Who wont make the Pro12 play offs? Includes table and remaining fixtures

First topic message reminder :

Current standings after round 20

1 Ulster 20 15 1 4 71
2 Leinster 20 15 0 5 68
3 Glasgow 20 14 0 6 67
4 Ospreys 20 14 1 5 62
5 Scarlets 20 14 0 6 62
6 Munster 20 10 1 9 48

Remaining fixtures;
Ulster; Connacht (A), Blues (H)
Leinster; Zebre (A), Ospreys (H)
Ospreys; Glasgow (A), Leinster (A)
Scarlets; Blues (H), Treviso (H)
Glasgow; Ospreys (H), Connacht (A)
Munster; Dragons (A), Zebre (A)

Choose the 2 teams you believe won't make the last 4 and your reason please.

Feckless if Ravenhill isn't finished in time then Ulster will need to play at another 18k+ stadium in ireland (if they get a 'home' final)

Looking at whats happening now, I'd say Glasgow were the ones most likely to miss out.

The Scarlets will sneak in.
The Blues are dire, while I fully expect them to beat Treviso at home. 2 wins at home.

Glasgow were easily and badly beaten by the Scarlets, while the Ospreys pack will hopefully do a good job on Glasgow. If the Ospreys lose to the Ospreys and the Scarlets keep winning it's game on, and the margins will be very tight.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Feckless if Ravenhill isn't finished in time then Ulster will need to play at another 18k+ stadium in ireland (if they get a 'home' final)

Is this true? Never heard about that.

Shifty wrote:Looking at whats happening now, I'd say Glasgow were the ones most likely to miss out.

The Scarlets will sneak in.
The Blues are dire, while I fully expect them to beat Treviso at home. 2 wins at home.

Glasgow were easily and badly beaten by the Scarlets, while the Ospreys pack will hopefully do a good job on Glasgow. If the Ospreys lose to the Ospreys and the Scarlets keep winning it's game on, and the margins will be very tight.

Think you couldn't be more wrong, Shifty, one of the two Welsh sides will miss out with Glasgow joining Ulster and Leinster and the other Welsh side.

Updated. Too annoyed about Ospreys performance tonight to say anything else. Nos da.

Scarlets will get bonus points in both games, Ospreys will most likely lose out but Glasgow are not safe they have two hard games to come like the Ospreys, they could both end on 68 points.

I would really love to see Warriors in the playoffs. After all their efforts, the whole season through, it would be a travesty if they dont.

I think it will be:

1. Ulster.
2. Leinster.
3. Warriors
4. Scarlets.

Reasoning? Warriors and Leinster will beat O's at home and put them out of contention. Scarlets have Treviso and Blues at home. Warriors need to be wary of a resurgent Connacht away. But, if they really want to play with the big boys, they must win that one. If they dont...

Anyway. Prediction.
Ulster v Scarlets
Leinster v Warriors

Ulster v Leinster Grand Final

Gibson wrote:Prediction.
Ulster v Scarlets
Leinster v Warriors

Ulster v Leinster Grand Final

And Ulster to take it!

Bit worried though, think if it pans out like that we'll have to play it in the Aviva which will negate our home advantage...

Notch,
Thats a done deal already, no? Its Lansdowne.

I have no ticket for the Amlin Final, but Id get one for that bud. Pints!

Definitely. Be a big crowd- great finale.

Shifty wrote:Looking at whats happening now, I'd say Glasgow were the ones most likely to miss out.

The Scarlets will sneak in.
The Blues are dire, while I fully expect them to beat Treviso at home. 2 wins at home.

Glasgow were easily and badly beaten by the Scarlets, while the Ospreys pack will hopefully do a good job on Glasgow. If the Ospreys lose to the Ospreys and the Scarlets keep winning it's game on, and the margins will be very tight.

]

They have their B team in it as well ? Man, thats amazing.

They sound like a 2nd-div Leinster. And dont mention the last two Finals, roysh? Basterds that ye are!

Notch wrote:

Gibson wrote:Prediction.
Ulster v Scarlets
Leinster v Warriors

Ulster v Leinster Grand Final

And Ulster to take it!

Bit worried though, think if it pans out like that we'll have to play it in the Aviva which will negate our home advantage...

I think that could well be the other way around for 2nd and 3rd still.

1st Ulster 80
2nd Glasgow 75
3rd Leinster 74
4th Scarlets 70
5th Ospreys 67

Leinster facing the Ospreys just 6 days after a tough Amlin semi final.
I'm just waiting to here where Glasgow are planning on holding the final.

If it plays out as you say. then the only chance glasgow have of hosting a final is if scarlets beat ulster in ravenhill.

A win next week and you would think the league is Ulsters. I think the Ospreys will turn over one of Leinster or Glasgow. Can't decide which one yet.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:If it plays out as you say. then the only chance glasgow have of hosting a final is if scarlets beat ulster in ravenhill.

When you mean, surely

I am going to be bold here, I reckon that the Ospreys will not lose a game for the rest of the season, I can see Glasgow missing out as well, but I am not known for being right all he time so I guess anything goes, next weekends fixtures will be very interesting.

LD
Its all about bonus points for the Scarlets and the O's now, I can see the Osprey's getting 2 wins but both Leinster and Glasgow should win their other remaining fixture.
Glasgow should at least get a LBP at home plus a win against Connaught so should get 72 as minimum.
Leinster should pick up 5 out in Italy so will be out of reach on 73 before they even play the Ospreys.
Its simply a case of can the spreys win 2 very tough games and if they do Can the Scarlets win the easier run in at home plus pick up more in bonus points than the Ospreys do.
It will be pretty tough on the O's if they manage to win both those games and still lose out but its going to be tough on someone either way.
Should both teams get 2 tbp it will be the biggest Welsh comeback since half time in the 1st 6 nations game.

Good to see that with only two games left that technically only one team is safely in the playoffs. I think both Glasgow and the Ospreys are most at risk of missing out. I hope forhome wins all round next weekend.

The 2 WBPs we dropped against the MFLs is going to cost us dear !

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:The 2 WBPs we dropped against the MFLs is going to cost us dear !

muddah fooking locals?

LordDowlais wrote:I am going to be bold here, I reckon that the Ospreys will not lose a game for the rest of the season, I can see Glasgow missing out as well, but I am not known for being right all he time so I guess anything goes, next weekends fixtures will be very interesting.

Big call given that Ospreys have easily the hardest games of the playoff contenders. (Leinster and Glasgow away)

Artful_Dodger wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I am going to be bold here, I reckon that the Ospreys will not lose a game for the rest of the season, I can see Glasgow missing out as well, but I am not known for being right all he time so I guess anything goes, next weekends fixtures will be very interesting.

Big call given that Ospreys have easily the hardest games of the playoff contenders. (Leinster and Glasgow away)

+1

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:The 2 WBPs we dropped against the MFLs is going to cost us dear !

muddah fooking locals?

Metrosexual festival loveies - or Edinburgh as they are sometimes known

Ospreys have the hardest games...but the toughest run in?

Leinster have six days from Zebre to their Amlin clash with Biarritz, and then 6 days to Ospreys..... Ospreys have 14 days between Glasgow and Leinster.

SecretFly wrote:Ospreys have the hardest games...but the toughest run in?

Leinster have six days from Zebre to their Amlin clash with Biarritz, and then 6 days to Ospreys..... Ospreys have 14 days between Glasgow and Leinster.

Eek didn't know that.
That could be tough. I wonder what sort of team Biarritz will send up to Dublin

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Ospreys have the hardest games...but the toughest run in?

Leinster have six days from Zebre to their Amlin clash with Biarritz, and then 6 days to Ospreys..... Ospreys have 14 days between Glasgow and Leinster.

Eek didn't know that.
That could be tough. I wonder what sort of team Biarritz will send up to Dublin

Yep. It's the Sunday fixture that messes it up.

However..... I'd say we will send a skeleton Crew to Italy, So most of the lads that will start v Biarritz will not have played for 14 days.




Biarritz will send their strongest team to the RDS. They are waaay outside the top 6 in the Top 14 and will only have HC Rugby next year by winning the Amlin. (Worth huge cash to them)

They have a big pack and will try and batter us.

If Ulster get the work done in time any home final will be at Ravenhill

Is that certain Geoff? I know apparently Humph had said to get the ends finished was a target but Is the capacity then not 15000 which would be 3k short on the requirements.
Temporary seating?

A lot of rugby to be played before that anyway

I though that for Pro12 final the capacity had to be min 18,000.

Maybe thats H-cup Q final and for pro 12 is 15,000. Anyone know for sure?

If ulster do have a final and its not at Ravenhill, if against Leinster will they look at moving it to Thomond?

Ok its further for Ulster fans, but at NLR it would be handing home advantage to Leinster, I'd say any neutral Munster fans attending would support Ulster.

It's 18k as far as I know kings. If ravenhill isn't an option we would move it to the aviva first as well. We would have a larger allocation surely anyway and I can't imagine there would be any trouble selling it

Kingshu wrote:I though that for Pro12 final the capacity had to be min 18,000.

Maybe thats H-cup Q final and for pro 12 is 15,000. Anyone know for sure?

If ulster do have a final and its not at Ravenhill, if against Leinster will they look at moving it to Thomond?

Ok its further for Ulster fans, but at NLR it would be handing home advantage to Leinster, I'd say any neutral Munster fans attending would support Ulster.

That is exactly what I was thinking, they would not move it to the oppositions back yard, but move it to a ground tha tis at worst neutral.

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

Artful_Dodger wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:I am going to be bold here, I reckon that the Ospreys will not lose a game for the rest of the season, I can see Glasgow missing out as well, but I am not known for being right all he time so I guess anything goes, next weekends fixtures will be very interesting.

Big call given that Ospreys have easily the hardest games of the playoff contenders. (Leinster and Glasgow away)

+1

The Ospreys have a knack at winning the games they need to in this league. Write them off at you peril. Next weekend is going to be a big one, if the Ospreys beat Glasgow, they will go to Dublin with all their guns blazing.

LordDowlais wrote:

The Ospreys have a knack at winning the games they need to in this league. Write them off at you peril.

Ospreys are seldom distracted at this time of the year though, are they?

I don't think anyone would be writing them off. I said to Ruby a month or so ago that Ulster and Ospreys were the two that kinda looked the deal for me. Leinster have come on a tad since then but I'd still say those two for the final. And as I said above, Leinster will now have another issue to manage alongside Pro12.

LordDowlais wrote:The Ospreys have a knack at winning the games they need to in this league. Write them off at you peril. Next weekend is going to be a big one, if the Ospreys beat Glasgow, they will go to Dublin with all their guns blazing.

That is one of those sayings that really gets me wound up. The Ospreys are in 4th, equal on points to the team in 5th, and have the harder run in of the two. Therefore you could say the Ospreys have the knack of failing to win (or secure improtant points) in the easier games in the tournament.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:The Ospreys have a knack at winning the games they need to in this league. Write them off at you peril. Next weekend is going to be a big one, if the Ospreys beat Glasgow, they will go to Dublin with all their guns blazing.

That is one of those sayings that really gets me wound up. The Ospreys are in 4th, equal on points to the team in 5th, and have the harder run in of the two. Therefore you could say the Ospreys have the knack of failing to win (or secure improtant points) in the easier games in the tournament.

It's at this time in the season though, and you cannot deny, they have a history of it.

Lord, they have a track record of winning at the back end of the season, however I really am getting tired of the 'Ospreys win when they need to' attitude, as truth is you need to win all season long, not just in the last few games.

If we get the Aquinas end finished in time we will meet the 18000 requirement - that is the plan.

If it is not finished it will be in the Aviva not Thomond - Leinster or no Leinster.

If (lot of ifs here) we are the designated home team we would get the lions share of the tickets - it would be up to the Ulster fans to make sure we buy them.

If Ravers isn’t ready, I’m placing the blame firmly on the Health and Safety contractor…

Mickado wrote:If Ravers isn’t ready, I’m placing the blame firmly on the Health and Safety contractor…

Or an extra few euro thrown at the builders (from some unknown businessman in Dublin) causing a slight delay, by about a fortnight tops

The buiders are on big penalties/bonus to finish by certain dates.

They will be doing everything they can

The ospreys aren't going to be BPing either of their two opponents though whereas scarlets have treviso at home and Cardiff also.

I could see them getting 9 there which would edge out the ospreys unless Connacht were to beat Glasgow too.

Leinster have zebre so you won't catch them. Ulster should win at least one of Connacht and Cardiff so they would be clear too

geoff998rugby wrote:The buiders are on big penalties/bonus to finish by certain dates.

They will be doing everything they can

There is loads of health and safety shyte to wade through as well though before you can sell tickets to it.

It is defo 18000 capacity for the final. look on the rules page of the pro 12 site.

..an unknown businessman in Dublin? A rare beast indeed!

If the IMF don't know him, the Revenue commissioners should. And if they don't know him, it's an absolute cert that the Sunday Independent's back page social column has spotted him having drinks in some drinking den stuffed with other "well known" (to the Indo but unknown to the rest of us) 'celebrities'.

Mickado wrote:If Ravers isn’t ready, I’m placing the blame firmly on the Health and Safety contractor…

He spends too much time on v3

There's a V3?

Mickado wrote:There's a V3?

Can only be perceived by "enlightened" people who have "passed on" from this realm, and evolved into "homo superior"

V3 where you go when you bore of the 'little people'............... a special coven of secret handshakes, eyewinks and ......................... well, the sacrifices are just a rumour...................

Mickado wrote:There's a V3?

Oops forget I said anything Mick ...

I just googled it and...nothing. It really must be secret!

The first rule of V3 is never talk about V3 .....