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PRO14 moves to clear up confusion surrounding Champions Cup play-off qualification situation
PRO14 Rugby have clarified the situation around scheduling and make-up of the Play-Off game to decide the seventh and potential eighth Champions Cup qualifier(s).
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The tournament rules state that the seventh Champions Cup place from the Guinness PRO14 will be decided in a play-off game between the fourth-placed teams from Conference A and B or between the highest-ranked eligible teams who have not automatically qualified. In this instance a play-off would take place between Ospreys Rugby (A4, 58 points) and Scarlets (B4, 52 points).
However, should Leinster Rugby win the Champions Cup on May 11 this would open up the possibility that the Guinness PRO14 could earn an eighth place in the 2019/20 Champions Cup competition.
In such circumstances, the tournament rules state that the highest-ranked team not automatically qualified for the Champions Cup will be awarded the seventh PRO14 place, in this case Ospreys would be automatically entered into next season’s Champions Cup.
The eighth place would then be decided by a play-off game between the two-highest ranked teams remaining who have not qualified, in this case that would see Cardiff Blues host Scarlets by virtue of the Blues’ higher points total.
Many thanks to all of you who have been in touch this week to enquire about tickets for the @ChampionsCup Cup play off game v @scarlets_rugby
Due to the complex nature of the qualification process across 3 competitions, we await clarification around the proposed fixture.
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— Ospreys (@ospreys) May 1, 2019
What Happens Next?
Should Leinster Rugby lose the Champions Cup Final then Ospreys will host Scarlets in the European play-off game on Saturday, May 18, at 19:45 with the winner qualifying for the Champions Cup. The game will be broadcast live on Premier Sports.
What Happens if Leinster retain the Champions Cup?
The European play-off game would not be able to take place until Wednesday, May 29 at the earliest because of the live permutations surrounding the potential eighth Champions Cup place PRO14 would receive an extra place if all of the Challenge Cup semi-finalists qualify automatically through their in positions the Premiership and Top 14.
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ASM Clermont Auvergne are highly likely to qualify for automatically via the Top 14 while La Rochelle, Harlequins and Sale Sharks are all at the lower reaches of the qualifying places from their domestic leagues.
Currently Harlequins and Sale Sharks occupy the final two automatic places from the Premiership and ASM Clermont Auvergne and La Rochelle occupy the second and sixth automatic places, respectively, in the Top 14. The final round of the Premiership takes place on May 18 and the final round of the Top 14 takes place on May 25.
Should either of La Rochelle, Sale Sharks or Harlequins fail to qualify for the Champions Cup via their league position then Ospreys and Scarlets will Play Off for the seventh place as previously stated.
Should all of the aforementioned Challenge Cup teams qualify automatically then Ospreys will receive a place in next season’s Champions Cup while Cardiff Blues will then face Scarlets in a play-off game for the eighth qualifying place as per PRO14 tournament regulations.
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Cardiff Blues would have home advantage for such a game based upon their higher total of match points (54) compared to Scarlets (52). In that case a date of Wednesday, May 29 with an evening kick-off time will be confirmed.
WATCH: The RugbyPass documentary taking you behind the scenes at the 2018 PRO14 final
Comments on RugbyPass
A long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates live or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is hear and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
2 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
2 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to comments