Nick Mullins is ideally placed to assess the hopes of the 13 teams for whom the road to Twickenham next June gets underway this weekend.
Connacht feared they could be without their prop for the early part of the new year but a PRO14 disciplinary hearing has permitted him to keep playing.
London Irish would have thought the heat regarding their controversial signing last month of Paddy Jackson would cool, but concerns from sponsors keep increasing the temperature.
The Waratahs have, on average, made the play-offs once every two years since their first semi-final appearance in 2002. With a record like that, anything less than a quarter-final outing will be disappointing for Daryl Gibson's men.
Budgets, players to watch, arrivals and departures - and an overview of each club at the start of the new season. Welcome to the Rugby Pass club-by-club Top 14 season preview
Ireland and Ulster outhalf Paddy Jackson says he is ashamed for the distress caused to a women he met at a party in 2016, which led to a trial for rape.
For Kiwi coach Daryl Gibson this season will be make-or-break. The deterioration of the side’s results under his watch hasn’t gone to plan for the Waratah’s succession planning.