Forget Ulster, new twist in play-off saga suggests

THE Ospreys could face Benetton rather than Ulster in their Champions Cup play-off with the complicated qualification process taking a new twist.

There has been much debate on the various permutations for deciding who fills the remaining vacant spots in Europe’s elite event next season.

And now the situation has been clarified with a decision which may yet have a bearing on the Ospreys.

They have been working on the basis that they will be facing Ulster in Belfast on the weekend of May 18-19 to decide the seventh representative from the Guinness PRO14.

But that could yet change due to the complex way the 20th qualifier for Europe’s top tier tournament is decided.

That spot is supposed to go to the Champions Cup winners, but both finalists – Leinster and Racing 92 – have already booked their places via their respective league positions.

You then, in theory, look to the Challenge Cup finalists or semi-finalists to provide the 20th team.

But if all four of them – Cardiff Blues, Gloucester, Pau and Newcastle – qualify through their leagues, another mechanism comes into place.

That involves the winners of the Champions Cup earning an additional spot for their league.

So if Leinster were to win the final in Bilbao, that could mean the PRO14 having an eighth team on board.

If that happened, it’s been decided Ulster would progress automatically as the seventh side, being the team with the highest points not to have qualified.

There would then be a play-off for the additional eighth place between