Just as a matter of interest how good are Connacht?
So if Tier 1 is the top 4 teams.
Tier 2 is the next 4.
Tier 3 is the remainder with Tier 4 being the complete no hopers.
Considering the players we lost and the long season we've already had I'd consider a successful season being between 6-12 wins out of 24. Our goal should really be to beat the Italians, grab a few victories at home and perhaps pull off a cheeky away upset or two. I'm not expecting too much but I'd like us to be competitive against the Tier 3 sides and perhaps challenge the Tier 2 sides at least in this first year.
If you were to divide up the original Pro12 sides into tiers it would probably look like
Tier 1, Scarlets, Leinster, Munster, Glasgow, Ulster, Ospreys.
Tier 2, Connacht, Cardiff, Edinburgh.
Tier 3, Dragons, Zebre, Treviso.
Thats a bit over simplified but its roughly like that. We'll see where the Cheetahs and Kings fit in as the season goes on. Don't the Cheetahs play at altitude? If so I can see it being a big advantage especially with teams not used to that or the heat.
As for Connacht. They've a new coach in Kieran Keane, the Chiefs attack coach last season. The won the league against all odds 2 seasons ago but have slipped back since though they're dangerous opposition on their day.
The weather for the weekend is not looking too good for Galway and Limerick which is nearby so it might be another experience for the Kings and Cheetahs.
