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Wales Online

Sport

Simon Thomas

What Wales' rugby regions are still playing for amid three-way fight and new European qualification rules

Wales Dragons Ospreys Scarlets Euro (Event) Europe Cardiff URC Champions Cup Bulls

With another batch of Welsh derbies on the horizon, the battle is really hotting up for Champions Cup qualification.

There’s a new system in place this season for European entry. After a number of years of pure meritocracy, a geographical element has been reintroduced following the birth of the United Rugby Championship. You can read more on the background to that move here.

Essentially, it's because the four South African sides in the URC are now eligible for Europe. There was concern in some quarters that this could see certain countries missing out on having representatives in the Champions Cup, with the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions potentially hoovering up qualifying spots.

So, it was decided that, for two years, a sort of fail-safe system would be put in place. Organisers opted to base European qualification on four geographic pools, with the top-ranked Irish, Welsh, South African and Scottish/Italian teams progressing, joined by the next best four on the ladder.

Read more: Wales team stun Irish in Dublin

The IRFU were against the idea, but were outvoted, with the Welsh and Scottish Unions wanting to avoid the possibility of four Irish and four South African teams monopolising the eight Champions Cup places from the URC.

With hindsight, it’s just as well, as Wales would be in serious danger of missing out altogether if it was straight meritocracy, with the top eight qualifying, given all four regions are in the bottom half of the 16-strong league. Under the new system, they are guaranteed having at least one side on board. As a result, it means there’s still plenty to play for this season, with the race now on to see who will fly the flag for Wales in the elite Euro event next term.

At present, the ninth-placed Ospreys are in pole position as the leading Welsh team. Based on how the table looks at present, they would qualify along with Leinster, Ulster, Munster, Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Stormers and the Bulls. They would nip in ahead of the Sharks, who lie eighth. But it’s pretty tight between the top three Welsh teams and there are still a number of games to be played, including a host of pivotal derbies.

The Ospreys are out in front at the moment on 30 points, but the Scarlets are just three behind on 27, with a game in hand, while Cardiff are on 23 with two matches to spare. Realistically, the Dragons are out of the equation, down on 11 points, but they could still have a big say in the final shake-up as they are involved in four derbies.

Even though we are almost into April, both they and Cardiff still have seven league matches to play, due to a succession of postponements through both Covid and bad weather. So there are loads of points still up for grabs.

It makes the forthcoming derbies all the more intriguing. The Scarlets take on Cardiff in back to back matches over the next two weekends and face a further double header with the Dragons before travelling to the Ospreys. Dai Young’s Arms Park outfit also have five derbies coming up, so a lot can happen over the next month or so.

With no Judgement Day this year, Cardiff will now have real home advantage for their April 23 meeting with the Ospreys, rather than the more neutral setting of the Principality Stadium and that will be a welcome boost for them with so much at stake.

It is still possible for Wales to have more than one team in the Champions Cup. With so many games left to play, you could yet have two regions forcing their way into the top eight. There’s also the possibility of Cardiff securing qualification via the Challenge Cup. The winners of that event will go through to the top tier tournament if they haven’t already booked a spot via their league.

They have a long way to go on that front, with a last 16 tie against as yet unknown opposition lined up for the weekend of April 15-17. But they do have history in the competition, having won it twice before, so you never know.

Either way, there is much to play for as local rivalries take centre stage, with a trophy - the Welsh Shield - up for grabs for the top region, along with that all-important Champions Cup qualification.

REMAINING URC FIXTURES

Ospreys

Saturday, April 2 - Stormers (a, 5.15pm)

Saturday, April 23 - Cardiff (a, 5.15pm)

Saturday, April 30 - Scarlets (h, 5.15pm)

Sunday, May 8 - Dragons (h, 3pm)

Friday, May 20 - Bulls (h, 8.10pm)

Scarlets

Saturday, April 2 - Cardiff (h, 7.35pm)

Saturday, April 9 - Cardiff (a, 3.10pm)

Saturday, April 16 - Dragons (h, 7.35pm)

Saturday, April 23 - Dragons (a, 3pm)