How things stand in Pool 1 of the Investec Champions Cup ahead of the final round of pool fixtures.
The top four in each six-team pool progress to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition, with the fifth-placed team dropping down to the EPCR Challenge Cup.
In Pool 1, the Glasgow Warriors and Sale Sharks have qualified for the knockouts and their focus this weekend will be on securing home advantage.
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It is a three-way fight for the two remaining Champions Cup playoff spots. In pole position is Saracens with 10 log points, followed by Toulouse with seven and the Sharks on five. Clermont (zero) are out of the running.
The Sharks have banked on beating Clermont at Kings Park on Saturday, which is why they sent a team minus their leading Springboks to face Sale in Manchester where they went down 26-10.
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Whether JP Pietersen’s men squeeze into the round of 16 depends on that Clermont clash as well as what happens in the other Pool 1 matches between Toulouse and Sale in France, and Glasgow and Saracens in Scotland.
Toulouse have lost their last two Champions Cup matches – against Glasgow at Scotstoun Stadium and Saracens in London – and had mixed recent success in the Top 14 but will be expected to beat Sale. Saracens need just a point from their clash with Glasgow to qualify.
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The Durbanites are also hampered by a massive 72 points difference between themselves and Toulouse in the fourth and final playoff spot.
In a worst-case scenario, the Sharks finish in their current position and drop down to the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
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