Reds going all out to win it again
The Queensland Reds are embracing the added expectation that comes with being Super Rugby champions and even without inspirational flyhalf Quade Cooper remain Australia's best hope of winning the title this year.
Cooper, who with scrumhalf Will Genia fired the Reds to a surprise first triumph in the southern hemisphere's annual provincial championship last year, is sidelined by a knee injury and will miss at least the first six matches of the season.
Coach Ewen McKenzie is confident he has the talent in his squad to make up for Cooper's absence but is also aware that success this year is going to be as hard to earn as during their fairytale run to the title last season.
"It's good to be able to generate some expectation," he told reporters earlier this month. "Everyone keeps telling us this is about defending but we have a different mindset.
"We have experience from last year but that's it. If you don't bring it to bear you've got nothing. We have to go out there and win it again in different circumstances.
"We're not interested in defending, we want to win it."
The Reds will get an early taste of the strength of their rivals in the Australian conference when they meet the New South Wales Waratahs in their season-opener in Sydney on Saturday.
The Waratahs, who reached the playoffs last year but were booed by their fans on occasion for their lack of adventure in attack, have a new coach in Michael Foley and a new captain in former Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom.
The departure of fullback Kurtley Beale to the Melbourne Rebels is a major loss in their backline but new recruits Adam Ashley-Cooper, scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and returning flyhalf Berrick Barnes are top quality backs.
TOTEMIC LOCK
While a return to the playoffs will be a minimum goal for the 'Tahs, the ACT Brumbies will be hoping South African coach Jake White can transform their fortunes after the misery of their 13th place finish last year.
The only other Australian team to have won a Super Rugby title - in 2001 and again in 2004 - the Canberra-based outfit have just three Wallabies in their ranks after the departure of Matt Giteau, Elsom and Ashley-Cooper.
They named six debutants in their team to play Western Force in their opener on Friday night and mid-table respectability looks like being the best they can hope for in a transitional year.
The Perth-based Force lost half of their duo of exciting young Wallaby talents when back James O'Connor signed for the Rebels and have handed the captaincy to the other, openside flanker David Pocock.
Considered unlucky to finish 12th last year after two draws and a string of close defeats, coach Richard Graham will be hoping to benefit from the rub of the green this season and reach the playoffs for the first time in totemic lock Nathan Sharpe's last year.
The Rebels, who have a bye in the first round and have to wait until next week to get their campaign underway, have certainly bolstered their backline with the acquisition of Beale and O'Connor.
Added to the talents of former England flyhalf Danny Cipriani and the steel of skipper Stirling Mortlock in the centres, Melbourne might force themselves off the bottom of the standings in their second year but are unlikely to trouble the playoff contenders.