Munster V Dragons: The Permutations

With the tightest finish in PRO12 history about to reach boiling point, we look at the possible permutations for Munster as they bid to secure a home semi-final this Saturday. Munster play Newport-Gwent Dragons at Irish Independent Park in Cork at 3pm.

With just one round left to play only one league point separates the top 4 sides as they bid to secure a home semi-final. Such a close-run end to the regular season will have all supporters closely monitoring the progress of their respective games, with all Round 22 fixtures kicking-off at 3pm.

• Munster v Newport-Gwent Dragons at Irish Independent Park
• Connacht v Ospreys at the Sportsgound
• Glasgow Warriors v Ulster at Scotstoun

Those who finish in the top 2 will secure home semi-final advantage.

If two or more teams finish with the same number of league points, their placings will be determined by the following criteria in descending order:

• number of matches won
• the difference between points for and points against
• the number of tries scored
• the most points scored
• the difference between tries for and tries against
• the fewest number of red cards received
• the fewest number of yellow cards received

Please note, due to such a tight race at the top of the table, there are a wide number of results and variables that could come into play this weekend. For example, Munster could win with a bonus point and not achieve a top 2 finish, while alternatively, a losing bonus point could be enough to obtain a home semi-final for Anthony Foley’s men.

Where that in mind, here are just some of the hypothetical results for Munster and their possible permutations:

Bonus Point Win:
Would be enough to secure a top 2 finish, unless both Ospreys and Warriors also secure bonus point wins, in which case ‘games won’ would see Ospreys and Warriors secure a home semi-final each.

Win:
Only enough to secure a home semi-final if Ospreys or Warriors lose or draw. However, should Ulster achieve a bonus point win over Warriors, top 2 qualification would come down to points difference between the Irish provinces – currently Munster are 17 points ahead of Ulster on points difference.

Draw:
Would be enough for a top 2 finish if both Ospreys and Warriors lose. In this scenario, Ulster’s defeat of Warriors would see them top the table with Munster taking second spot.

Losing Bonus Point:
Only enough if both Ospreys and Warriors lose and fail to achieve a losing bonus point, in which case Ulster would top the table with victory over Warriors, with Munster finishing second.

Loss:
Munster finish third at best and will play an away semi-final.

Join us on the #HomeRun from just €;20 for Adults, while great value family packs are available from €;40. Purchase tickets online here, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park, or by calling 0818 719300.