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Halfpenny returns to Wales to boost Scarlets

Leigh Halfpenny in action for the Lions
Leigh Halfpenny in action for the LionsCredit: David Rogers

As if the inclusion of two new teams and a revamped format to weren't enough to get to grips with, Pro14 fans have a long summer of transfer dealings to get to grips with.

Here's a list of all the ins & outs ...

Cardiff
Head coach: Danny Wilson
Players in: Sion Bennett (Northampton), Jack Roberts (Leicester), Damian Welch (Exeter).
Players out: Cory Allen (Ospreys), Liam Belcher (Dragons), Pele Cowley (released), Cam Dolan (released), Jarrad Hoeata (North Harbour), Marc Thomas (Yorkshire Carnegie).
Pre-season matches: London Scottish (a) W 34-23, Exeter (h)
W 21-20.


Cheetahs
Director of rugby: Franco Smith
Players in: Malcolm Jaer (Southern Kings), Makazole Mapimpi (Southern Kings).
Players out: Armandt Koster (Grenoble), Danie Mienie (Toulouse), Boom Prinsloo (Bulls), Francois Uys (Grenoble), Michael van der Spuy (retired).
2017 Super Rugby: 13th overall, 6th in South African Group, 2nd in Africa Conference 1.


Connacht
Head coach: Kieran Keane
Players in: Cormac Brennan (Academy), Jarrad Butler (Brumbies), Denis Coulson (Grenoble), Andrew Deegan (Waratahs), Peter McCabe (Munster), Conor McKeon (Academy), James Mitchell (Sale), Pat O’Toole (Academy), Rory Scholes (Edinburgh), Gavin Thornbury (Wanganui).
Players out: Marnitz Boshoff (Blue Bulls), John Cooney (Ulster), Nepia Fox-Matamua (released), Ciaran Gaffney (Zebre), Ronan Loughney (released), Shane O’Leary (Atlantic Rock), Ben Marshall (retired), Rory Moloney (released), Rory Parata (Harbour RC), Danie Poolman (released), Danny Qualter (Nottingham), Josh Rowland (Ireland Sevens), Ivan Soroka (released), Lewis Stevenson (Bangor).
Pre-season matches: Wasps (a) L 22-40, W 24-14 Bristol (h).


Dragons
Head coach: Bernard Jackman
Players in: Liam Belcher (Cardiff), Gerard Ellis (London Irish), Gavin Henson (Bristol), Dan Suter (Ospreys), Zane Kirchner (Leinster).
Players out: Nick Crosswell (Manawatu), Darran Harris (Merthyr), Shaun Knight (Bath), Craig Mitchell (released), Tom Prydie (Scarlets), Geraint Rhys Jones (Scarlets), T Rhys Thomas (retired).
Pre-season matches: Montpellier (a),L 40-15, Northampton (a)
L 71-21, Exeter (a) L 50-24, Glasgow (h) L 40-23.


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Edinburgh
Head coach: Richard Cockerill
Players in: Mark Bennett (Glasgow), Hugh Fraser (Academy), Robbie Fruean (Bath). Tom Galbraith (Academy), Darcy Graham (Academy), Jason Harries (London Scottish), Callum Hunter-Hill (Academy), Darryl Marfo (Bath), Murray McCallum (Academy), Ally Miller (Academy), Michele Rizzo (Leicester on short-term loan), Duhan van der Merwe (Montpellier).
Players out: Michael Allen (retired), Nick Beavon (released), Jack Cosgrove (Bristol), Viliami Fihaki (released), Will Helu (Timisoara Saracens), Nasi Manu (Treviso), Alex Northam (released), Rory Scholes (Connacht), Sasa Tofilau (RC Massy),
George Turner (Glasgow,loan), Kyle Whyte (released).
Pre-season matches: Sale (h) L 24-20, Newcastle (h) W 14-10.


Glasgow
Head coach: Dave Rennie
Players in: Jamie Bhatti (Academy), Callum Gibbins (Hurricanes), Siosiua Halanukonuka (Highlanders), Adam Hastings (Bath), George Horne (Academy), Ruaridh Jackson (Harlequins), Huw Jones (Stormers), Oli Kebble (Stormers), Paddy Kelly (Academy), Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), Kiran McDonald (Hull RUFC), Matt Smith (Academy), Brandon Thomson (Stormers),George Turner (Edinburgh, loan), Samuela Vunisa (Saracens), Lewis Wynne (Academy).
Players out: Mark Bennett (Edinburgh), Junior Bulumakau (Doncaster), Rory Clegg (Ealing), Grayson Hart (Ealing), Nemia Kenatale (released) Sean Lamont (retired), Fraser Lyle (London Scottish), Peter Murchie (retired), Sila Puafisi (Brive), Gordon Reid (London Irish), Hagen Schulte (Heidelberger), Josh Strauss (Sale), Tijuee Uanivi (London Scottish).
Pre-season matches: Northampton (h) L 19-14, Dragons (a) W 40-23.


Leinster
Head coach: Leo Cullen
Players in: Ross Byrne (Academy), Joey Carbery (Academy), Scott Fardy (Brumbies), James Lowe (Chiefs), Nick McCarthy(Academy), Rory O’Loughlin (Academy), Andrew Porter (Academy), James Ryan (Academy), Peadar Timmins (Academy).
Players out: Zane Kirchner (Dragons), Mike McCarthy (retired), Mike Ross (retired), Hayden Triggs (retired), Dominic Ryan (Leicester).
Pre-season matches: Perpignan (a) L 42-32, Bath (h) W 25-17.


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Munster
Director of rugby: Rassie Erasmus
Players in: Chris Cloete (Southern Kings), Chris Farrell (Grenoble), Stephen Fitzgerald (Academy), Dan Goggin (Academy), Gerbrandt Grobler (Racing 92), JJ Hanrahan (Northampton), James Hart (Racing 92), Bill Johnston (Academy), Conor Oliver (Academy), Ciaran Parker (Sale), Brian Scott (Academy).
Players out: Cian Bohane (retired), Rory Burke (Nottingham), Mark Chisholm (retired) Dave Foley (Pau), John Madigan (RC Massy), Peter McCabe (Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Racing 92), Francis Saili (Harlequins).
Pre-season matches: Worcester (a) W 35-26.


Ospreys
Head coach: Steve Tandy
Players in: Cory Allen (Cardiff), Sam Cross (Wales Sevens), James Hook (Gloucester), Guy Mercer (Bath, loan), Brian Mujati Sale).
Players out: Tyler Ardron (Chiefs), Joe Bearman (Merthyr), Tom Grabham (Scarlets), Josh Matavesi (Newcastle), Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter), Jonathan Spratt (retired), Dan Suter (Dragons), Sam Underhill (Bath).
Pre-season matches: Leicester (h) L 21-14, Bath (h) L 28-14, Leicester (a) L 40-14.


Scarlets
Head coach: Wayne Pivac
Players in: Paul Asquith (Greater Sydney Rams), Tom Grabham (Ospreys), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Tom Prydie (Dragons), Geraint Rhys Jones (Dragons), Morgan Williams (Wales Sevens).
Players out: Morgan Allen (Bedwas), Rynier Bernardo (Free State Cheetahs), Peter Edwards (Merthyr), Gareth Owen (Leicester), Matthew Owen (Carmarthen Quins), Richard Smith (Neath), Aled Thomas (retired), DTH van der Merwe (Newcastle), Liam Williams (Saracens).
Pre-season matches: Scarlets Premiership Select (h) W 82-12, Bristol (a) W 33-25, Gloucester (a)
L 30-21.


Southern Kings
Director of rugby: Deon Davids
Players in: Kurt Coleman (Stormers), Stephan Coetzee (Sharks on season loan), Rowan Gouws (Sharks on season loan), Rossouw de Klerk (Grenoble), Khaya Majola (Sharks on season loan), S’bura Sithole (Sharks on season loan), Dries van Schalkwyk (Zebre).
Players out: Chris Cloete (Munster), Lionel Cronje (Toyota Verblitz), Ross Geldenhuys (Sharks), Irne Herbst (Treviso), Malcolm Jaer (Cheetahs), Makazole Mapimpi (Cheetahs), Wandile Mjekevu (Toulouse), Tyler Paul (Sharks), Louis Schreuder (Sharks), Schalk van der Merwe (Ulster), Wilhelm van der Sluys (Exeter).
2017 Super Rugby: 11th overall, 5th South Afirca Group, 4th Africa Conference 2.


Treviso
Director of rugby: Marius Goosen
Head coach: Kieran Crowley
Players in: Marty Banks (Highlanders), Juan Ignacio Brex (Viadana), Andrea Bronzini (Viadana), Whetu Douglas (Crusaders), Irne Herbst (Southern Kings), Enjel Makelara (Petrarca), Sebastian Negri (Hartpury), Marco Riccioni (Calvisano), Federico Ruzza (Zebre).
Players out: Filippo Gerosa (Petrarca), Davide Giazzon (Mogliano), Luke McLean (London Irish), Jean-François Montauriol (Firenze), David Odiete (Rovigo), Filo Paulo (London Irish), Andrea Pratichetti (Amatori), Alberto Rolando Porolli (released), Roberto Santamaria (Petrarca), Guglielmo Zanini (Rovigo).
Pre-season matches: Leicester (a) L 47-12, Zebre (h) L 7-0.


Ulster
Director of rugby: Les Kiss
Head coach: Jono Gibbes
Players in: David Busby (Academy), Aaron Cairns (Academy), John Cooney (Connacht), Jean Deysel (Sharks), Ross Kane (Academy), Christian Lealiifano (Brumbies),Rob Lyttle (Academy), Tommy O’Hagan (Academy), Jack Owens (Academy) Schalk van der Merwe (Southern Kings).
Players out: Mark Best (Jersey), John Donnan (released), Lorcan Dow (released), Conor Joyce (Jersey), Ricky Lutton (released), Stephen Mulholland (released) Jonny Murphy (Rotherham), Ruan Pienaar (Montpellier), Roger Wilson (retired).
Pre-season matches: Wasps (h) L 26-15, Northampton (a) L 55-15.


Zebre
Head coach: Michael Bradley
Players in: Maicol Azzolini (Fiamme Oro), Eduardo Bello (Atletico de Rosario), Ciaran Gaffney (Connacht), Renato Giammarioli (Calvisano), Leonard Krumov (Viadana), Luhandre Luus (Calvisano), Matteo Minozzi (Calvisano), Sami Panico (Calvisano), Riccardo Raffaele (Calvisano), Dave Sisi (Bath), Roberto Tenga (Fiamme Oro).
Players out: Kurt Baker (Manawatu), Dion Berryman (released), Pietro Ceccarelli (Oyonnax), Carlo Engelbrecht (released), Joshua Furno (Otago), Quintin Geldenhuys (retired), Lloyd Greeff (Western Province), Gideon Koegelenberg (released), Bart le Roux (released), Edoardo Padovani (Toulon), Guillermo Roan (La Plata), Bruno Postiglioni (released), Federico Ruzza (Treviso), Sidney Tobias (released), Dries van Schalkwyk (Southern Kings), Kayle van Zyl (Amatori),
Pre-season matches: Treviso (a) W 7-0.

Max OramRacing Post Reporter

Published on 30 August 2017inRugby Union tips

Last updated 20:43, 30 August 2017

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