I tend to agree with this.
I can remember when Swansea Town were in the dungeon, when loads of our fans would politely clap during the halftime scores whenever Swansea Town were winning, I would say it was because they were a Welsh team.
It was only when it looked like they were looking likely to be in the same league as us that it became more in anticipation that we might soon be playing them.
It was later that it became an intense rivalry.