Play-off

[Garry]

URC fa il punto della situazione dei play-off e dei vari "trofei regionali":


PERMUTATIONS FOR SHEILD WINNERS, PLAY-OFF RANKINGS AND HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFICATIONS IN R18

There is a huge amount at stake in this weekend’s final round of the United Rugby Championship with three home Quarter-finals and three regional Shields all up for grabs.

The URC has listed out the permutations that involve 10 teams who have either silverware of Play-Off ranking to fight for and have highlighted the tie-breaker criteria that separates teams who finish level on match points.

HEADLINES
Five games will have direct consequences on the locations of home Quarter-finals
The Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls can all still win the South African Shield
Ospreys and Scarlets both in contention to win the Welsh Shield
Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors will compete for the Italian x Scottish Shield and the 1872 Cup
All four Shield winners are guaranteed a place in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup
The Welsh Shield winner will finish in 9th position meaning that only seven of the top eight will qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup

Tie-Breaker Criteria:
Points Won
Matches Won
Highest Point-Difference
Tries Scored
Total Points Scored
Try Difference
Fewest Number of Players Suspended
Fewest Yellow Cards Received
Coin Toss

LEINSTER
(1st / 62 points / 12 games won) TOP RANKING CONFIRMED
Next Game: Munster (H)
Best: 1st
Worst: 1st
Shield: Leinster have won the Irish Shield and are automatically qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup

Play-Offs:
Leinster have secured No 1 ranking after picking up two losing bonus points on their tour to SA
They have a home Quarter-final and will host Semi-finals and Grand Final should they qualify

MUNSTER
(2nd / 56 points / 11 wins / PD 193 / TF 63 / Total Points 499 / TD +33)
Next Game: Leinster (A)
Best: 2nd
Worst: 6th
Shield: Leinster have won the Irish Shield

Play-Offs:
A win of any description will guarantee a home Quarter-final due to their superior points difference
However, Munster are level with Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers and Ulster with 11 games won so a try-bonus point victory could be key to earning No 2 ranking and securing a home Semi-final (should they qualify)
A loss to Leinster opens Munster up to playing away in the Quarter-finals with the Vodacom Bulls the biggest threat to breaking into the top four should they win at Ospreys

CELL C SHARKS
(3rd / 56 points / 11 wins / PD 148 / TF 57 / Total Points 489 / TD +17)
Next Game: Ulster (A)
Best: 2nd
Worst:6th
Shield: Leading the South African Shield but are level with DHL Stormers and are separated only by Tries For (57 to 56). Losses for both the Sharks and Stormers would allow Vodacom Bulls to claim the Shield if they win

Play-Offs:
A win will guarantee a home Quarter-final. No 2 ranking for a home Semi-final is in play if Munster lose or Cell C Sharks win with a BP and Munster fail to win with maximum points but that is also true for DHL Stormers should they win
A loss to Ulster would leave the Cell C Sharks vulnerable to dropping out of the top four

DHL STORMERS
(4th / 56 points / 11 wins / PD 148 / TF 56 / Total Points 438 / TD +22)
Next Game: Scarlets (A)
Best: 2nd
Worst: 6th
Shield: Level with Cell C Sharks at top of the South African Shield and are behind by Tries For (57 to 56). Losses for both the Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers would allow Vodacom Bulls to claim the Shield if they win

Play-Offs:
A win will guarantee a home Quarter-final. No 2 ranking for a home Semi-final is in play if Munster lose or the DHL Stormers win with a BP and Munster fail to win with maximum points but that is also true for Cell C Sharks should they win
A loss to Scarlets does not rule out a home Quarter-final but it would require other results to go in favour of the DHL Stormers

ULSTER
(5th / 55 points / 11 wins / PD 112 / TF 49 / Total Points 388 / TD +18)
Next Game: Cell C Sharks (H)
Best: 2nd
Worst: 7th
Shield: Leinster have won the Irish Shield

Plays-Offs:
A win will guarantee a home Quarter-final. No 2 ranking for a home Semi-final is possible and would most likely require a win for Ulster and losses for Munster and DHL Stormers who boast the lead in many of the tie-breakers
Only a bonus-point loss coupled to a heavy defeat for either Stormers or Munster would see Ulster sneak into the top four

VODACOM BULLS
(6th / 53 points / 10 wins / PD 123 / TF 61 / Total Points 480 / TD +23)
Next Game: Ospreys (A)
Best: 2nd
Worst: 7th
Shield: Vodacom Bulls trail the Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers by 3 points in the SA Shield

Play-Offs:
To finish 2nd the Vodacom Bulls need a BP win with a winning margin of at least 25 points and losses to Munster, DHL Stormers and a draw between Ulster and the Cell C Sharks (neither side claims a try BP) although two bonus-points in defeat for Munster would probably give them the edge in finishing second
To earn a home Quarter-final Bulls need a BP win and require two from Munster, DHL Stormers and the Cell C Sharks to drop points
Defeat allows either Edinburgh or Glasgow Warriors to finish above the Vodacom Bulls

GLASGOW WARRIORS
(7th / 50 points / 10 wins / PD 50 / TF 52 / Total Points 398 / TD +11)
Next Game: Edinburgh Rugby (A)
Best: 5th
Worst: 8th
Shield: Glasgow are level with Edinburgh on 50 points at the top of the Italian X Scottish Shield. Winner takes all in this Scottish derby. A draw is good enough for Warriors who have won more games

Play-Offs:
A home Quarter-final is out of reach but Glasgow can still finish 5th, however, it will require a substantial BP win over Edinburgh and a heavy defeat for Ulster and a Vodacom Bulls loss
A loss will mean an eighth-place finish and a trip to Leinster in the Quarter-final
Defeat for either team will end their hopes of competing in the Heineken Champions Cup as the eighth-placed team will not gain a place in the competition due to the Welsh Shield winner finishing in 9th position in the table
Having won the R9 fixture 30-17, Glasgow Warriors hold a 13-point lead in the 1872 Cup and should they lose to Edinburgh, the aggregate score between that game and the R18 contest will decide the winner

EDINBURGH RUGBY
(8th / 50 points / 9 wins / PD 86 / TF 52 / Total Points 393 / TD +16)
Next Game: Glasgow Warriors (H)
Best: 6th
Worst: 8th
Shield: Glasgow are level with Edinburgh on 50 points at the top of the Italian X Scottish Shield. Winner takes all in this Scottish derby. A draw is good enough for Warriors who have won more games

Play-Offs:
The highest position on offer to Edinburgh is 6th and would largely depend on a win for the Scottish team and loss for the Vodacom Bulls, however, if Edinburgh did not pick up a BP and the Vodacom Bulls did, then points difference will come into play
A loss will mean an eighth-place finish and a trip to Leinster in the Quarter-final
Defeat for either team will end their hopes of competing in the Heineken Champions Cup as the eighth-placed team will not gain a place in the competition due to the Welsh Shield winner finishing in 9th position in the table
Having won the R9 fixture 30-17, Glasgow Warriors hold a 13-point lead in the 1872 Cup and should they lose to Edinburgh, the aggregate score between that game and the R18 contest will decide the winner

[crouchbindset]

La competizione per i playoffs finalmente é piú avvincente, con partite all'ultima giornat che conteranno al contrario di molte volte nelle scorse stagioni quando si arrivava con tutto giá deciso con troppo anticipo.

Purtroppo per la competizione ci sono buone probabilitá che il Leinster schieri una formazione molto rimaneggiata dato che comunque vada per loro tutto é giá deciso e la settimana dopo si giocano la Heineken Cup. Per caritá una formazione ampiamente rimaneggiata del Leinster resta altamente competitiva peró sarebbe stato il massimo anche la prima posizione fosse in gioco visto quanto pesa.

"The Welsh Shield winner will finish in 9th position meaning that only seven of the top eight will qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup"
Questo proprio invece a me non va giú, attacca il principio meritocratico che dovrebbe essere "le migliori 8" ma da quanto letto nelle scorse settimane é un accordo per due stagione e poi per proseguire servirá l'unanimitá e da quanto trapela la IRFU vuole un sistema totalmente meritocratico e non voterá la qualificazione "geografica".

[Mr Ian]

gli scarlets ci sperano ad arrivare tra le prime 8 ma è quasi impossibile...io pensavo però che ogni vincitore di girone si qualificasse alla champions del prossimo anno, va da se che magari sarebbero state anche tra le prime 8, ma evidentemente per le gallesi non è così..

[crouchbindset]

Quarti decisi:

Leinster-Glasgow
Stormers-Edinburgh
Ulster-Munster
Sharks-Bulls

[Mr Ian]

Gli stormers consolidano l' ottavo posto vincendo ieri allo scadere contro gli scarlets ..peccato perché i ragazzi non meritavano la sconfitta...si ritorna in challenge Cup che al momento è La nostra dimensione

[SilverShadow]

È tornato il podcast dello URC, Under The Sticks! La diretta di questa sera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwfmJbW1aKA