With a new Currie Cup season closing in fast in South Africa, we take a look at which of the teams will be there or thereabouts and men to watch in 2012.

Contenders

Sharks

Last year's finalists enjoyed an impressive Super Rugby, making it all the way to the final. Granted they only finished sixth in the regular-season standings but what cannot be downplayed was their immense front and back-row capabilities in front of star backs Pat Lambie and JP Pietersen.

With the exceptional performances of Keegan Daniel, Marcell Coetzee and Willem Alberts seeing them make the Springbok squad for their opening Rugby Championship fixture against Argentina, this is where the Sharks incredible strength in the back-row comes to the fore. Step forward Jean Deysel and Jacques Botes, who play alongside number eight Tera Mtembu in their opening game. Riaan Viljeon will be charged with leading the line in the absence of Pat Lambie and now Toulon player Fred Michalak while centre Paul Jordaan will hope to kick on from his good Super Rugby and Junior World Championship efforts with a solid Currie Cup.

Western Province

Allister Coetzee's side finished fourth last season before faling to eventual champions the Golden Lions 29-20. Had the Blue Bulls not lost to Griquas in the penultimate round, it would probably have meant Western Province missed the knockout shake-up altogether.

This season, however, they will be buoyed by the performances of some of their young guns in the recent Super Rugby competition as the likes of Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth were exceptional at times. Granted the latter duo are unlikely to be fit until the run-in but it does bode well that their youth can step up. This year they are without Jaque Fourie and Schalk Burger but with Duane Vermeulen set to return, they do have a chance.

Men to watch in 2012 will be Deon Fourie, who has played all over the back-row in Super Rugby as well as his preferred hooking shirt. Also there is a certain full-back and wing in Joe Pietersen and Gio Aplon who will be looking to prove a point to the Bok selectors.

Lions

Despite a turbulent year thus far, the champions will once again look to atone for their disappointments of Super Rugby and restore lost pride as they attempt to defend their title.

Last year, the Golden Lions lived up to their pre-tournament billing as favourites by winning the competition thanks to an excellent 42-16 victory over the Sharks in the 2011 final - a win which left many of their fans expecting a good effort on the Super Rugby stage this year.

But they failed miserably, finishing bottom of the table whilst their campaign was marred by a player revolution against coach John Mitchell, which subsequently saw the suspension of the former All Blacks boss. And a few days ago, assistant coach Carlos Spencer was sacked as the fallout from their disastrous Super Rugby campaign continued.

Lions fans will now be sweating on how their team will function in the aftermath of their coaching overhaul. Luckily for them, the core of the team that won the title a year ago remains the same. In fact, this side is the only team that largely resembles their Super Rugby franchise - and we all know how that ended last year. Keep an eye on Derick Minnie.

Outsiders

Free State Cheetahs

The Cheetahs are back in a competition they know they can win and after equalling their strongest finish in Super Rugby, they won't be lacking any confidence either. Even though they only won five of their games, the side's aptitude for playing attacking rugby has won them many supporters across the rugby divide.

They have big, strong and mobile forwards who are deadly at the set phases as well as some quick, young and dangerous runners who can kill opponents if the game opens up. Unfortunately they don't have the depth as some of the bigger unions, so if they pick up a few injuries, they're going to struggle.

Free State are missing a few stalwarts because of migration to Europe and also through injury - including Heinrich Brussow - while inspirational captain Adriaan Strauss' international call-up will also affect them. However, the return of future Springbok pivot Johann Goosen from injury in September will give Naka Drotske's team a major boost. But until then, keep an eye on speedster Raymond Rhule. The SA U20 wing was one of the standouts for the Baby Boks in their successful IRB Junior World Championship campaign and will be making his Currie Cup debut when he runs out for the Cheetahs.

Blue Bulls

That aforementioned defeat away to Griquas in the penultimate round of the regular season cost the Blue Bulls a spot in the play-offs as they finished 2011 in fifth position, behind the Golden Lions, Sharks, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province, losing five out of their fourteen fixtures in total.

Once again they are missing a host of key players due to international duty so it will be interesting to see how coach Pine Pienaar and captain Dewald Potgieter lead their charges in the campaign. Much will also rest on the shoulders of fly-half Louis Fouchè as Pienaar has named three rookies in the form of Ulrich Beyers, Clayton Blommetjies and Cornell Hess to start their first Currie Cup match, with a further four uncapped players on the bench.

After much deliberation, we can only see the men from Pretoria finishing as a mid-table team due to the fact they are missing so many of their squad.

No chance

Griquas

With the threat of relegation facing the team that finishes last, Griquas will be determined to finish in the top five and avoid the dreaded drop.

Indeed, if the men from Kimberley finish in the same spot as they did last year (6th), they will battle it out in the competition's First Division in 2013. It will be a shame if they do, as they've threatened to be semi-final contenders over the last few seasons only to stumble at the last.

Griquas are a tough nut to crack at home, but their form on the road is what's cost them dearly. However, they're an experienced outfit with a number of players returning for their third season together as a unit and would have grown in maturity. Shrewd former Currie Cup-winning coach of the Blue Bulls, Pote Human, is another plus factor for the province.

Willie le Roux was one of the standout players in Super Rugby for the Cheetahs and will look to continue his impressive form at full-back for Griquas. Le Roux also has experienced former Blue Bulls players JP Nel, Stephan Watermeyer, Rocco Jansen and Francois Brummer to supplement his unorthodox brilliance.

Planet Rugby