URC

Bongi Mbonambi of the Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match against Connacht. Photo: Gallo Images

All the URC playoff permutations: Three SA sides hunt second

Three South African sides will be targeting a second place finish in the URC this weekend in a five team battle for a guaranteed home semi.

URC

Bongi Mbonambi of the Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match against Connacht. Photo: Gallo Images

The United Rugby Championship (URC) wraps up its round-robin phase this weekend with three South African sides having sealed playoff places but all three will covet the second spot held by Munster.

Leinster have already clinched top spot but face Irish rivals Munster with pride and a home semi-final for the lads from Cork.

How things stand in the URC

Five games this weekend will have direct consequences on the locations of the Quarter-finals.

Permutations

LEINSTER

Jason Jenkins
Leinster face Munster in their final URC round-robin match. Photo: INPHO/Ben Brady

(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

Damien de Allende Munster
Damian de Allende of Munster. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

(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

SHARKS

Makazole Mapimpi URC
Makazole Mapimpi has signed a new deal with the Sharks which will keep him in Durban – and South Africa – until the 2024/25 season. Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

(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

STORMERS

Stormers
Warrick Gelant of Stormers on the attack during the United Rugby Championship 2021/22 match between Stormers and Glasgow Warriors. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

(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

United Rugby Championship Stormers Ulster
Duane Vermeulen of Ulster. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

(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

BULLS

Stormers v Bulls URC
The Bulls still have a shot at a home quarterfinal. Photo: SA Rugby website

(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

Sharks United Rugby Championship
Glasgow Warriors’ Thomas Gordon is tackled by Thomas du Toit during the United Rugby Championship match between Glasgow Warriors and Cell C Sharks at Scotstoun Stadium on October 02, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images

(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

Edinburgh vs Stormers
Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn scores a try during the United Rugby Championship. Photo: Paul Devlin/SNS Group via Getty Images

(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