Ruckedtobits wrote:Current top eight after completion of the head-to-heads in Champions Cup. All five Pool leaders included and Pool noted.
Each team has one home and one away fixture remaining. Although nobody is yet qualified, this is the least competitive qualification process since the competition started:
1. Racing 92...............19 pts---Leader Pool 4
2. Saracens................18 pts---Leader Pool 3
3. Toulouse................17 pts---Leader Pool 1
4. Edinburgh..............15 pts---Leader Pool 5
5. Leinster..................15 pts
6. Ulster......................14 pts
7. Glasgow.................14 pts
8. Munster..................12 pts---Leader Pool 2
A fairly extraordinary Table at this point with one team from Premiership and two from Top14 and FIVE from the Pro 14. In fact, only Montpelier on 11 points in Pool 5 are in a position to challenge for a qualifying slot by points.
The outcome of the winner in Pool 2 is still a three-horse race but second place will not qualify, barring lots of freak results elsewhere.
Should Munster be fifth seeds as pool leaders.
Montpellier making a late run similar to last year.
Their game away? to Edinburgh is likely to decide the group.
Realistically as you point out there are only 9 teams in contention for the 8 qualifying places.
Ulster may well need a win away to Leicester on the last day to qualify.
Munster will be in a similar position at home to Exeter.
Hard to predict which way either game will go but Ulster have a bit of momentum.
In addition Joey is going to be under the cosh if Robin Copeland's comments are anything to judge by.
So it's likely Ulster, Glasgow and Edinburgh/Montpellier could be in a shoot out for 2 places, 7/8 seeds.
Probably final 8.
1. Saracens
2. Racing
3. Leinster
4. Edinburgh/Montpellier
5. Munster
6. Toulouse
7. Glasgow
8. Edinburgh/Montpellier/Ulster
Montpellier might lose to Edinburgh and Ulster would be 8th seeds.
You'd wonder what the bookies are thinking.
From a Leinster point of view it's looking like a Q/F against Toulouse in the Aviva with the possibility of it being Glasgow if Racing slip up.