Team-by-team guide to the 2018-19 season

Benetton

Head coach Kieran Crowley

Players in Derrick Appiah (London Scottish), Giuseppe di Stefano (Fiamme Oro), Dewaldt Duvenage (Stormers), Giovanni Pettinelli (Calvisano), Iliesa Ratuva (Waikato), Antonio Rizzi (Petrarca), Marco Zanon (Mogliano).

Players out Marty Banks (NTT Red Hurricanes), Andrea Buondonno (released), Whetu Douglas (Crusaders), Filippo Filippetto (retired), Francesco Minto (Medicei), Michael Tagicakibau (Manawatu), Matteo Zanusso (Calvisano).

Pre-season matches Worcester (H) W 14-12, Leicester (H) W 26-10, Zebre (H) W 22-12

Cardiff

Head coach John Mulvihill

Players in Dmitri Arhip (Ospreys), Jason Harries (Edinburgh), Rory Thornton (season loan, Ospreys), Samu Manoa (Toulon), Liam Belcher (Dragons).

Players out Alex Cuthbert (Exeter), Damian Welch (Cross Keys), Taufa’ao Filise (retired), Sam Warburton (retired).

Pre-season matches Leicester (H) L 15-17, Exeter (A) L 10-38.

Cheetahs

Director of rugby Franco Smith

Players in Rudy Paige (Bulls), Adriaan Carelse (Boland), Tian Schoeman (Bordeaux), Louis Fouche (Kubota Spears), Ruben de Haas (USA), Dries Swanepoel (Bulls), Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Sharks), Walt Steenkamp (Leopards), JP du Preez (Lions), Aidon Davis (Toulon), Louis Conradie (Boland).

Players out Rynier Bernardo (Canon Eagles), Clayton Blommetjies (Scarlets), Tom Botha (Ospreys), Uzair Cassiem (Scarlets), Reniel Hugo (Toyota Verblitz), Niel Marais (Yamaha Jubilo), Paul Schoeman (Blue Bulls), Clinton Swart (Toyota Verblitz), Torsten van Jaarsveld (Bayonne), Francois Venter (Worcester Warriors), Carl Wegner (Toyota Verblitz), Fred Zeilinga (Canon Eagles).

Connacht

Head coach Andy Friend

Players in David Horwitz (NSW Warathas), Kyle Godwin (ACT Brumbies), Joe Maksymiw (Leicester), Robin Copeland (Munster), Colby Fainga’a (Melbourne Rebels), Jonny Murphy (Rotherham), Sevu Reece (Waikato), Cillian Gallagher (academy), Conan O’Donnell (academy), Peter Claffey (academy).

Players out Pita Ahki (Toulouse), Stacey Ili (Hawke’s Bay), Naulia Dawai (Otago), Andrew Deegan (Western Force), Denis Coulson (released), Cormac Brennan (released), John Muldoon (retired), Steve Crosbie (released), JP Cooney (released), Andrew Browne (released), Pat O’Toole (released).

Pre-season matches Brive (A) W 33-24 Wasps (H) W 43-10, Bristol (A) W 14-12.

Dragons

Head coach Bernard Jackman

Players in Josh Lewis (Bath), Ryan Bevington, Rhodri William, Jordan Williams (all Bristol), Aaron Jarvis (Clermont Auvergne), Rhys Lawrence (Ealing Trailfinders), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester), Dafydd Howells (Ospreys), Tiaan Loots (RFC 1404), Jacob Botica (RFC 1404), Rhodri Davies (Rotherham), Nicky Thomas (Scarlets), Brandon Nansen (Stade Francais), Huw Taylor (Worcester).

Players out Phil Price (Scarlets), Sam Hobbs (released), Thomas Davies (Cardiff RFC), Luke Garrett (Neath), Keagan Bale (Bargoed), Liam Belcher (Cardiff), Rhys Buckley (Bargoed), Scott Andrews (Neath), Ashley Sweet (Ebbw Vale), Robson Blake (retired), Sarel Pretorius (Kings), Charlie Davies (Northampton), Angus O’Brien (Scarlets), Adam Hughes (retired), Pat Howard (Ealing Trailfinders), Carl Meyer (released), Barney Nightingale (Bargoed), Sam Beard (Canterbury), Lloyd Lewis (Pontypool).

Pre-season matches Ealing Trailfinders (A) W 31-17, Northampton (H) L 10-42, Gloucester (A) L 31-40.

Edinburgh

Head coach Richard Cockerill

Players in Jason Baggott (academy), John Barclay (Scarlets), Pietro Ceccarelli (Oyonnax), Dave Cherry (London Scottish), Luke Crosbie academy), Dougie Fife (Scotland Sevens), Simon Hickey (Bordeaux), James Johnstone (Scotland Sevens), Matt Scott (Gloucester Rugby), Pierre Schoeman (Blue Bulls), Charlie Shiel (academy), Juan Pablo Socino (Newcastle), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Senitiki Nayalo (London Irish), Luke Hamilton (Leicester), Charlie Shiel (academy), George Taylor (academy).

Players out Anton Bresler (Worcester), Glenn Bryce (released), Kevin Bryce (Glasgow), Phil Burleigh (Canterbury), Neil Cochrane (retired), Robbie Fruean (retired), Tom Galbraith (released), John Hardie (released), Jason Harries (Cardiff), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Scarlets), Jordan Lay (Bristol), Elliot Millar-Mills (Ealing Trailfinders), Cornell du Preez (Worcester), Junior Rasolea (Grenoble), Matt Shields (retired), Jason Tovey (Cross Keys), Duncan Weir (Worcester), Callum McLelland (released), Alasdair Dickinson (retired).

Pre-season matches Bath (H) L 10-12, Newcastle (A) W 23-13.

Glasgow

Head coach Dave Rennie

Players in George Turner (Edinburgh), DTH van der Merwe (Newcastle), Tevita Tameilau (Utah Warriors), Nick Frisby (Bordeaux Begles), Kevin Bryce (Edinburgh), Thomas Gordon (Currie Chieftains), Adam Nicol (academy), Bruce Flockhart (academy), Robbie Nairn (academy), Andrew Davidson (Newcastle, loan).

Players out Finn Russell (Racing 92), Leonardo Sarto (released), Richie Vernon (London Scottish), Lewis Wynne (London Scottish, loan), Samuela Vunisa (Calvisano), Pat MacArthur (retired), Ryan Grant (retired), Henry Pyrgos (Edinburgh).

Pre-season matches Harlequins (H) W 50-17, Northampton (A) L 15-41.

Kings

Head coach Deon Davids

Players in Lupumlo Mguca (EP), Schalk Oelofse (Mont-de-Marsan), JC Astle (Mont-de-Marsan), Henry Brown, Stephan de Wit (WP), Sarel Pretorius (Dragons), Tertius Kruger (Cheetahs), Meli Rokoua (Agronomia, Portugal), Bjorn Basson (Oyonnax), Michael Botha (EP), Ulrich Beyers (Blue Bulls).

Players out Entienne Swanepoel (Valsugana), Dayan van der Westhuizen (Blue Bulls), Lindokuhle Welemu (released), Eital Bredenkamp (Griquas), Khaya Majola (released), Johan Smith (Leopards), Siyabulela Mdaka (Leopards), Freddy Ngoza (Boland Kavaliers), Victor Sekekete, Lusanda Badiyana (released), Rowan Gouws (EP), Freddy Muller (EP), JP Smith (EP), Alshaun Bock (SWD Eagles), Anthony Volmink (Golden Lions), Luzuko Vulindlu (released), Jacques Nel (Aurillac).

Leinster

Head coach Leo Cullen

Players in Jordan Larmour (academy), Vakh Abdaladze (academy), Caelan Doris (academy), Josh Murphy (academy), Joe Tomane (Montpellier), Will Connors (academy).

Players out Jordi Murphy (Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (retired), Isa Nacewa (retired), Richardt Strauss (retired), Oisin Heffernan (Nottingham), Joey Carbery (Munster), Cathal Marsh (released), Peadar Timmins (released), Ian Fitzpatrick (Ireland Sevens), Terry Kennedy (Ireland Sevens), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Sean McNulty (released), Charlie Rock (released).

Pre-season matches Montauban (A) W 18-17, Newcastle (H) L 17-42.

Munster

Head coach Johan van Graan

Players in Tadhg Beirne (Scarlets), Arno Botha (London Irish), Joey Carbery (Leinster), Neil Cronin (Garryowen), Mike Haley (Sale), Calvin Nash (Academy), Liam O’Connor (academy), Fineen Wycherley (academy), Alby Mathewson (short-term loan, Toulon)

Players out Robin Copeland (Connacht), Gerbrandt Grobler (Gloucester), Dave Johnston (Ealing Trailfinders), Simon Zebo (Racing 92).

Pre-season matches London Irish (H) W 32-28, Exeter (H) L 0-12.

Ospreys

Head coach Allen Clarke

Players in Scott Williams (Scarlets), Aled Davies (Scarlets), Tom Botha (Cheetahs), Lesley Klim (Doncaster), George North (Northampton), Gheorghe Gajion (Trelissac), Guido Volpi (Narbonne), Luke Morgan (Wales Sevens).

Players out Dan Biggar (Northampton), Rhys Webb (Toulon), Kieron Fonotia (Scarlets), Ashley Beck (Worcester), Rowan Jenkins (Yorkshire Carnegie), Dafydd Howells (Dragons), Dmitri Arhip (Cardiff), Rory Thornton (Cardiff, loan), Jay Baker (Merthyr Tydfil), Brian Mujati (retired), Eli Walker (retired), Hugh Gustafson (retired), Jeff Hassler (released), Brendon Leonard (released).

Pre-season matches Northampton (A) L 13-26, Saracens (A) L 14-31.

Scarlets

Head coach Wayne Pivac

Players in Keiron Fonotia (Ospreys), Phil Price (Dragons), Uzair Cassiem (Cheetahs), Clayton Blommetjies (Cheetahs), Sam Hidalgo-Clyne (Edinburgh), Kieran Hardy (Jersey), Ed Kennedy (Randwick), Angus O’Brien (Dragons), Blade Thomson (Hurricanes), Marc Jones (Sale).

Players out Aled Davies (Ospreys), Scott Williams (Ospreys), John Barclay (Edinburgh), Emyr Phillips (retired), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Tom Williams (released), Tom Grabham (retired), Rhys Jones (retired), Jack Condy (retired), Jack Maynard (released), Billy McBryde (RGC), Nicky Thomas (released)

Pre-season matches Bristol (H) W 28-19, Bath (A) L 12-45.

Ulster

Head coach Dan McFarland

Players in Marty Moore (Wasps), Jordi Murphy (Leinster), Will Addison (Sale), Billy Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Henry Speight (Brumbies, short-term deal), Alexander Thompson (Terenure, short-term deal), Alan Bennie (Lansdowne, short-term deal), Nick Timoney (academy), Greg Jones (academy), Adam McBurney (academy), Jonny Stewart (academy).

Players out Andrew Trimble (retired), Paul Marshall (retired), Robbie Diack (released), Tommy Bowe (retired), Callum Black (Worcester Warriors), Jared Payne (retired), Paddy Jackson (Perpignan), Charles Piutau (Bristol), Stuart Olding (Brive), Brett Herron (Jersey), Callum Patterson (Cornish Pirates), Aaron Cairns (released).

Pre-season games Gloucester (H) L 17-29, Wasps (A) L 13-34

Zebre

Head coach Michael Bradley

Players in Paula Balekana (Sydney Rays), Francois Brummer (Blue Bulls), Massimo Ceciliani (Viadana), Nicola de Batista (Cornish Pirates), Samuele Ortis ( Rovigo), Giovanni Licata (Fiamme Oro), Daniele Rimpelli (Calvisano), Apisai Tauyavuca (Fijian Drua), Matu Tevi (North Harbour), Jimmy Tuivaiti (Calvisano), Giosue Zilocchi (Calvisano).

Players out Faialaga Afamasaga (Colorno), Valerio Bernabo (retired), Serafin Bordoli (Olivos Argentina), Tommaso D’Apice (released), Andrea de Marchi (Medicei), Ciaran Gaffney (retired), Andrea Manici (retired), Derick Minnie (retired), Rory Parata (Cornish Pirates), Matteo Pratichetti (retired), Jacopo Sarto (Colorno), James Tucker (Chiefs).

Pre-season matches Grenoble (A) W L 7-31, Benetton (A) L 12-22.

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