Glasgow and Edinburgh kick off their seasons at the weekend

By Jim Mason BBC Scotland rugby reporter

The essence of any great sporting encounter is doubt. That's why this year's Magners League could be the most exciting in recent years.

Ask any coach or player to predict who will finish on top of the pile and you will receive a polite shake of the head.

This year, there is an added complication, with two new Italian teams making their league debuts. Benetton Treviso start their campaign away to Scarlets, while Aironi jump in at the deep end with an away tie at Munster.

The Italians will bring fresh impetus to the league and will no doubt punish any team quick to believe their supposed whipping-boy status.

So doubt about the outcome; doubt about how the Italians will fare and perhaps doubt as to how Scotland's two pro teams will get on.

Last season was a good one for Glasgow. They reached the inaugural play-offs only to be beaten by Ospreys in a bruising encounter at Swansea.

Other teams in the league have an ever-growing respect for Sean Lineen and his men and it is the contribution of the pack they focus on.

It is a pack that has flourished under the leadership of Glasgow and Scotland captain Al Kellock. In the past, he has had the piratical talents of Beattie, Barclay and Brown to call. But no longer. Kelly Brown is now a Saracen, while Johhnie Beattie and John Barclay are sidelined through injury.

And here's the rub - so is the skipper.

Glasgow have been hit hard by injuries and, in a league where squad management is of prime importance, a lack of big-game players could be the difference between a place in the play-offs and mid-table obscurity.

On the other side of the M8, inspirational captaincy is also de rigueur. Enter Roddy Grant; a man who is invariably described as having a good engine and a man who let's his rugby do the talking.

He'll be leading a team out on Saturday against Cardiff that contains three Magners League debutantes; Scotland centre Alex Grove, Fijian number eight Netani Talei and winger Lee Jones, who joined the Murrayfield set-up from Selkirk and notched up a brace of tries in the friendly against London Irish.

Head coach Rob Moffat is big on consistency of performance and it was a lack of consistency that consigned Edinburgh to sixth in last year's competition.

Edinburgh also welcome back Chris Paterson, now recovered from an injury sustained in that thrilling Wales versus Scotland match in the 2010 Six Nations Championship.

No team has ever defended the Magners League championship and there is a realisation among all those taking part that any team is capable of winning on their day.

The ability to successfully manage a season that is prey to so many outside pressures, such as Heineken Cup, autumn Tests and Six Nations, will be paramount.

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