The Guinness Pro 14 kicked off on Friday night – and then spread into Saturday, when every other oval and round ball game was providing an alternative. Geraint Powell says it doesn’t have to be like this. The question of the optimal kick-off time in which to play Welsh regional rugby has once again been brought into stark focus on this opening weekend of the new Guinness Pro 14 season. Obviously, official attendances have to be taken with a pinch of salt. As many will already know, the market practice is to use a “tickets out” basis and this will include all free tickets handed out to corporate sponsors and all season ticket holders – whether in actual attendance or not. Some were querying the wisdom of all four Welsh regions playing at home on the opening

The Guinness Pro14 – 16.6% bigger and possibly better than last season – kicks off on Friday night. Robin Davey examines what might happen on the opening weekend and how the four Welsh regions might perform this season. The phoney war is over, pre-season friendlies which can be meaningless are done, and now it’s the real thing as a new professional rugby season in Wales gets under way on Friday night. The Guinness Pro 12 League has evolved into the Pro 14, split into two conferences of seven teams with the addition of two South African sides, bringing in a much-needed injection of capital.

In part two of Dai Sport’s regional health check ahead of the new rugby season, Geraint Powell puts his stethoscope next to the heart of the Scarlets to determine whether or not they can maintain the healthy beat of last season. If the Ospreys region has been mostly confined to the shadows this summer (http://www.dai-sport.com/ospreys-ready-fly-back-shadows/), the Scarlets region has inevitably been in the limelight as a result of their scintillating romp to the Guinness Pro12 title last season with comfortable play-off wins in Dublin over Leinster (at the RDS) and Munster (at the Aviva). As if that was not enough to secure media attention, to compensate for the loss of Liam Williams to Saracens they then secured the services of the somewhat stranded Leigh Halfpenny as Williams’ replacement on a dual central contract, 60% funded by the Welsh Rugby Union. If any team can rediscover Halfpenny’s early career attacking mojo, it will be the Scarlets.

In part two of Dai Sport’s regional health check ahead of the new rugby season, Geraint Powell puts his stethoscope next to the heart of the Scarlets to determine whether or not they can maintain the healthy beat of last season. If the Ospreys region has been mostly confined to the shadows this summer (http://www.dai-sport.com/ospreys-ready-fly-back-shadows/), the Scarlets region has inevitably been in the limelight as a result of their scintillating romp to the Guinness Pro12 title last season with comfortable play-off wins in Dublin over Leinster (at the RDS) and Munster (at the Aviva). As if that was not enough to secure media attention, to compensate for the loss of Liam Williams to Saracens they then secured the services of the somewhat stranded Leigh Halfpenny as Williams’ replacement on a dual central contract, 60% funded by the Welsh Rugby Union. If any team can rediscover Halfpenny’s early career attacking mojo, it will be the Scarlets.

Leigh Halfpenny will be wearing a Scarlets shirt this season, much to the disappointment of his former region, the Cardiff Blues. Robin Davey believes his choice should be respected and that any draft system – for both older and younger players – would be a mistake. It’s August and it’s holiday time for many, so that means it’s the silly season when it comes to news – and rugby is no different. Hot topic this week is the draft system and whether it’s a good idea or not. Not a silly subject for sure, but silly thinking it could work in Wales.

Leigh Halfpenny will be wearing a Scarlets shirt this season, much to the disappointment of his former region, the Cardiff Blues. Robin Davey believes his choice should be respected and that any draft system – for both older and younger players – would be a mistake. It’s August and it’s holiday time for many, so that means it’s the silly season when it comes to news – and rugby is no different. Hot topic this week is the draft system and whether it’s a good idea or not. Not a silly subject for sure, but silly thinking it could work in Wales.

The Ospreys have rarely flown under the radar, but change at the other three regions has left them undetected so far this summer, says Geraint Powell. When the season starts, though, that could all change. The Ospeys, without any shadow of a doubt, have been the one real success story in the post-2003 Welsh regional rugby era. A whole far greater than the sum of Swansea and Neath, and I don’t just mean replica shirt sales. Ospreylia. “The one true region”, spreading 37 miles from east to west and for 24 miles from its northern-most point to the southern coastline. Ospreylia has a total boundary of 151 miles, according to the Ordnance Survey map once commissioned. And usually financially stable as a business, at least relative to the heavily loss making Scarlets and Blues.

James Hook is back in Welsh rugby – older, wiser, and wetter than before. Owen Morgan was at the Brewery Field where Ospreys fans raised a glass in pre-season appreciation. At precisely 8.39pm on a rain-lashed Bridgend evening, one of the prodigal sons of Welsh rugby made his return to home soil, or, should I say, home mud. There may not have been a fatted calf prepared for James Hook’s return on Friday, but the burger stalls were certainly doing a brisk trade as fans tried to seek shelter and take their mind of the awful August weather.

The grass has been cut, the lines have been painted, and the pre-season friendlies are up and running as the new rugby season beckons. Robin Davey insists there’s much to get excited about. It’s all systems go, at last – the new Guinness Pro 14 League fixtures are out, major pre-season friendlies start this weekend and the countdown is on for the start of what promises to be an exciting new season. The Scarlets will defend the title they won so gloriously last season, the Ospreys look to rediscover the form they lost so dramatically, Cardiff Blues will aim to prove the doubters wrong and the Dragons will finally seek to end a shocking run under the management of the Welsh Rugby Union.

The grass has been cut, the lines have been painted, and the pre-season friendlies are up and running as the new rugby season beckons. Robin Davey insists there’s much to get excited about. It’s all systems go, at last – the new Guinness Pro 14 League fixtures are out, major pre-season friendlies start this weekend and the countdown is on for the start of what promises to be an exciting new season. The Scarlets will defend the title they won so gloriously last season, the Ospreys look to rediscover the form they lost so dramatically, Cardiff Blues will aim to prove the doubters wrong and the Dragons will finally seek to end a shocking run under the management of the Welsh Rugby Union.

The Ospreys are to offer free tickets to compensate for the loss of a home match in the new expanded Guinness Pro14. Members who bought season tickets for the new campaign on the basis of 11 Pro12 home games as usual in the old format, will now only have 10 home games this season in the two conference set-up. To make up for the loss of a fixture they have already paid for, fans will be offered two complimentary tickets to bring friends and family to a home match of their choice.

Rhys Webb has admitted it is time for Wales to start winning again this season. The Ospreys scrum-half is unlikely to return when the campaign starts next month, but when his extended leave is over following Lions duty in New Zealand, Webb is clearly anxious to make a mark. It will be approaching five years since Wales last won a Six Nations trophy or Triple Crown when the season begins – and although Wales beat South Africa last autumn, it is nine years since Warren Gatland’s team beat Australia and 64 since the last victory over New Zealand.