The Permutations: Seven clubs in with a semi-final shout

St Mary's: Victory at home to Con today would ensure a home semi-final for Mary's, as most probably would a draw or two bonus points. Even one bonus point would probably be enough to ensure a semi-final place and possibly even a home draw. Defeat could see them miss out, but only if Terenure, Lansdowne and Garryowen all win, and Cork Con overtake them by picking up a bonus point as well.

Terenure: Victory away to DLSP would ensure a home semi-final, as most probably would a draw or two bonus points - unless St Mary's stay ahead of them and either Lansdowne and Garryowen win while also accruing a bonus point. Defeat, though, especially without a bonus point, could see them miss out altogether were Lansdowne, Garryowen and Cork Con to win.

Lansdowne: Victory at home to Young Munster would almost certainly ensure Lansdowne of a semi-final place - unless Terenure stay above them, Garryowen overtook them with a 11-points greater winning margin or a five-point haul, and the Templeville Road result contrived to leave St Mary's and Con on 33 points. They could still make the top four in defeat, but would then probably need a clear winner in the Garryowen-Ballymena match and St Mary's to beat Con.

Garryowen: A win at home to Ballymena would probably be enough to earn a place in the play-offs, barring wins for Terenure and Lansdowne, and a Con win at Templeville Road which contrived to give them and St Mary's bonus points. But were a Garryowen victory to come with a bonus point it certainly would. Defeat would probably see them miss out, as Ballymena would then overtake them, and so too would Con if they won at St Mary's.

Cork Con: Realistically, they must win at Templeville Road and even then victory in itself might not be enough for the holders to make the top four cut. For they would also need Terenure or Lansdowne to trip up. A win of more than seven points, garnished by four tries and denying St Mary's a bonus point, would get them there though. Defeat (unless it came with two bonus points and defeats for Garryowen and Lansdowne) would see them miss out.

Ballymena: Victory at Garryowen (who they would then move above) coupled with a defeat for either Lansdowne or Cork Con, would see Ballymena squeeze in, and if it came with a bonus point their chances would be greatly enhanced as they could conceivably overetake Terenure and St Mary's as well. A loss and they are out.

Young Munster: A forlorn hope really. Need not only to win but, because of their poor points differential, pick up a bonus point as well, preferably while denying Lansdowne a bonus point and hoping that St Mary's beat Con and the Garryowen-Ballymena game produces a clear 8 pts-plus winner. Even a win almost certainly wouldn't be enough.