| Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary of six matches and follow live text of Harlequins v Sharks on Saturday and Edinburgh v Saracens on Sunday. |
There is plenty to play for during the final round of pool fixtures in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup.
Eight teams were already through to the last 16 before a whistle was blown and eight more spots were up for grabs, as well as seedings and potential home advantage in the next round to decide.
Having a calculator might be handy, given the number of permutations.
Pool A
Qualified: Leinster, Sharks, Saracens, Exeter, Edinburgh
Wins for Leinster, Sharks and Saracens in their final pool fixtures will secure home ties for that trio in the next round, which is scheduled for 31 March-2 April.
Of the remaining teams, Exeter are in the strongest position to also lock up home advantage in the last 16. They face Pool A’s bottom side Castres at home, with fifth-placed Edinburgh needing to better their result when they face Saracens – or match it but win by a more convincing margin – to overhaul them.
South African side Bulls are almost certain to reach the last 16. They failed to wrap up qualification on Friday, losing 31-7 to Lyon, but will only finish outside the top eight if three other results go against them over the weekend.
Quins know a win against Sharks on Saturday will be enough to send them through, but defeat would leave them sweating on the results of games elsewhere.
Lyon and three other teams – Racing 92, Gloucester and Bordeaux Begles – remain in the hunt for a last-16 place but cannot guarantee a spot based solely on their own result.
Gloucester’s hopes rest on winning in Bordeaux, and hoping either Quins or Racing 92 are beaten.
Cherry and Whites head coach George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: “This weekend we’d like to be a bit more clinical. We want to be in the game more than we were last weekend [in the 49-14 loss to Leinster].
“The objective is always to win so we go there looking to win, but I think after last weekend the performance is top of the list.”
Results and fixtures
Kick-off times all GMT
Friday, 20 January: Lyon 31-7 Bulls
Saturday, 21 January: Harlequins v Sharks (13:00), Leinster v Racing 92 (15:15), Bordeaux Begles v Gloucester (15:15), Exeter v Castres (17:30)
Sunday, 22 January: Edinburgh v Saracens (17:30)
Pool B
Qualified: Toulouse, La Rochelle, Leicester, Ospreys
Defending champions La Rochelle are one of three teams already through to the next stage. They, along with Toulouse and Leicester, won their first three pool games.
Ospreys joined them in the last 16 with a dramatic late victory at Leicester on Friday.
London Irish and Northampton have been eliminated, with the other six teams battling for the four remaining qualification spots on Saturday and Sunday.
Munster will confirm qualification with a win over Toulouse, while ninth-place Sale visit 10th-place Ulster on Saturday.
Ulster, who will be without their captain Iain Henderson because of concussion, must win to stand any chance of going through, while Sale would almost certainly be eliminated with a defeat.
“We’ve got one last shot in the competition and we’re going to give it our all,” said Ulster back-row forward Duane Vermeulen.
Results and fixtures
Kick-off times all GMT
Friday, 20 January: Leicester 26-27 Ospreys
Saturday, 21 January: Northampton v La Rochelle (13:00), Stormers v Clermont Auvergne (17:30), Ulster v Sale (20:00)
Sunday, 22 January: Montpellier v London Irish (13:00), Toulouse v Munster (15:15)
