Breaking the deadlock

With just two league rounds remaining, rugby365 looks at how teams qualify for the European Cup play-offs and how deadlocks will be broken!

Pool winners

The pool winner will be the club with the highest number of match points in each pool. The best-placed runners-up will be the two clubs with the highest number of match points out of the six clubs that finish second in their respective pools. For the quarterfinals, the pool winners will be ranked No.1 to No.6 and the best-placed runners-up No.7 and No.8.

Clubs in the same pool

If two or more clubs in the same pool are equal on match points, their qualification/ ranking will be determined by the matches played between the relevant clubs as follows:

(a) the club with the greater number of match points from the matches

(b) the club that scored the most tries in the matches

(c) the club with the best aggregate points difference from the matches

Clubs from different pools

If still unresolved and/or if clubs have not played each other previously in the pool stage, qualification/ranking will be determined as follows:

(a) the number of tries scored in the pool stage

(b) the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage

(c) the club with the fewest number of players suspended for incidents in the pool stage

(d) by drawing lots

Clubs ranked No.1 to No.4 will have home advantage.

The quarterfinals will be: Club One v Club Eight; Club Two v Club Seven; Club Three v Club Six; Club Four v Club Five