Moving swiftly along, the Pro 12 has never had it so good. Not a single team is distracted by European rugby and almost every game in these last three rounds makes a difference either to the play-offs or Champions Cup qualification.
Especially Leinster’s visit to a sold-out Kingspan Ravenhill on Friday night. About 700 supporters are expected to journey up the M1.
Leinster must beat Ulster to maintain any lingering hope of finishing in the top four but only have a five-day turnaround from their attritional extra-time defeat to Toulon.
Matt O’Connor’s side probably need 14 points, three wins with two bonus points for tries scored, from their remaining matches. After Friday, they are home to Treviso and away to Edinburgh.
They also need the Ospreys to lose two of their last three games as it is less likely that Ulster or Munster will capitulate. The Welsh franchise are away to Cardiff on Saturday before hosting league leaders Glasgow, with Connacht ideally doing Leinster a huge favour at the Sportsground on May 16th.
If all goes to plan, starting with victory in Belfast, Leinster could find themselves in a similar position to Ireland on the last day of the Six Nations: heading to Murrayfield in search of an avalanche of tries – the obvious difference being every fixture on the last day of the Pro12 starts at 3pm Irish time.
Points difference
Leinster have more tries (47) than the Ospreys (44) but the 2013 champions have a superior points difference, +165 to Leinster’s +101.
A split screen between Murrayfield and the Sportsground then to see who finishes fourth, with the scramble for a home semi-final also potentially unfolding as Ulster go to Glasgow and Munster host the Dragons.
But Ulster can bury Leinster’s campaign once and for all on Friday night if the Ospreys beat Cardiff and Munster beat Treviso on Saturday. These results, without losing or winning bonus points, would leave Leinster 12 points behind the fourth-placed side.
But they have a decent record in Ravenhill, winning on two of their previous three visits, including a 22-20 victory last May.
Munster are next up to Belfast on May 9th for what could be a straight duel for that home semi-final, before Ulster finish the regular season away to Glasgow. Munster have the easier run in with home matches against Treviso and the Dragons.
At the moment, Munster are ahead of Ulster in the table on points difference but, either way, the pair are on course to face off twice more this season.
