Sooper Dooper qualification.

[Snipe Watson]

Snooker loopie nuts are we

Speaking of which - did you see Ronnie O’Sullivans shoulder charge on Carter: reckon that would have put Diack back 2 yards.

It would have ruptured Deysel's ACL, given Luke an HIA and put Hond out of commission for at least 3 months.

What's the story with Deysel? Has there been any comment on the extent of his injury?

[damianmcr]

I couldnt give a tom kite about the sooper dooper cup next year. Lets have a crack at the parker pen.

Didnt do Leinster any harm.

[ColinM]

I couldnt give a tom kite about the sooper dooper cup next year. Lets have a crack at the parker pen.

Didnt do Leinster any harm.

Only issue with no SDC is it is helpful when recruiting players and coaches. Having said that, now that Lisburn's no1 coach is on board, I am not so bothered by player recruitment. We can do without the Charless's of this world and look for guys that actually want to play for the province and not just when it suits them

[Dave]

Clearly the SDC isn't so important to Charlie:

[Neill_M]

The favours needed to avoid the playoff just get bigger. La Rochelle got a LBP today at Toulouse and are ahead of Pau in the league now on head to head.

So Pau need to get more match points than La Rochelle on Saturday evening!

The whole thing is a very long shot.

If we dropped into the Parker Pen, can we draw Clermont and Heidelberg please

[big mervyn]

So ... potentially 18/19 May for the SDC playoff?

[justinr73]

Space for the game on the Saturday night by the look of it....



Guinness PRO14 Semi-Finals

Friday, May 18

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets OR Toyota Cheetahs
Scotstoun, Glasgow

KO: 19:45
Host broadcaster: Sky Sports
Secondary broadcaster(s): BBC ALBA & BBC Wales OR SuperSport

Saturday, May 19

Leinster Rugby v Munster Rugby OR Edinburgh
RDS Arena, Dublin

KO: 15:15
Host broadcaster: Sky Sports
Secondary broadcaster(s): TG4 & BBC ALBA

Read more at https://www.pro14rugby.org/2018/04/28/g ... gAUIdKh.99

[big mervyn]

I'll be in the Grand Canyon national park on May 19. Doubt if they'll be showing it.

[justinr73]

I'm not sure that the BBC have fully grasped it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43954094

[Neill_M]

I'm not sure that the BBC have fully grasped it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43954094

If all the crazy permutations happen (very long shot) then Ulster get into the H Cup automatically and Treviso host Ospreys in the PO. If they don't, then Ulster host Ospreys in the PO and Treviso are in the Parker Pen.

[justinr73]

Indeed - the Beeb have boobed by having us qualify purely by virtue of a Leinster win.

"The Pro14 sides already qualified for the Champions Cup are Glasgow, Munster, Cardiff, Leinster, Scarlets and Edinburgh. Ulster host the Ospreys on the weekend of 18-19 May in their play-off.

If Leinster win the Champions Cup final against French Top 14 side Racing 92, the seventh Pro14 spot would go to Ulster automatically by virtue of their league position. That would lead to a play-off between Benetton and Welsh side Ospreys for the eighth Pro14 place - again based on league position.

The other lifeline for Benetton rests with Gloucester and Pau, who are in pole position to claim the final spot. It will go to the Cherry and Whites via their place in the Challenge Cup final if they fail to make the top six in the Premiership - as per the third criteria above."

[BR]

Is there any suggestion from the Pro14 that they would have a playoff if they were to be awarded an 8th HEC place? Seems unnecessary.

[Neill_M]

Is there any suggestion from the Pro14 that they would have a playoff if they were to be awarded an 8th HEC place? Seems unnecessary.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/17263.php#.WuhWD8sUmM8

The most likely scenario at this stage is that Ulster would have to play Ospreys in a play-off match for the 7th PRO14 place in the competition. This would be played at Kingspan Stadium on the weekend of 18-20th May.

However, there is a possibility that Ulster could qualify for the Champions Cup without having to play the play-off match, based on the criteria outlined above.

For this to happen, Ulster would need PRO14 Rugby to earn an eighth spot in the Champions Cup. This is possible if Leinster win the Champions Cup and all of the Challenge Cup semi-finalists qualify for the Champions Cup on merit by finishing in the top six of their respective leagues.

Cardiff and Newcastle have already qualified, while Gloucester currently occupy sixth place in the Aviva Premiership and Pau sit in seventh in the TOP 14. Gloucester travel to Saracens next week and Pau host Toulon.

Were PRO14 Rugby to have an eighth place, Benetton Rugby would play Ospreys in a play-off match.

[BR]

Is there any suggestion from the Pro14 that they would have a playoff if they were to be awarded an 8th HEC place? Seems unnecessary.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/17263.php#.WuhWD8sUmM8

The most likely scenario at this stage is that Ulster would have to play Ospreys in a play-off match for the 7th PRO14 place in the competition. This would be played at Kingspan Stadium on the weekend of 18-20th May.

However, there is a possibility that Ulster could qualify for the Champions Cup without having to play the play-off match, based on the criteria outlined above.

For this to happen, Ulster would need PRO14 Rugby to earn an eighth spot in the Champions Cup. This is possible if Leinster win the Champions Cup and all of the Challenge Cup semi-finalists qualify for the Champions Cup on merit by finishing in the top six of their respective leagues.

Cardiff and Newcastle have already qualified, while Gloucester currently occupy sixth place in the Aviva Premiership and Pau sit in seventh in the TOP 14. Gloucester travel to Saracens next week and Pau host Toulon.

Were PRO14 Rugby to have an eighth place, Benetton Rugby would play Ospreys in a play-off match.

So 8 berths to be divided between 2 pools of 7 teams:
We'll give 6 to the top 3* of each pool.
We'll give the 7th to the best 4th* place team. We'll make the other 4th* place team play against one of the 5th* place teams for the 8th berth
*except we may need to ignore a couple of teams for administrative purposes

That's Pro14 logic and for that reason, I'm out.

[big mervyn]

what puzzles me is that the 20th spot goes:

1 Champions cup winner of if already qualified
2 Challenge cup winner or if already qualified
3 Challenge cup finalist or if already qualified
4 Challenge cup semi finalists

Can't figure why Champions Cup finalist isn't 3 in that criteria?