It’s nearly here.

After four long months the Guinness PRO14 returns with a vengeance this weekend and the players are no doubt chomping at the bit to bang in the sport’s best tries, biggest hits, and write their names into some of rugby’s greatest historical rivalries.

The action is all set to explode out of a Bloemfontein cannon on Friday with the Currie Cup-wielding Toyota Cheetahs looking to take down Glasgow Warriors. Ahead of that kick-off – these are the big questions.

Which team will be fastest out of the blocks?

Flying starts are important in the Guinness PRO14, especially in a World Cup year, perfectly encapsulated by Connacht’s wondrous season four years ago where they prevailed in three of their first four and just never stopped running.

Many are looking to Ulster to get their noses ahead with the class of men like Jack McGrath, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney and Will Addison, all with a point to prove to Ireland.

Catch all the action on Guinness PRO14 TV

Many are also tipping the Toyota Cheetahs. The 2017-18 Finals Series participants are buoyed by that exhilarating Currie Cup campaign, the addition of Ulster legend Ruan Pienaar, rising front row star Joseph Dweba and last season’s top strike weapon Rabz Maxwane.

Ulster Rugby

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@UlsterRugby

The hard work is done. 👊

Now it’s time to put it into practice, starting this Friday at home to Ospreys. ⚪️🔴#SUFTUM

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Who will be the most important signing?

Let’s stick with Pienaar for a second, a man surely with a shout in this category. The Springbok World Cup winner scored 659 points for Ulster between ¹⁰⁄₁₁ and ¹⁶⁄₁₇ and the cult hero will be front and centre with the Cheetahs this season.

There are other big half-back moves, former Munsterman Ian Keatley will direct play at ambitious Benetton, Sam Davies spearheads Dean Ryan’s project at Dragons and ex-Harlequin Demetri Catrakilis’s class will boost the Isuzu Southern Kings.

International superstar Josh Adams will be a sight to behold at Cardiff Blues while Richard Cockerill is, quite understandably, searching for the new Bill Mata – Fiji Sevens stars Eroni Sau and Mesulame Kunavula could well be it.

Can anyone topple Leinster?

Everyone’s gunning for Leinster, who will hit the target?

Glasgow came closest last year, narrowly losing that absorbing final 18-15 – from semi-finalists in 2018 to finalists in 2019, to winners in 2020?

Glasgow Warriors

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@GlasgowWarriors

CAPTAINCY | Today @ryanwilson89 and Callum Gibbins were announced as co-captains for the ²⁰¹⁹⁄₂₀ season.

💬: “The two of them are really good mates and bring out the best in each other, and they’ve learnt a lot from each other too.”

Wilson and Gibbins continue as co-captains for ²⁰¹⁹⁄₂₀

www.glasgowwarriors.org

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Munster are never far away, finalists in 2017 backed up by two semi-final runs, they have real depth in class whilst a sprinkling of their stars are tearing up the World Cup.

Who will be the star breakthrough player?

Always a tricky one to predict, in 2017-18 the likes of Blair Kinghorn, Jordan Larmour and Andrew Porter made huge impacts while last season two young Warriors made their breakthroughs – Adam Hastings and Zander Fagerson.

We’re going to see a lot of fresh talent who will make it all the way to the top, 59 players who made their debuts in the PRO14 during the last two World Cups went on to play for their country.

We have three Next-Gen talents to offer up – electric Munster scrum-half Craig Casey, powerful 21-year-old Benetton lock Niccolo Cannone and Edinburgh’s Scotland U20 talent Jack Blain – remember the names.

Will Benetton’s rise continue?

With news today that masterful Benetton head coach Kieran Crowley has signed an extension to his contract you wouldn’t bet against the Treviso-based side’s star rising even higher.

Undoubtedly one of the stories of last season, Benetton became the first Italian side to make the Finals Series, narrowly edged out 15-13 by Munster at Thomond Park in the quarter-finals.

Monty Ioane and Ratuva Tavuyara are not at the World Cup while Keatley provides strong depth at fly-half.

Meanwhile, sporting director Antonio Pavanello continues to pull the strings behind the scenes and he and Crowley are only pressing the accelerator harder.