides ahead of their opening round fixtures of a new URC season. 

At the time of writing, there are six days until the Cardiff Arms Park side kick off their season with an opener against the Emirates Lions on Saturday evening (KO: 19:45). 

However, the WRU announced on Monday morning that Matt Sherratt will rejoin the national set-up. 

It’ll be the 47-year-old’s fourth stint with Wales, but this time around as the permanent attack coach. The timing of this is certainly not ideal, but given the uncertainty surrounding the regional game, it’s probably the safest option for him. 

Last season, Cardiff finished ninth in a congested part of the table. Edinburgh finished seventh on 49 points, whilst the Scarlets finished on 48 points in eighth place, and Benetton finished on 46 points. 

There were lots of positives for Cardiff last season, but they fell short on a few occasions, which proved mightily crucial as they missed out on the playoffs. Losing 20-19 away at the Stadio Comunale Monigo was one of the many close games in the league. 

There’ll be many crucial players who’ll need to play a massive role as their invaluable stardom will be required. Ben Thomas, Teddy Williams, and new signing Taine Basham are among those expected to make a difference. 

Around the breakdown, they were strong, allowing the likes of Alex Mann to show their power as he’s massively effective. Let’s not forget Mann started in both of Wales’ Test matches against Japan this summer, and he’ll be aiming to start strongly. 

The unseen work of the likes of Mann and Basham, aligning with Taulupe Faletau, will be hugely beneficial for the backline to receive quick ball and be able to really attack their opponents. 

Saturday’s curtain raiser will be a tough battle against a Lions side that’ll be aiming to start the season on the front foot and will be looking for revenge after their last meeting, which finished narrowly 20-17 in favour of Cardiff. 

The word 'optimism' has surrounded the Rodney Parade side for the past few seasons, and will this new URC campaign be the one that brings about change for Filo Tiatia’s side? It couldn’t have been a more unfulfilling season as they only won once in the league against the Ospreys on a memorable opening day. 

They were last season’s basement dwellers and were so by a considerable margin of 20 points. In fact, the Welsh region that finished above them was the Ospreys, who placed 12th with 40 points. 

But is there light at the end of the tunnel for the Dragons, and is being optimistic for them improving actually admirable? 

Look no further than new defence coach, Dale Macleod, who believes his side, which has 16 new faces, can target the play-offs. Ambitious, yes, but only time will tell for the Gwent-side who have a tough opening match against Ulster at the renamed Affidea Stadium in Belfast (KO: 20:05 Friday). 

They look well-resourced to perhaps attack the poor form in the league, which has stained them in previous years, and as Yazz’s song is titled, ‘The only way is up’. 

It’s as simple as that. They’ve welcomed some well-known players into the set-up, with the likes of Dillon Lewis, Seb Davies, Wyn Jones, and standout from pre-season, former Cardiff player Mackenzie Martin. 

This is alongside the South African pair of Tinus de Beer and Robert Hunt, and also Tonga internationals Fetuli Paea and Fine Inisi. Let’s not forget Levi Douglas as well, who is also Welsh qualified. 

With it being Tiatia‘s first pre-season with the club as head coach, it has seen impressive wins against Hartpury RFC and Scarlets. Up to now, there’s no negativity surrounding the club, with things all looking well on the field, so could this be the year we see change? 

Who knows. One thing is for sure: keep an eye out for youngsters such as Huw Anderson, Harry Beddall, Rhys Cole and Harri Ackerman, who all want to make an immediate impression. 

Just like Cardiff, the Ospreys found themselves without a head coach in December last year, with Toby Booth departing the club. However, from then on, they kicked on and were competitive with narrow wins away against Pau in Europe, and Glasgow Warriors being some of the highlights. 

They start their new season almost 8,000 miles away against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (KO: 13:00). Heading into the new season, they’ll be without the charismatic figure that is Justin Tipuric, who has retired and taken up the role of defence coach for the club. 

So, he will still be hugely impactful for the side, but will do so from the sidelines. As already stated, Moriarty joins from Pro D2 side Brive. Replacing Adam Beard, who left the club for Montpellier, is former Queensland Reds captain Ryan Smith. 

Some of the key players for the club go without saying, Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, but the maturing of Dan Edwards, who at 22 years old is now the senior figurehead in his position. He’s got potential to really kick on this season, and some of the partnerships that can be created for head coach Mark Jones are simply mouthwatering to say the least. 

Like all Welsh regions, the talk of the possibility of reducing the number of professional clubs to two spells worrying times for the regions, but the messages coming out of the club and especially from Chief Executive Officer, Lance Bradley, are positive. 

Original plans had the club playing out of St Helens at the end of the year, but instead they’ll play out of the Dunraven Brewery Field, Bridgend. A place where they’ve beaten the likes of Cardiff, Sale Sharks, and the Stormers, who they’ll meet in round two, before back-to-back home games where I’m sure Jones and his side will be looking to make the Brewery Field a fortress. 

The pressure is firmly on the Scarlets, who’ll be Wales’ only representative in the European Champions Cup. This comes after finishing in the top eight of the URC last season. Like Cardiff, there were some notable defeats, but some were agonisingly close. They were the most competitive Welsh side last season. 

That competitive edge will be needed this season, but Dwayne Peel has added some strength to his squad with the re-signing of second-row Jake Ball, who returns to the region after playing for Japanese side, Green Rockets Tokatsu. 

However, the shock departure of Vaea Fifita will be a huge blow. Still, the forwards' strength of Marnus van der Merwe, who made his international debut over the summer and Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod, and prop Henry Thomas, there shouldn’t be much worry. 

There’s lots of young talent to watch out for, especially the likes of speedster Macs Page and Blair Murray, who claimed the Welsh Rugby writers' award for Young Player of the Year. He’s been a standout for club and country. Joe Hawkins has also joined the club in the summer from the English Prem side Exeter. 

They get their URC campaigns underway at home against Munster on Saturday (KO: 17:30). Can they be torchbearers again for the regions, or will the lack of squad depth prove to be an issue? 

Especially in an opening period with a trip to Galway, a home tie against the Stormers and then two weeks in South Africa. To put it simply, it’s a brutal start for the Parc y Scarlets side, whose home form will need to be on point throughout the entire campaign.