Ospreys celebrate the Magners League title last season

They were knocked out at the group stages after losing 34-38 to Fiji in Nantes.

And Bennett feels that the lack of competitiveness in the Magners League is partly responsible for their exit.

"I certainly don't think that the Magners League is strong enough. There isn't the intensity," said Bennett.

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He added: "The poor refereeing doesn't help, there are a lot of problems in Welsh rugby and this is one of them.

"There's no structure to the season with the fixture list jumping between the league, the EDF Cup and European Cup.

"The Scarlets really stepped up in the Heineken Cup last year with fantastic wins in Toulouse and Ulster.

We need a competition with extra intensity to allow our players to make the step up Terry Holmes

"But they can stroll through much of the league season and the step up to international rugby is then too great - for players and regional coaches."

Another Wales great - former scrum-half Terry Holmes - agrees that the Magners League is not of a high enough standard to prepare players for the international game.

And Holmes feels that it may be time to try and create a domestic league involving England.

He said: "We need a competition with extra intensity to allow our players to make the step up.

"France are happy with their structure so wouldn't join the Celtic teams, but with a lot of persuasion it is possible that England could be brought on board."

Current Ospreys scrum-half Justin Marshall has first hand experience of the standard of the Magners League.

The New Zealander helped his side win the Magners League title last season, with the Ospreys also reaching the final of the EDF energy cup.

He said: "The poor refereeing certainly doesn't help, and it loses significance in certain parts of the season.

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"In derbies and some of the other games the intensity is very high, but it tends to taper off around the EDF Cup and Heineken Cup when players are rested as clubs target those bigger competitions.

"There's no money incentive in the league for the clubs. We won it last year and I think we got a tankard."

And while Marshall feels there is a lack of intensity, his Ospreys team-mate Brent Cockbain has other ideas of how to improve Welsh rugby.

"The league is intense enough on its day, but the season goes on for so long that you know you can get away with poor performances," added Cockbain.

"I'd like to see the format they have in Australia and New Zealand where there are central contracts for coaches and players."

*Phil Bennett, Terry Homes, Justin Marshall and Brent Cockbain were talking on BBC Wales' Scrum V programme.