Even with just two games to go, so much can change in the top eight of the URC that working out the permutations almost feels too labour intensive.
While it's unlikely anyone will make a late break into the top eight in the table, the potential quarter-final match-ups, and in particular who has home advantage, remains wide open.
As it stands, Leinster, the Stormers, Munster and the Sharks occupy the home quarter-final places, but that could change dramatically given the remaining fixtures.
Leinster and the Stormers meet in Cape Town this Saturday, and the champions also face Munster in the final round next month. The Sharks and fifth place Ulster meet in the final round of the regular season, in a game that may decide who gets a home quarter, while Ulster also face Edinburgh away from home this weekend, with the Scottish side still well in the hunt.
Last Friday night's Interpro between Ulster and Munster proved huge for both sides, with Munster's first win away in Belfast since 2016 seeing them leapfrog their hosts, and leave Dan McFarland's side on the outside and looking in.
"I think it's brilliant for the URC, the fact that there's two rounds to go, it’s literally going to go to the last game for all the teams," said Munster head coach Johann van Graan after their 24-17 win against Ulster.
"Our last game is against Leinster in Dublin. I think the Sharks come here to Ulster if I’m not mistaken, I think the Stormers go to the Scarlets, I think the Bulls go to the Ospreys if I can remember all the fixtures.
"So it’s literally going to come down to the last and I think that’s brilliant for the competition. The fact that there’s going to be magic moments and big moments in the coming weeks and it’s literally who can hold their nerve 'till that final whistle goes."
Van Graan may even quietly be cheering for Leinster this week, with Leo Cullen's side up against the Stormers, who have lived up to their name in recent weeks having climbed up to second place in the table.
A Leinster victory against the Western Province franchise would allow Munster climb up to second in the table if they can see off Cardiff at Musgrave Park this Friday.
Additionally, it would also ensure that Leinster finish top of the table, which could make Munster's task in Round 18 against the defending champions a bit easier.
The Munster head coach isn't thinking that far ahead though; either way they have to fulfil their side of the bargain by beating Cardiff, which would bring them within touching distance of a home quarter-final, and at least one more Thomond Park outing for the departing coach.
"Yeah, look, that would be brilliant," he says of the prospect of getting a swansong in Limerick.
"But first, enjoy this one, travel back down tonight and recover. We’ve had a very intense last four weeks. We only trained once this week because we’ve had so many guys struggling just to get into this game and then Cardiff.
"If you look back to the last two or three years Munster-Cardiff games have been pretty close affairs.
"We go back to Cork, and we love to play in Cork on that surface and in front of the Cork crowd, and it will be another big game in seven days time.
"Like I said earlier it’s literally game on game and then we’ve got a big game after that one."
While the South African sides have added an extra layer of competition to the URC this season, their arrival has also emphasised the impact home advantage has, with Connacht's win against the Lions making them just the second touring side to have claimed a victory in the rainbow nation, and the South Africans holding a similarly poor record on their travels up north.
Should Munster fail to make the top four, they could potentially end up playing a quarter-final away to one of the four new franchises, which would be their third visit to South Africa in the space of seven months.
"I'm South African, I’ve been part of the Bulls for a long time, it’s four quality franchises and I think the north-south combination is going to be fascinating in the coming years," Van Graan added.
"The fact that they struggled up in the north and currently all the teams that have gone down there are struggling it’s going to bring a different dynamic to the competition.
"After a few rounds a lot of people said: 'Ah, it’s not going to work.’ But fast forward a few months and you might potentially get three South African teams qualifying for the knock-out phases and the knock-on effect of that is qualification for Europe.
"All of a sudden you’ve got to make sure that you end in that top eight and the fact that the four Shield winners go through, some of the Shield winners might not be in the top eight and might not qualify (for the knock-out stages).
"So the next few weeks will be fascinating and I really think it will be good for the URC in the coming years."
