Eight Teams, Six Points, Four Spots - The Urc's Play-off Race

At nan apical of nan United Rugby Championship, Leinster are firmly established successful a people of one.

Behind them, Glasgow Warriors, Bulls and Sharks are each but secured successful nan apical four.

However, for nan remaining 4 play-off places, 8 teams are separated by conscionable six points.

Not only does a top-eight spot unafraid a spot successful nan URC play-offs, but besides a apt Champions Cup spot for adjacent season.

With conscionable 3 rounds of matches remaining, here's nan authorities of play.

As illustrated above, location is hardly thing to divided nan sides from 5th to 12th successful nan URC array earlier nan last 3 rounds of fixtures.

With conscionable six points betwixt nan sides, location will beryllium plentifulness of chopping and changing earlier nan apical 8 is decided.

Italian broadside Benetton, Welsh challengers Cardiff, South African outfit Stormers and Irish state Munster presently inhabit nan last 4 play-off spots.

However, Scarlets are conscionable 2 points disconnected eighth place, swiftly followed by Ulster and Edinburgh.

Connacht are besides successful contention successful 12th, but 5 points disconnected knockout rugby.

While a top-eight decorativeness guarantees knockout rugby successful nan URC, it does not needfully unafraid 1 of nan league's 8 Champions Cup spots for adjacent season.

If a squad wins nan Champions Cup aliases Challenge Cup and finishes extracurricular nan apical 8 successful nan league, they will return 1 of nan URC's spots.

This presently only applies to Edinburgh, who are extracurricular nan apical 8 but are successful nan semi-finals of nan Challenge Cup.

Leinster are successful nan past 4 of nan Champions Cup but person already secured a top-eight finish, truthful their spot successful adjacent season's tourney is already secured.

The intrigue successful nan URC is further enhanced by nan remaining fixtures, pinch each but 1 squad having to look 1 of their play-off rivals astatine slightest 1 of their last matches.

The objection is Scarlets, who look leaders Leinster, strugglers Lions and nan Sharks, who person each but booked their spot successful nan knockout stags.

On paper, it's really 12th-placed broadside Connacht who person nan easiest run-in. They recreation to nan Lions and Zebre, and big Edinburgh successful nan mediate of that tally wherever nan Scottish broadside will besides person to juggle a European semi-final.

Could nan Irish province, presently without a imperishable caput coach, make a precocious tally for nan play-offs?

Munster and Ulster are nan different Irish sides successful contention, and they look each different successful nan penultimate information of fixtures successful Limerick.

It has been a mixed run for Ulster but, contempt a caller resurgence successful form, they will request to hit nan Sharks, prime up a affirmative consequence successful Munster and past return connected Edinburgh connected nan last time successful what could beryllium a shootout for nan knockout stages.

Aside from their crippled pinch Ulster, Munster besides person a difficult tally pinch games against Benetton and Cardiff, but pinch 2 of those games astatine Thomond Park they will beryllium assured of getting crossed nan line.

Despite nan well-documented struggles of Welsh rugby recently, Cardiff have worked their measurement into a beardown position to make nan play-offs but person a tricky last 3 fixtures astatine location to Munster followed by a South African double-header pinch nan Bulls and Stormers.

Cardiff are 1 spot beneath 2021 Pro14 champions Benetton, who decorativeness up pinch trips to nan Stormers and Munster either broadside of a location lucifer pinch Glasgow.

While it is tight betwixt nan sides, nan three-point buffer Benetton and Cardiff clasp to nan trim statement could beryllium crucial.

As antecedently mentioned, Edinburgh are successful a unsocial position arsenic they person 2 routes to Champions Cup rugby disposable for adjacent season.

If they cannot suffice by winning nan Challenge Cup, past they tin book their spot by sneaking into nan apical eight.

Games distant to Zebre and Connacht are surely winnable and, arsenic we've mentioned, that last crippled astatine location to Ulster could beryllium crucial.

It whitethorn travel down to nan number of lucifer wins, which is nan first tie-breaker earlier points difference. At nan moment, Benetton person 8 wins, Cardiff, Munster, Stormers, Scarlets and Ulster each person seven, Edinburgh person six while Connacht person five.

The Stormers are successful a beardown position heading into nan last 3 fixtures arsenic they information retired nan play pinch 3 location fixtures against Benetton, bottommost broadside Dragons and Cardiff.

With truthful overmuch still to beryllium decided, nan last fewer weeks of nan regular play committedness overmuch drama, joyousness and heartache.