With the final round of the PRO14 set for Saturday it seems the top six are locked in ahead of the playoffs.
In Conference A Glasgow Warriors have confirmed top spot and Munster will definitely finish second, while South Africa’s Cheetahs – in their first year in the competition – look set for the final playoff spot barring a shock loss to the Southern Kings.
If the Cheetahs somehow slipped to their South African compatriots the Kings, who are bottom of Conference B, it will open the door for the Cardiff Blues who would have to achieve a bonus point victory over the Ospreys and make up 23 points difference on the Bloemfontein side.
The situation is a little bit more open in Conference B where Leinster have wrapped up top spot and the Scarlets second, but Ulster could finish off a remarkable comeback if they defeat Munster with a bonus point at Thomond Park and Glasgow stop Edinburgh from getting a point at Murrayfield.
The Scottish result is possible but Ulster’s bonus point win at Thomond Park would be more unlikely.
Here is your Ulster team for tomorrow's huge game 👇 pic.twitter.com/npPNEONkTe
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) April 27, 2018
Ulster coach Jono Gibbes is keeping his hopes alive.
“It’s just good to be alive in the last game, to be honest,” Gibbes said.
“We have that, we had no margin of error and we managed to fight and scratch our way through and get ourselves in a position to put pressure on Edinburgh.”
He fully understands however the task facing his team.
“Anyone who’s ever been down there and played a Munster team down there at Thomond, you certainly do not go down there with a mindset of getting four tries against them easily at all,” Gibbes admitted.
“They’re a formidable opponent, a proud team down there and whoever pulls on that red jersey down there… it’s a big challenge for us.
“You know, we had to regroup a little after Saturday (when they defeated Glasgow 36-15), get a bit of energy back and save it up because it will be ferocious for sure on Saturday (against Munster).”
@CheetahsRugby take on @SouthernKingsSA in Round 21 of @PRO14Official
— Toyota Cheetahs (@CheetahsRugby) April 27, 2018
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT👇🔉 https://t.co/RItlMVhGtP#GUINNESSPRO14 #CrossingHemispheres pic.twitter.com/UsEBE00yRq
Barring some miracle results, the first week of the playoffs shape us as the Scarlets hosting the Cheetahs and Munster hosting Edinburgh.
Glasgow and Leinster would lie in wait to face the winners in the semi-finals the following weekend.
In other matches this weekend the impressive Benetton face Zebre hoping to rack up their 12th win of the season, Dragons host playoff bound Scarlets and Connacht will be playing for pride against a much-changed Leinster, resting their top players ahead of their Champions Cup final in Bilbao on May 12th.
Fixtures (UAE Times)
Saturday April 28th
17:00 Southern Kings v Cheetahs
18:05 Connacht v Leinster
18:05 Dragons v Scarlets
20:35 Cardiff Blues v Ospreys
20:35 Munster v Ulster
20:00 Benetton v Zebre
22:45 Edinburgh v Glasgow
