And the winner is... predicting this year's Super Rugby champion

The new Super Rugby Pacific season starts on Friday night when the Crusaders take on the Hurricanes in Christchurch.

The four Australian sides will be bolstered by the demise of the Rebels — five into four should strengthen all concerned — but the title winners are highly likely to come from New Zealand.

Here we examine the chances of the five New Zealand-based teams, plus Moana Pasifika, also based in Auckland.

The Crusaders, the seven-time defending champions, won only four matches last season.

It was a fall from grace which began with an opening defeat to the Chiefs in Hamilton, during which prop Tamaiti Williams pulled a hamstring, an injury which kept him out for many weeks and a sign of things to come under new coach Rob Penney.

In the end, their season all but imploded.

Their full casualty ward did not help. Williams’ injury was following by problems for fellow All Blacks Scott Barrett and Will Jordan, among others.

Penney chopped and changed his backline as he attempted to find an answer to the vexed question of how to fill the No.10 jersey.

While the vaunted pack was de-powered by injuries, the lack of a quality first-five hurt the Crusaders and Penney will be hoping that former Wallaby James O’Connor does a decent job of it as the franchise builds depth underneath him.

After knowing virtually nothing but success under Scott Robertson, reality bit hard for the Crusaders last year. They lost 10 games and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Several of those defeats were close, however, and it’s difficult to see them struggling as much again this season.

Why appoint one captain when you can have four? This appears to be the reasoning behind coach Clark Laidlaw’s decision to appoint a quartet of leaders for the new season.

Asafo Aumua, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Billy Proctor and Brad Shields have all been named in what the Hurricanes are describing as "Ngā Kaitiaki - the Guardians".

"A kaitiaki is a guardian who ensures the protection, growth and vitality of their environment," the Hurricanes said in a statement.

"These four men are the kaitiaki of our values and our identity. They will drive who we are on and off the field."

It is a decision perhaps easy to make fun of, but Laidlaw’s regular season success last year when, in his first season, he led the Hurricanes to the top of the table with 12 victories and two defeats, suggests he has good instincts.

The individuals above are all quality players, and with loose forward options including Kirifi, Shields, Brayden Iose, Peter Lakai and Devan Flanders, the Hurricanes have an embarrassment of riches in this area.

They also possess a halfback in Cam Roigard who probably outplayed Frenchman Antoine Dupont — considered the best in the business — in Paris last November.

They’ll be hard to beat again, especially at home.

Their big signing of course is their new skipper Ardie Savea, one of the most consistently high performing All Blacks of the last couple of years, and he has already made an impact around the squad with his enthusiasm after moving from the Hurricanes.

But perhaps just as important is another signing from Wellington: First-five Jackson Garden-Bachop.

Garden-Bachop, a Wellington and former Hurricanes representative, came home early from a stint at Brive in France in the middle of last year due to the sudden death of his brother, Connor, also a professional rugby player.

Jackson wanted to be closer to his family and, after steering the Lions to an NPC title last year, Moana came calling.

He will add organisation and calmness to the team, who might surprise a few this year.

They finished sixth overall before falling at the first playoff hurdle against the Brumbies and there could be more difficulties ahead this year for the Highlanders who — outside of Thomas Umaga Jensen, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens — appear a little light in terms of backline quality.

They do possess promising lock Fabian Holland, however. Holland, a 22-year-old lock who stands 2.04m tall, will almost certainly represent the All Blacks this year (or next year).

The Dutchman is obviously a lineout kingpin but he is also an excellent defender with an aggressive mentality which should serve him well as he keeps progressing.

They have a first-five in Damian McKenzie who was perhaps the most influential player in Super Rugby last year but they may not have the overall quality to challenge their near neighbours up State Highway 1.

Wallace Sititi’s knee injury is a huge blow after his breakout year with the All Blacks but in Aidan Ross, Ollie Norris, George Dyer, Reuben O’Neill, Samisoni Taukie’aho, Brodie McAlister, Bradley Slater, Tupou Vaa’i, Manaaki Selby-Rickit and Josh Lord they have the bones of an excellent tight five.

They have quality midfielders in Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea and outside backs in Emoni Narawa, Etene Nanai-Seturo and Shaun Stevenson, but they don’t have the firepower enjoyed by the Blues.

The Chiefs could be second best again.

The franchise re-discovered its mojo last year, thanks in large part to new coach Vern Cotter.

After years of under-performance, Cotter helped bring a harder edge and far simpler game plan to a side blessed with size and depth and they were deserved champions last season when beating the Chiefs in the final at Eden Park.

It’s difficult to see them anything other than champions this year.

"Vern-ball" will likely see them double down on their strengths of set piece, mauling and direct running, and Beauden Barrett — back from a sabbatical in Japan last year — will add a new direction. Although, where he plays will be topic of discussion every week.

First-five or fullback? Barrett is now the incumbent All Blacks No.10 and there is no question about where he would prefer to play.

Harry Plummer’s ability to play at second-five and announcement that he is heading off to France after this season may make it easier to select Barrett in the Blues’ No.10 jersey.

Stephen Perofeta is also in the mix, of course.

The Blues are laden with All Blacks throughout the squad – including outside backs Caleb Clarke and Mark Tele’a.

It will take something special to see them off, especially at Eden Park.