Thursday 25 February 2016 16:50, UK
The first appearances in Super Rugby of Japan's Sunwolves and Argentina's Jaguares and a return by South Africa's Kings will be of much greater interest, shedding light on the strength of those teams and their effect on the championship.
While there is a reasonable hope the Jaguares will be immediately competitive, there is doubt the Sunwolves and Kings will measure up to Super Rugby in their earliest matches or even in their inaugural seasons.
A team from South Africa have not won the tournament since 2010 when the Bulls made it back-to-back wins, however Thinus Delport believes the Stormers are South Africa's best chance for the title.
Coach: Robbie Fleck
Captain: Juan de Jongh and Frans Malherbe
Last season: Quarter-finals
Players in: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Sharks), Cornal Hendricks (Cheetahs), JC Janse van Rensburg (Bayonne), JP Smith (Brumbies), Jano Vermaak (Toulouse).
Players out: Manuel Carizza (Racing 92), Demetri Catrakilis (Montpellier), Jean de Villiers (Leicester), Patrick Howard (Northampton), Steven Kitshoff (Bordeaux), Neil Rautenbach (Cheetahs), Michael Rhodes (Saracens), Duane Vermeulen (Toulon).
Thinus says: The Stormers are looking the strongest of the South African sides. They've retained the core of the tight five which puts them in prime spot. They've got solid prop forwards in Frans Malherbe and Vincenet Koch who were both vital in last year's Super Rugby campaign.
They've lost a big player in Duane Vermeulen but in terms of the physical element of the game they won't suffer too much - the combination between the lock forwards Pieter-Stef du Toit and Eben Etzebeth is one to watch
In the backs I'm excited to see how Juan de Jongh goes. Playing some 7s will have given him plenty of attacking development and I hope he brings it into the Stormers game.
Coach: Nollis Marais
Captain: Adriaan Strauss
Last season: 9th
Players in: Thembelani Bholi (Kings), Francois Brummer (Pumas), Nick de Jager (Saracens), Lizo Gqoboka (Kings), Freddy Ngoza (Cheetahs), Luther Obi (Kings), Le Roux Roets (Lions), Etienne Swanepoel (WP).
Players out: Jacques du Plessis (Montpellier), Louis Fouché (Kings), Francois Hougaard (Sevens), Victor Matfield (Northampton), Akona Ndungane (retired), Pierre Spies (Kinetsu), Flip van der Merwe (Clermont), Nardus van der Walt (Pumas), Hencus van Wyk (Manukata), Jurgen Visser (Kings).
Thinus says: The Bulls normally play a very basic game which is based around winning the set piece and relying on a fly-half to kick control the territory with his boot.
The problem with that is the fact they've lost Handre Pollard to injury. He's out for the rest of the season so their Springbok No 10 is out of the picture. Unfortunately for them they have also not got great depth in the second row, which will be a problem when it comes to fighting for the ball at the set piece.
Behind the pack we've got Jamba Ulengo who could be someone who tears other teams apart.
The interesting thing will be seeing where Jesse Kriel plays, whether they employ him in the midfield where he can help guide the team and provide experience, or at full-back where his defence and tactical positioning will help them out.
Coach: Johan Ackermann
Captain: Warren Whiteley
Last season: 8th
Players In: JW Bell (Pumas).
Players Out: Mark Richards (Kings), Schalk van der Merwe (Montpellier), Mark Pretorius (released), Lohan Jacobs (released), Alwyn Hollenbach (retired).
Thinus says: The Lions had another good Currie Cup last year, this time on the back of a strong Super Rugby campaign, so there are some young players out there who have experience now.
They are developing well as a team and are on track to make an impact, but they have to face all the New Zealand sides which is a tough prospect. Additionally they have a tough start to the season as their first three games are all on the road against Sunwolves, Chiefs, and Highlanders.
In the forwards, Jaco Kriel has been talked up and now it's time for him to provide the experience of a senior member to his pack.
Behind the big men Harold Vorster is in the midfield, and he is an exciting player, but for me the man to watch is Elton Jantjies. With Pollard and Pat Lambie both out with injuries he has a real opportunity to put his name down and show that he's become an all-round fly-half."
Coach: Gary Gold
Captain: Pat Lambie
Last season: 11th
Players in: Chiliboy Ralepelle (Toulouse), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), Joe Pietersen (Cheetahs), Willie le Roux (Cheetahs), Jacques Potgieter (Waratahs), David McDuling (Reds), Keegan Daniel (Kubota Spears), Michael Claassens (Toulon), JP Pietersen (Panasonic Wild Knights), Johan Deysel (Namibia), Ruan Botha (Stormers).
Players out: Bismark and Jannie du Plessis (Montpellier), Willem Alberts (Stade Francais) and Francois Steyn (Montpellier), Fred Zeilinga (Cheetahs), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers), Lionel Cronje (released), Marco Wentzel (released), Waylon Murray (released).
Thinus says: All the South African squads have a fairly low average player age and the sharks are no different, so this will be a tough campaign for them.
Willie le Roux is an exciting signing but it will be interesting to see how he fits into the way of life in Durban and the style of the team. Good players don't always make good teams, there has to be a cohesion there.
Ruan Botha, the lock who has moved from the Stormers is a very good player and what the Sharks have that the Bulls don't is a bit of depth in the second row with the likes of Stephan Lewies and Etienne Oosthuizen.
In the front row Beast Mtawarira has stayed but his front row partners Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis are gone and that will leave a bit of a bit hole in their scrum.
Coach: Franco Smith
Captain: Francois Venter
Last season: 12th
Players In: Fred Zeilinga (Sharks), Sias Ebersohn (Force), Neil Rautenbach (Stormers), Paul Schoeman (Kings), William Small-Smith (Bulls), Aranos Coetzee (Brive).
Players Out: Johann Sadie (Agen), Francois Brummer (Pumas), Willie du Plessis (Toulon), Sarel Pretorius (Dragons), Elgar Watts (Kings), Steven Sykes (Kings), Coenie Oosthuizen (Sharks), Cornal Hendricks (Stormers), Joe Pietersen (Sharks), Willie le Roux (Sharks), Heinrich Brüssow (NTT Docomo), Stephan Coetzee (Griquas), Carel Greeff (Kings), Caylib Oosthuizen (Kings), Jean Cook (Zebre), Ewald van der Westhuizen (Griquas), Danie Dames (released).
Thinus says: Again, another young side. They have to stick with their attacking intent because it's served them well over the years and allowed them to surprise a few teams.
They have a problem with losing their players to bigger unions with more attractive offers but they still have a talented squad.
Lood de Jager is a promising young player and though he's probably being thrust into it from a young age, he's going to have to be a leader of that pack.
Oupa Mahoje will have a bit of pressure on him for the same reasons. He's no longer an up-and-comer, he's an established part of that team.
Francois Venter in the midfield will offer measured direction for the attack and Sergeal Petersen and Raymond Rhule will no doubt provide the strike power out wide.
Coach: Deon Davids
Captain: Steven Sykes
Last season: N/A
Squad: Jacobie Adriaanse, Lukhanyo Am, Thembelani Bholi, Tom Botha, John-Charles, Chris Cloete, Aidon Davis, JP du Plessis, Phillip du Plessis, Leighton Eksteen, Jacques Engelbrecht, Martin Ferreira, Schalk Ferreira, Louis Fouche, Tazz Fuzani, Shane Gates, Siyanda Grey, James Hall, Cornell Hess, Malcolm Jaer, Kevin Luiters, Edgar Marutlulle, Schalk Oelofse, Tyler Paul, Sipato Junior Pokomela, Steven Sykes, Cyril-John Velleman, Jurgen Visser, Luzuko Vulindlu, Stefan Watermeyer, Elgar Watts, Stefan Willemse.
Thinus says: The Kings haven't made a good start to their campaign with all the issues around finances and coaches as well as backroom staff surrounding them.
They have taken players on who have fallen out of favour in their respective clubs so the team dynamic and how they gel will go a long way to determining their season.
Jacques Engelbrecht is back from his unsuccessful stint with the Bulls so he will be keen to prove himself in front of the home fans as well as those he's left behind at the Bulls.
Louis Fouché, another player discarded by the Bulls, will want to prove himself and brings a big boot for the territorial game.
They will have passion, I don't doubt that, but it will be tough for them against some of the best players in the world.
Coach: Mark Hammett
Captain: Shota Horie
Last season: N/A
Squad: Ryuhei Arita, Timothy Bond, Andrew Durutalo, Ziun Gu, Shohei Hirano, Shota Horie, Yoshiya Hofsoda, Keita Inagaki, Shinnosuke Kakinaga, Takeshi Kizu, Yamamoto Koki, Faatiga Lemalu, Tomas Leonardi, Shinya Makabe, Masataka Mikami, Liaki Moli, Tsuyoshi Murata, Hitoshi Ono, Eddie Quirk, Derek Carpenter, Atsushi Hiwasa, Daisuke Inoue, Amanaki Lotoahea, Paea Mifi Poseti, Tusi Pisi, Yusataka Sasakura, John Stewart, Yu Tamura, Harumichi Tatekawa, Riaan Viljoen, Akihito Yamada, Ryohei Yamanaka, Hajime Yamashita, Yuki Yatomi.
Thinus says: It will be tough for this team to make their mark on this year's tournament but they are certainly going to give it a good go.
The Sunwolves' big problem will be the squad depth and the length of the tournament. A lot of their players aren't used to competing at such a high level for a sustained period, so their resolve will be interesting to see.
But it's important that we look at it in context. This is a big step in the right direction for Japanese rugby and hopefully the team can get some results to get the country behind them the way the national side did at the World Cup.
Coach: Raúl Pérez
Captain: Agustín Creevy
Last season: N/A
Squad: Matias Alemanno, Felipe Arregui, Gabriel Ascarate, Rodrigo Baez, Cristian Bartolini, Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Thomas Carrió, Santiago Cordero, Agustín Creevy, Jerónimo De la Fuente, Felipe Ezcurra, Santiago García Botta, Santiago González Iglesias, Ramiro Herrera, Santiago Iglesias Valdez, Facundo Isa, Martin Landajo, Ignacio Larrague, Thomas Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamón, Thomas Lezana, Pablo Matera, Julian Montoya, Matías Moroni, Ramiro Moyano, Lucas Noguera, Matías Orlando, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Nicolás Sánchez, Leonardo Senatore, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Joaquín Tuculet.
Thinus says: The team may be new, but this is a seasoned bunch of players who are familiar with rugby at the highest level.
Though they will be tested as the season wears on in the same way the Sunwolves will, they will be a very tough side to beat home or away.
Skipper Agustin Creevy was a stand-out performer for Argentina at last year's Rugby Championship, leading the Pumas to their first win over the Springboks, and he continued that form into the World Cup.
The fact that so many of these guys played in a World Cup semi-final four months ago tells you everything you need to know about where they are.
I think this side will give the 'old campaigners' of Super Rugby a few frights.
