As one of only three clubs with unbeaten records at the halfway point of the pool stages in the European Cup, Munster remain not only well placed to reach the quarterfinals, but also to earn a home tie in the last eight.
Aside from the six pool winners, only the best two second-placed sides in the six groups will advance to the quarter-finals in the absence this season of an additional play-off round.
The six pool winners will be ranked from one to six, depending on the number of points they've accumulated in their six pool games. If that is the same, their ranking will be based on the number of tries they scored in their pool. Similarly, the best runners-up will be ranked seven and eight, with the top four ranked pool winners enjoying home advantage in the quarter-finals along the following lines: 1 v 8; 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5.
In other words, were Munster to win their remaining three games they would not only be guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, but also a top four ranking and with it a home quarter-final.
However, any slip-ups in their remaining three fixtures could see them miss out on a top-four ranking as their are several other potential pool winners capable of acquiring 10 points.
Not that Declan Kidney and his Munster squad will be inclined to count any chickens just yet. Firstly, they will be only concerned with qualifying for the last eight, but here again the other results in Pool D have panned out well for Munster, including Saracens' defeat of Pontypridd on Sunday.
Hence, two wins from their last three games will assure Munster of top place in the group. They host Colomiers in Cork next Saturday, and Saracens the following Saturday in Thomond Park in a game that will be televised live by RTE, before concluding their pool programme away to Pontypridd on a date which has still to be finalised. With Llanelli v Wasps a likelier choice for BBC Wales on the night of Friday January 14th, the likelihood is that Pontypridd will meet Munster on Saturday January 15th.
As all games in Pool A have gone with home advantage, theoretically Leinster are still in with a chance of progressing, although that would probably mean they would have to win their three remaining games, at home to Stade Francais and Glasgow Caledonians as well as Leicester away in their final match. Ulster, alas, are effectively out, as to all intents and purposes are Connacht in the Shield, barring three concluding victories in their pool and a favourable result or two elsewhere.
