Permutations: Provinces jostle for URC play-off places

With one round left of the regular BKT URC season to play Munster, Leinster and Ulster have secured play-off rugby, while Connacht remain in with a mathematical chance of extending their season into June.

Graham Rowntree and Leo Cullen's side are also clear of fifth-place Stormers and therefore guaranteed a home quarter-final.

Ulster’s victory over Leinster on Saturday, and results elsewhere, meant they cannot finish worse than eighth in the table.

Those three now jostle for position and higher seedings, while Connacht have to claim five more points and hope results elsewhere fall their way.

Here’s what all the provinces need ahead of round 18, with 11 teams in total still in the play-off race.

Munster

The defending champions, off a run of eight straight wins, are in pole position heading into the final round.

Graham Rowntree’s side are top on 63 points, two clear of Bulls and three ahead of both Leinster and Glasgow.

A win of any hue when they host Ulster in Thomond Park on 1 June would assure top spot and home advantage for a potential semi-final and final.

A draw without a try bonus would mean they could be overtaken by all three chasers if they all won.

The first separating criteria when teams finish level on points is matches won and the top four all have 12 victories to this point.

A draw with a bonus point, for four tries, would leave them vulnerable to a Bulls win away to the Sharks.

Defeat, with or without a losing bonus point, could see them drop as low as fourth.

Leinster

Leinster’s third defeat in four games, against Ulster on Saturday, leaves them in third place and hoping that Munster and Bulls slip up.

The eight-time winners have 60 points and a five-point haul when they host Connacht could see them yet top the table