Munster 1st June 2024 @ 5.15pm.

[big mervyn]

What are the permutations?

If we lose with no LBP, we get leap frogged by one of Bennetton/Embra, and if Lions beat Stormers, we finish 8th and dont get into the ECC due to the Sharks winning last week?

Your Ulster coming 8th (needing to win the URC to make Champions Cup) doomsday scenario requires ALL of the following:

Lions BP win at Stormers
No match points for Ulster
BP win for Benetton / Regular win for Benetton and they overturn the 47 points advantage Ulster have on them on points difference / Edinburgh win

Two of those elements will be known by 3pm on Saturday.

2/5 Stormers 5/2 Lions
8/13 Benetton 8/5 Embra

Odds in our favour at the moment. More so when you factor in BPs required.

[Bart S]

What are the permutations?

If we lose with no LBP, we get leap frogged by one of Bennetton/Embra, and if Lions beat Stormers, we finish 8th and dont get into the ECC due to the Sharks winning last week?

Your Ulster coming 8th (needing to win the URC to make Champions Cup) doomsday scenario requires ALL of the following:

Lions BP win at Stormers
No match points for Ulster
BP win for Benetton / Regular win for Benetton and they overturn the 47 points advantage Ulster have on them on points difference / Edinburgh win

Two of those elements will be known by 3pm on Saturday.

Slightly different question, but is the only scenario whereby ulster is guaranteed a place in the Champions Cup next season before kick off against munster if Lions fail to get 5 pts away to Stormers (likely) and Benetton & Edinburgh draw (unlikely)?

[Neill_M]

What are the permutations?

If we lose with no LBP, we get leap frogged by one of Bennetton/Embra, and if Lions beat Stormers, we finish 8th and dont get into the ECC due to the Sharks winning last week?

Your Ulster coming 8th (needing to win the URC to make Champions Cup) doomsday scenario requires ALL of the following:

Lions BP win at Stormers
No match points for Ulster
BP win for Benetton / Regular win for Benetton and they overturn the 47 points advantage Ulster have on them on points difference / Edinburgh win

Two of those elements will be known by 3pm on Saturday.

Slightly different question, but is the only scenario whereby ulster is guaranteed a place in the Champions Cup next season before kick off against munster if Lions fail to get 5 pts away to Stormers (likely) and Benetton & Edinburgh draw (unlikely)?

So guessing this is where Ulster are guaranteed 6th, Lions bit is correct. A draw in Italy or a home win with no BP and they are unlikely to turn around the points advantage would tick that box.

[jean valjean]

The chances of the 8th place team winning the tournament are next to zero, so even if ulster finish 7th you'd be fairly confident of champions Cup rugby next year. In that case a stormers win of any kind is enough for us.

[John_e_boy]

Munster v Ulster
Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA
Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU, 86th league game)
AR 1: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU) AR 2: Andrew Fogarty (IRFU)
TMO: Andrew Brace (IRFU)

So Munster v Ulster is going to be refereed by former Munster player and Cork native Frank Murphy, while on TMO we have Munster referee Andrew Brace.

This league baffles me sometimes.

I agree we should have neutral (non-irish) officials but Brace's connections with Munster are loose, he was a community referee officer and played for Old Crescent. Now he was born in Cardiff and played international rugby for Belgium, so should not do a game involving any of the Welsh sides or the Netherlands

Actually we tend to get a lot of Scottish referee teams when the mighty orange play in Amsterdam!

[Neill_M]

The chances of the 8th place team winning the tournament are next to zero, so even if ulster finish 7th you'd be fairly confident of champions Cup rugby next year. In that case a stormers win of any kind is enough for us.

A Lions win WITHOUT a BP ticks that box, Ulster would have the first tie breaker - wins.

[justinr73]

It’s very warm in Limerick.

[jean valjean]

Stormers dialling it in. Lions looking good for the win at the minute.

[justinr73]

Stormers dialling it in. Lions looking good for the win at the minute.

The odds on Lions winning were very generous.

One of our party is on the pink gin.

“Ah you’re very sophisticated in the North…”

[Neill_M]

Stormers dialling it in. Lions looking good for the win at the minute.

Red card for Stormers winger, Lions player in the bin for 10 minutes.

Benetton 12-6 Edinburgh latest which is good from an Ulster pov.

[justinr73]

Two tries though.

[jean valjean]

Good job lions took the points there. We can afford them to win but not with a BP.

[big mervyn]

Good job lions took the points there. We can afford them to win but not with a BP.

Settling for the playoffs

[big mervyn]

Benetton got the BP

[Neill_M]

Benetton got the BP

So looking good to have European secured but need a match point to get 6th back. Stormers have max points if they see the game out, so that would be 5th gone.