The Quickening 2019

[Oldschool]

Leinster provided Ulster with 26 of their 28 points today, if we beat them on the last day is there a chance they could not qualify for the champions cup next year? If that was the case it might make Mr. McGrath think again

Alternatively we might be told to do whatever it takes to qualify Ulster for HEC.

[johng]

Ulster struggle past the Dragons into the playoff spots. Connacht thrash Ospreys to hit playoff spots ahead of Cardiff on points diff. Munster lose top spot in Scarletania. Leinster Uncatchable physically, mentally, spiritually and mathematically.

Will be interesting between Munster and Glasgow. Munster have 3 home games and Treviso away. Glasgow have a 3 point advantage but have to travel to Leinster and Embra in the last 2 games.

Cheetahs have 3 x home games at the end but are 11 points off the playoffs so are a huge longshot to make it. Ospreys 3 points closer but have an SA tour to do so similar longshot.

Leaving an interesting battle between Connacht and Cardiff. Both have to travel to Munster but Connacht crucially have Cardiff in the Sportsground.

Treviso and Ulster are a few points clear but have tough fixtures compared to the Scarlets. I can see the Scarlets getting in between them or even above both. Embra and Ulster have the distraction of Euro QFs in there too.

Gla	Che	Uls	Lei (A)	Edi (A)
Mun	Zeb	Car	Tre (A)	Con
Con	Tre	Zeb (A)	Car	Mun (A)
Car	Sca	Mun (A)	Con (A)	Osp
Osp	Dra	Che (A)	Kin (A)	Car (A)
Che	Gla (A)	Osp	Dra	Kin

Tre	Con (A)	Lei (A)	Mun	Zeb (A)
Uls	Kin	Gla (A)	Edi (A)	Lei
Sca	Car (A)	Edi	Zeb	Dra (A)
Edi	Lei	Sca (A)	Uls	Gla

Conf A head to heads.

Friday 12th April....Munster..v..Cardiff....19.35
Saturday 13th April....Connacht..v..Cardiff...15:00
Saturday 27th April....Cardiff..v...Ospreys..17:15
Saturday 27th April....Munster..v..Connacht....19:35

Conf B head to heads

Friday 22rd March....Edinburgh..v..Leinster....19:35
Saturday 6th April....Scarlets..v..Edinburgh....18:45
Saturday 6th April....Leinster..v..Benetton....19:45
Friday 12th April....Edinburgh..v..Ulster....19:35
Saturday 27th April....Ulster..v..Leinster....17:15

Conf A v B

Friday 22rd March....Connacht..v..Benetton....19:35
Friday 5th April....Glasgow..v..Ulster....19:35
Saturday 27th April....Glasgow..v..Edinburgh....19:35

Conf B v A

Friday 22nd March....Scarlets..v..Cardiff....19:35
Friday 12th April....Benetton..v..Munster....18:00
Saturday 13th April....Leinster..v..Glasgow....15:00

[blockhead]

Can see us getting beat by Benetton, just like last season, they'll be up for it massively.
Probably a good idea to lose the Glasgow game too. Help them finish top and maybe a meeting in the final.

[johng]

I think Glasgow will have to win them all to top the conference. Cause Munster probably will. Treviso away is their hardest one. Week before a possible euro semi though

The thing I would worry about us over would be letting the form slide because we don't need a win anywhere.

[cormac]

I think Glasgow will have to win them all to top the conference. Cause Munster probably will. Treviso away is their hardest one. Week before a possible euro semi though

The thing I would worry about us over would be letting the form slide because we don't need a win anywhere.

Our form slid massively in the league in our final four regulation league games last season (three defeats from four). Didn't seem to impact our play when it really mattered.

[johng]

Sure. But it can be hard to turn the form tap on and off like that.

[johng]

Embra and Ulster stake their claim while Treviso and Scarlets fall back. 2 of these will get playoffs 1 will get a playoff for a HC place and one will get nothing.

Scarlets need to win them all now to have any hope. But if they can get back on the horse v Embra then the last 2 are handy.
Ulster have both Scots teams away and us at home but are currently in 2nd.
Treviso have us and Munster tough gig.
Embra have 2 of their rivals in the next 2 games. Scarlets away and Ulster at home. All to play for.

On the other side. Munster and Glasgow will take the top 2 spots with us as kingmaker when we play Glasgow on the 13th. Connacht and Cardiff tussle for playoff spots and the rest are dead in the water.

Gla	Uls	Lei (A)	Edi (A)
Mun	Car	Tre (A)	Con
Con	Zeb (A)	Car	Mun (A)
Car	Mun (A)	Con (A)	Osp
Osp	Che (A)	Kin (A)	Car (A)
Che	Osp	Dra	Kin

Tre	Lei (A)	Mun	Zeb (A)
Uls	Gla (A)	Edi (A)	Lei
Sca	Edi	Zeb	Dra (A)
Edi	Sca (A)	Uls	Gla

Conf A head to heads.

Friday 12th April....Munster..v..Cardiff....19.35
Saturday 13th April....Connacht..v..Cardiff...15:00
Saturday 27th April....Cardiff..v...Ospreys..17:15
Saturday 27th April....Munster..v..Connacht....19:35

Conf B head to heads

Saturday 6th April....Scarlets..v..Edinburgh....18:45
Saturday 6th April....Leinster..v..Benetton....19:45
Friday 12th April....Edinburgh..v..Ulster....19:35
Saturday 27th April....Ulster..v..Leinster....17:15

Conf A v B

Friday 5th April....Glasgow..v..Ulster....19:35
Saturday 27th April....Glasgow..v..Edinburgh....19:35

Conf B v A

Friday 12th April....Benetton..v..Munster....18:00
Saturday 13th April....Leinster..v..Glasgow....15:00

[paddyor]

Conf A Round 20 & 21

Team Pts    G      P   T    M      G      P   T
Mun 68    Tre A    4   72   77   Con H    4   76
Gla 71    Lei A    2   73   78   Edi H    1   74
Con 56    Car H    4   60   65   Mun A    1   61   
Osp 49    Kin A    5   54   59   Car A    4   58   
Car 52    Con A    1   53   58   Osp H    1   54   

Conf B

Team Pts    G      P   T    M      G      P   T
Lei 74    Gla H    5   79   84   Uls A    1   84
Edi 51    Uls H    4   55   60   Gla A    4   59
Uls 54    Edi A    1   55   60   Lei H    4   59
Tre 52    Mun H    1   53   58   Zeb A    4   57
Sca 45    Zeb H    5   50   55   Dra A    5   55

In Conference A it's all to play for and the home SF likely won't be decided until the final round. Both teams have tricky away games this weekend. Glasgow away to what should be a reasonably strong Leinster side and Munster away to a Treviso side that can all but seal a place in the play-offs with a win. 3rd place will be decided this weekend if Connacht win. Ospreys should pick up 5 pts vs Kings and have an outside chance to make the qfs but need Cardiff to win next weekend and then to beat Cardiff with Connacht losing to Munster.

In conference B Scarlets are behind the 8 ball to even make the HEC play-off game. They've the easiest run in of all teams and you'd expect them to finish up on 55pts which could be enough provided Ulster (2pts), Treviso(4pts), and Embra(5pts) screw up. Treviso have Zebre last up with a weeks break between round 20 and 21 and on current form you'd expect them to win that so at a minimum you'd expect them to make the play-off. Another 2pts yesterday would probably have seen them across the threshold for the qfs. The game against Munster is do or die for them. Speaking of which, Embra have been staring down that barrel since the end of the 6N and have delivered on both occasions. This game is bigger for them than Ulster and if they fail to win Ulster are into to the qfs. A win for us of any sort would see us no. seed for next years conferences.

Conferences based on these results

Show Spoiler:

Conf A
Leinster 1
Ulster 4
Glasgow 1
Scarlets 2
Cardiff 3
Zebre 2
Cheetahs 1

Conf B
Munster 2
Connacht 3
Embra 2
Ospreys 1
Dragons 4
Treviso 1
Kings 2

Tre vs Mun Fri 6pm
Edi vs Uls Fri 735pm

Con vs Car Sat 3pm
Lei vs Gla Sat 3pm.

Shame the Saturday games are the same time.