Pro12 finale this weekend - what's at stake?

This weekend sees the final round of league fixtures of the 2014-15 Guinness Pro12 taking place. Here’s our guide of what to look out for, and what exactly is at stake for 12 competing teams.

The play-off battle

Ospreys, Glasgow Warriors, Munster and Ulster have already qualified for the play-offs but as they are separated by just one point, the play-off fixtures themselves will be determined by Saturday’s results.

The side that finishes first will host the team that finishes fourth while the third-placed team will travel to the second-placed team in next weekend’s play-offs.

European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup qualifiers

Meanwhile, those four sides as well as Leinster and Scarlets have guaranteed themselves European Champions Cup action next season with Benetton Treviso currently three points ahead of Zebre for the remaining spot.

Connacht currently sit in eighth place but are under threat from Edinburgh in a battle to face Gloucester in a play-off for a chance to reach the Champions Cup.

Newport Gwent Dragons and Cardiff Blues, who can finish no better than ninth or 10th respectively, will therefore be playing European Challenge Cup rugby next season, along with the team that finishes ninth and 12th.

Should Connacht or Edinburgh fail to win the European Champions Cup play-off competition they will also feature in the Challenge Cup with either Gloucester or the team that finishes seventh in France’s Top 14.

Round 22 – 16^th May

Get the best sports betting odds at William Hill Online before taking a closer look at the fixtures and our betting tips in our guide below.

Let’s start with Italian battle to reach the Champions Cup as Treviso host Scarlets and Zebre travel to Cardiff.  Both teams will see those as winnable fixtures given their respective league positions. If Treviso win or draw then Zebre cannot overtake them; Zebre have to win and hope for a Scarlets win over Treviso; even if Treviso were to pick up a losing bonus point in this situation, Zebre would win on number of games won.

Treviso will be favourites to hang on to the Champions Cup spot as Italian sides do not tend to perform well away from home, putting Zebre, already three points down, at a huge disadvantage.

Both of the sides battling to reach the Champions Cup play-off are at home. Edinburgh welcome Leinster to Murrayfield and Connacht face Ospreys at Galway Sportsgrounds. Both are tough fixtures and bonus points may be few and far between. The strength of his year’s Pro12 is highlighted by the fact that Leinster can finish no higher than fifth.

Glasgow and Ulster, both in the top four, meet at Scotstoun Stadium. Both sides’ coaching teams need to find the balance between picking a side to win the game and guarantee as high a finishing spot as possible but keep half an eye on the play-offs and ensuring they have as fully fit squad as possible to choose from.

Finally, Munster host Newport Gwent Dragons. As one of three sides on 70 points (Ospreys and Ulster are the others), they will fancy their chances of picking up points at home and potentially finish on top of the table.

Verdict

Ospreys should well be too strong for Connacht and with the battle between Glasgow and Ulster expected to be a tight one, I’m tipping Munster and Ospreys to claim home semi-finals against Ulster and Glasgow respectively.

That would hand Edinburgh the opportunity to snatch the Champions Cup play-off spot but recent form suggests they will struggle so Connacht will hold on for me.

I see both Italian sides losing on the day so Treviso will make the Champions Cup.

Who do you think will finish on top of the table?