Celtic League previewHail the Magners Celtic League? Unfortunately, it could have timed its starting point a little better than the weekend of the Republic of Ireland's first Euro qualifier and the All-Ireland hurling final, but so be it.
If nothing else, the competition simply needed a new name more than anything. The Celtic League had become an inherently flawed brand and despite a relatively modest investment, said to be at most €2 million over three years, many good judges believe the new sponsors will bring a much more progressive marketing strategy.
Alas, the scattered, ever-changing and often spectator unfriendly kick-off times at the behest of TV, despite small audiences, remain; a prime example of which is the case of defending champions Ulster. The best supported team in last season's league, thanks to the regularity of Friday night matches, begin the defence of their crown at home to Llanelli on Saturday, whereas Munster are on opening night away to prospective European Cup pool opponents Cardiff.
Hence, what were once regarded as teething problems linger on into the league's sixth year; not least the perceived lack of credibility that comes with the national entities having first call on the frontline players. Hence there is always the likelihood of the league being devalued a tad by mismatches such as happened last year when a skeletal Munster were brave lambs to a Ravenhill slaughter, or when Frank Hadden withdrew a raft of Edinburgh players to prepare for a game against the Barbarians, so giving title-chasing Leinster a much better chance of winning the final fixture. Had David Humphreys late drop goal via the woodwork not delivered victory away to the Ospreys, Hadden's actions could have left a sour taste in Ulster.
The advent of play-offs, as exists in every other frontline league in the world, would actually curtail the effect of these anomalies and ensure a proper end-of-season finale in front of full houses. Perhaps the onset of the World Cup, in an already over-crowded itinerary, mitigated against that possibility, but it really needs to happen.
As it is, the frontline Irish players are being held back until around the fifth week of Celtic League action; an "interpro" weekend at the end of September. This mightn't be as big a handicap as first appears, though it still must reduce the chance of another Irish one-two-three. The key for Munster and Leinster especially, although Ulster too had a sizeable representation in New Zealand and Australia, will be to stay in touch over the first month. To that end, Munster and Leinster are helped by having free weekends in rounds four and one respectively, even if Leinster must play three of their first four games away.
Declan Kidney is fond of reminding anyone who'll listen that the Celtic League consists of nine sides who'll be competing in the Heineken European Cup as evidence of its strength.
Of course the French and English would argue that this shows the Celts' cut of the Euro cake is too big. That the 10th-placed Celtic side, the Dragons, should lose a Euro play-off at home to Overmach Parma might also be seen to question the strength in depth of the Celtic League.
The English Premiership is undoubtedly better promoted and presented, and because the English clubs' hold on their players is also greater, their league is probably more competitive, features the leading players more regularly and for strength in depth is the best in Europe. The quality at the top end of the French Top 14 is fairly obvious, but that league has become very elitist, and in a league that has a 75 per cent ratio of home wins, a far higher percentage of their games are foregone conclusions.
The same cannot be said of the Celtic League, thanks in large part to the IRFU eventually relenting in allowing the league to be the sole criteria for Euro qualification; thereby ensuring meaningful matches all the way down the table right until the end. And ultimately of course, Kidney wouldn't be alone in pointing out that it provided more semi-finalists in the European Cup than either the French or English leagues, as well as, of course, the ultimate winners.
How often their frontline "Euro" teams take to the pitch is another thing, and looks like being a dozen or so, maybe 13 or 14 times at push. Even so, the Welsh and Scots will be similarly handicapped at times and, as was proven last season, the Welsh challenge will not be helped by their continuing participation in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. Once again it will oblige them to compress two rearranged rounds of the Celtic League into midweek slots. Still, Ospreys are expected to make a big challenge to the big Irish three.
