Difficult to see SA side win Super Rugby title - De Villiers

 But on a positive note, he feels it's a great opportunity for growth and improvement by the six SA franchises.

 De Villiers does, however, admit he has a slight leaning towards the Bulls.

 "I quite like the makeup of the Bulls squad at the moment - I think they have a really strong squad -- particularly with a guy like Lood (De Jager) joining them and Handre Pollard fit," says De Villiers.

 The former Bok skipper maintains there is a lot of talent coming through the Loftus factory and they are boosted by a good deal of depth in key positions too.

 As for cross-Jukskei rivals, the Lions, who reached the final last year, De Villiers feels it is a 'defining season' for the Ellis Park outfit as they attempt to go a step further and bank the title.

 But, he cautions, it will be challenging for Johan Ackermann's men.

 "Teams know what to expect from them and I'm concerned about the key players who were allowed to have off-season stints in Japan."

 "The question is whether those players had an adequate break and how over-play might impact on their freshness and performance levels."

 De Villiers says the Sharks seem to forming their own identity and developing their own style of play again under Robert du Preez, but, much like the Cheetahs, Stormers and Kings, they have a very young squad.

 A good deal of the playing pool of those three squads have graduated from Currie Cup level this season and yet to test the water at Super Rugby level.

 But it should be borne in mind that Ackermann built a very competitive squad on the back of a Currie Cup winning season in 2015 and the Cheetahs find themselves in similar territory this year.

 Putting his Stormers cap on, De Villiers says it's time for the senior players at the Cape Town-based franchise to step up to the plate.

 "It's time for the seasoned internationals to step up and take responsibility for the culture of the team and their own on-field performances."

 De Villiers is, however, loathe to venture a firm prediction as to which team's trophy cabinet the Super Rugby silverware will land this season.

"I must admit it's hard to look beyond the New Zealand sides and the traditional powerhouses will still be there, but it is still difficult to predict a winner. Toss of a coin maybe."