The European spots add another element to it:

Pro 14:
Confirmed: Leinster, Glasgow and Munster
TBC Ulster, Connacht and Treviso.

The Play-off would have Cardiff Blues at home to Edinburgh. If the Pro 14 get the 20th Heineken spot, then Cardiff Blues would be in automatically with an Edinburgh Ospreys playoff.

salmson wrote:

pinky wrote: Treviso's RDS heroics open up a chance for Munster to get ahead of Leinster too, though that's less likely. You wouldn't know though with Leinster having nothing really to play for in the last couple of games.
Whatever way, Conf B looks more desirable, with Dragons, Kings and Edinburgh guaranteed.

Right so Pinky, outsides ourselves this week I'm cheering for:
Edinburgh, so we finish ahead of Ulster and get a nicer conference next year.
Kings, so we're guaranteed at least a playoff.
Treviso, so Munster have nothing to play for against us.
Glasgow, ditto.
Zebre, to remove Scarlets from the playoff equation.

Scarlets are not on the play-off équation anymore (at home). And i will cheer for Ulster even if bad for next season it'd be a guarantee : home play-off vs edinburgh even if we lose, less pressure to play Cardiff

pinky wrote: Treviso's RDS heroics open up a chance for Munster to get ahead of Leinster too, though that's less likely. You wouldn't know though with Leinster having nothing really to play for in the last couple of games.
Whatever way, Conf B looks more desirable, with Dragons, Kings and Edinburgh guaranteed.

Right so Pinky, outsides ourselves this week I'm cheering for:
Edinburgh, so we finish ahead of Ulster and get a nicer conference next year.
Kings, so we're guaranteed at least a playoff.
Treviso, so Munster have nothing to play for against us.
Glasgow, ditto.
Zebre, to remove Scarlets from the playoff equation.

Treviso's RDS heroics open up a chance for Munster to get ahead of Leinster too, though that's less likely. You wouldn't know though with Leinster having nothing really to play for in the last couple of games.
Whatever way, Conf B looks more desirable, with Dragons, Kings and Edinburgh guaranteed.

Cardiff's defeat and Ospreys' BP win v the Cheetahs has opened up the race for Wales 1 in Conference B next season. 3 points between them. Cardiff are obviously visiting Galway on Saturday, the Ospreys are playing the Kings on Friday with the 2 facing each other on Judgement Day in the last round.

pinky wrote:

neill_m wrote: Excellent point, also only doing it on the basis of the current season with the imbalance of the number of home and away games. Why not over last and this season - 21 home and 21 away games for each side?

Yeah, and while I'm at it, how come they do it based on overall points regardless of conference position? So they're applying different criteria do determine seedings for next season than they apply to determine playoff positions in the league.

True. Using points to determine the conference line up, but finishing position etc to determine which pot sides would be in for European draws. It's almost like they came up with the idea on a beer mat.

Munster don't let us down in the end, no single point for Cardiff, + 30 point difference

neill_m wrote:

pinky wrote: Interesting. Wales Online claiming it is a "radical re-jig", though really they are just doing what they said they would do this season but decided not to.
www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...hauled-next-16077439

If true, there would appear to appear to be an incentive to get ahead of Ulster as Conference B looks the easier prospect, especially if Treviso don't keep up the form they found this season.

EDIT: A bit odd they are saying it will be based on the regular season, so you could win the Pro14 and not be the top ranked side from your country ...

Excellent point, also only doing it on the basis of the current season with the imbalance of the number of home and away games. Why not over last and this season - 21 home and 21 away games for each side?

Interestingly, I did have an analysis going on the Conference rejig on the 2 season model over the regular season - only difference is that Scarlets would stay in Conference B as top Welsh side and Cardiff Blues would stay in A as Wales 2.

neill_m wrote: Excellent point, also only doing it on the basis of the current season with the imbalance of the number of home and away games. Why not over last and this season - 21 home and 21 away games for each side?

Yeah, and while I'm at it, how come they do it based on overall points regardless of conference position? So they're applying different criteria do determine seedings for next season than they apply to determine playoff positions in the league.

pinky wrote: Interesting. Wales Online claiming it is a "radical re-jig", though really they are just doing what they said they would do this season but decided not to.
www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...hauled-next-16077439

If true, there would appear to appear to be an incentive to get ahead of Ulster as Conference B looks the easier prospect, especially if Treviso don't keep up the form they found this season.

EDIT: A bit odd they are saying it will be based on the regular season, so you could win the Pro14 and not be the top ranked side from your country ...

Excellent point, also only doing it on the basis of the current season with the imbalance of the number of home and away games. Why not over last and this season - 21 home and 21 away games for each side?

We will finish ahead of Ulster this season, so conference B it will be.

Interesting. Wales Online claiming it is a "radical re-jig", though really they are just doing what they said they would do this season but decided not to.
www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...hauled-next-16077439

If true, there would appear to appear to be an incentive to get ahead of Ulster as Conference B looks the easier prospect, especially if Treviso don't keep up the form they found this season.

EDIT: A bit odd they are saying it will be based on the regular season, so you could win the Pro14 and not be the top ranked side from your country ...

cabaiste wrote: Not much variation there with just Leinster & Scarlets moving over.

Ulster and Connacht very close points wise.

Not much variation there with just Leinster & Scarlets moving over.

Seems there will be a re-rank for 19/20:

Conference A Ireland 1 & 4 (Leinster + Connacht), Wales 2 & 3 (Scarlets + Ospreys), Scotland 1 (Glasgow), Italy 2 (Zebre), South Africa 1 (Cheetahs)
Conference B Ireland 2 & 3 (Munster + Ulster), Wales 1 & 4 (Cardiff Blues + Dragons), Scotland 2 (Edinburgh), Italy 1 (Benetton), South Africa 2 (Southern Kings)

Based on the 1st 18 rounds.

Re-rank based on points gained in the 21 games in the regular season for the 18/19 season.

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We should miss Bealham, they will miss Navidi

www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-...am-star-out-16045470