For half of the teams in the BKT United Rugby Championship, it'll be season over by Saturday night. For others, it's only getting started.
Round 18 is upon us as the URC regular season comes to a close, but while we're almost certain which eight teams will be heading on to the quarter-finals next month, there's a lot of movement to be done to decide who travels to whom, as well as figuring out the final Champions Cup qualification.
After last weekend's clean sweep, all four Irish provinces have guaranteed their place in the playoffs, but for Munster [v Sharks] and Connacht [v Glasgow], Champions Cup qualification isn't certain, and depending on results this weekend their fate may not be known until the Challenge Cup final on 26 May.
Given the fact that there is one Champions Cup spot reserved for each of the Shield winners, it would be an incredible achievement if all four Irish sides were to be at the top table of European competition next season.
For Ulster, Round 18 is about solidifying second place, and Dan McFarland's side can do so with a win of any kind against Edinburgh, whose season has petered out badly since the turn of the year.
Leinster's South African tour comes to a close in Pretoria as they take on the Bulls, and the league leaders could very well be welcoming Jake White's side to Dublin in a few weeks, if they can cap off an unbeaten regular season with a win.
TV
Bulls v Leinster [3pm], Sharks v Munster [5.15pm] and Glasgow v Connacht [7.35pm] are all live on TG4 on Saturday. Ulster v Edinburgh [Friday 7.35pm] is live on Premier Sports.
All games are live on URC TV.
ONLINE
Follow live scoring and live updates on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app with match reports and reaction from around the grounds.
WEATHER
There should be cracking conditions for rugby in Belfast on Friday, with a warm and dry day, and temperatures staying around 13C by kickoff, but getting cooler as the night moves on.
In Pretoria, it's forecast to be a sunny 24C for Leinster's meeting with the Bulls, while down in Durban the temperatures will have dropped to a slightly cooler 20C for the evening game between Sharks and Munster.
Things won't be as glamorous for Connacht in Glasgow, with temperatures around 10C, although the showers of rain in the afternoon will likely pass by the time the sides kick off at 7.35pm.
CHAMPIONS CUP PLACES TO BE DECIDED AS URC REACHES FINAL ROUND
Ulster's task is simple this week: win at home against Edinburgh on Friday and they'll be guaranteed second in the table.
It's been a chaotic season for Dan McFarland's side, but after five wins in their last six URC games, they've moved back into a healthy space, and know even the scrappiest of wins against the Scots will see them stay in Belfast for both quarters and semis (should they get there).
Ulster are on a four-game winning streak in this competition, and while their opponents were victorious against the Ospreys a week ago, it ended a run of four consecutive defeats which saw their playoff chances slip away.
Ulster have won their last seven encounters with Edinburgh since the Scotsmen's 17-16 win in Belfast in February 2018, while Edinburgh have also lost their last four away games in the URC.
Friday night's game is a first visit to Belfast for Edinburgh since September 2018, with Ulster 30-29 winners on that occasion.
Ulster: Mike Lowry; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stewart Moore, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Andy Warwick, Rob Herring, Jeff Toomaga-Allen; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Gareth Milasinovich, Sam Carter, Harry Sheridan, Nathan Doak, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy
Edinburgh: Emiliano Boffelli; Darcy Graham, James Lang, Cammy Hutchison, Duhan van der Merwe; Blair Kinghorn, Henry Pyrgos; Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Luan de Bruin; Glen Young, Sam Skinner; Jamie Ritchie (capt), Hamish Watson, Viliame Mata
Replacements: Stuart McInally, Boan Venter, WP Nel, Pierce Phillips, Connor Boyle, Henry Pyrgos, Mark Bennett, Nathan Sweeney
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Leinster's tour of South Africa has already proven to be invaluable, with an inexperienced squad staging a brilliant comeback to see off the Lions in Johannesburg a week ago, although it'll be a step up in class as they head to Pretoria to take on the Bulls.
While Leinster are guaranteed to finish first in the table, there's more than enough motivation for them, with their unbeaten record on the line, and also some bragging rights after the Bulls raided the RDS in the semi-finals last June.
Sean O'Brien has been handed head coaching duties for the week, with Leo Cullen returning to Ireland to help prepare for next week's Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium.
The Bulls are guaranteed playoff rugby, but their prospects of getting back to the final have taken a real hit in the last couple of months, with last week's win against Zebre ending a run of four defeats in a row, which has seen them fall way back from contention for a home quarter-final.
A win for Jake White's side this week would see them finish no lower than seventh, and set up a quarter-final away to either Ulster or the Stormers.
Should they lose to Leinster, and the Sharks topple Munster, then the Bulls will be heading back to Dublin in two weeks time. However, the South Africans have won all three of their games at home to Irish provinces, defeating Munster and Ulster last season, before a 28-14 win against September in September.
Vodacom Bulls: Kurt-Lee Arendse; Canan Moodie, Stedman Gans, Harold Vorster, David Kriel; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith; Ruan Vermaak, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marco van Staden, Cyle Brink, Elrigh Louw
Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Janko Swanepoel, WJ Steenkamp, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith, Cornal Hendricks
Leinster: Chris Cosgrave; Tommy O'Brien, Liam Turner, Ben Brownlee, Dave Kearney; Sam Prendergast, Nick McCarthy; Ed Byrne (capt), Tadgh McElroy, Thomas Clarkson; Alex Soroka, Brian Deeny; James Culhane, Will Connors, Max Deegan
Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Temi Lasisi, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Liam Molony, Ben Murphy, Charlie Tector, Rob Russell
Referee: Craig Evans (WRU)
Three weeks on from their previous visit to Durban, and Munster's fortunes have changed for the better.
Their 50-35 drubbing at the hands of the Sharks in the Champions Cup Round of 16 followed a disappointing loss to Glasgow a week earlier, with a very real possibility that they could have missed out on Champions Cup rugby.
And while that Champions Cup spot isn't secure just yet, last week's gutsy win against the Stormers has left them well-placed to make sure of it.
Graham Rowntree's side will guarantee fifth place with a win, while it will also see them avoid yet another potential trip to South Africa in a couple of weeks for a rematch with the Stormers.
The Sharks have all but locked in their playoff spot by beating Benetton in a thriller last week, but they need to win, and hope for one of the Bulls or Connacht to slip up if they're to realistically qualify for the Champions Cup.
And while Neil Powell's side did beat Munster in the Champions Cup three weeks ago, the South Africans have lost their last four fixtures against Irish provinces in the URC since beating Connacht 41-21 in Durban almost 12 months ago.
Cell C Sharks: Boeta Chamberlain; Werner Kok, Lukhanyo Am, Ben Tapuai, Makazole Mapimpi; Curwin Bosch, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit; Jeandre Labuschagne, Gerbrandt Grobler; Siya Kolisi (capt), Vincent Tshituka, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Aphelele Fassi
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Peter O'Mahony (capt), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Edwin Edogbo, Jack O’Donoghue, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Keith Earls.
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
Two of the league's most in-form teams meet on Saturday night, but the record books weigh heavily in the favour of Glasgow Warriors.
It's almost 13 years since Connacht last won in Glasgow, while they've been beaten in seven of their last eight meetings both home and away.
Glasgow are coming into the playoffs as one of the dark horses, with just one defeat in all competitions since the end of November, seeing them lock in a home quarter-final in the URC, and a place in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup next week.
Connacht, meanwhile, have also been hot lately. Their six-game winning run in the URC has seen them storm into the playoffs with a game to spare, while last week's impressive win against Cardiff in Galway marked a return to form for Bundee Aki.
Qualifying for the Champions Cup is the next target, and a win this weekend will almost certainly see them qualify, barring a shock series of events outside of their control.
Glasgow Warriors: Huw Jones; Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowall (capt), Sam Johnson, Cole Forbes; Tom Jordan, Ali Price; Allan Dell, Fraser Brown, Lucio Sordoni; Scott Cummings, Richie Gray; Rory Darge, Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Jamie Bhatti, Zander Fagerson, JP du Preez, Lewis Bean, Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Domingo Miotti.
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Cathal Forde, Byron Ralston; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham; Oisín Dowling, Niall Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Shane Jennings
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)
FULL UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE, FIXTURES AND RESULTS
