Yahoo Sports What do Welsh sides need for Challenge Cup progress?
It is crunch time for the four Welsh regions in the final round of the European Challenge Cup pool stage this weekend.
Cardiff, Dragons and Scarlets hope to reach the knockouts, while Ospreys are bidding for a home tie in the last 16.
The final will be held in Cardiff in late May and the quartet of Welsh professional sides will be hoping an extended European cup run could lead to a Principality Stadium appearance.
Challenge Cup knockout scenario
Connacht, Montpellier, Pau, Ospreys and Edinburgh have already qualified for the last 16 and will be joined by 11 more clubs by Sunday evening in the knockout stages.
There are nine games in the final round of Challenge Cup pool matches with 12 teams qualifying for the last 16 from the second tier group stages and four sides dropping down from the Champions Cup.
The four highest-ranked clubs in each of the three Challenge Cup groups will progress alongside the fifth-ranked clubs from the four Champions Cup sections.
In terms of knockout stages rankings, the clubs will be put in descending order based on their placings in their pool and then on the number of match points they have accumulated to create an overall list from 1 to 16.
The Challenge Cup pool winners will be ranked one to three with the top two teams having potential home advantage until the final.
The second-placed sides will be between four to six and the two highest-ranked third-placed clubs will be placed at seven and eight. Those eight sides will have home advantage.
The four teams that drop down from the Champions Cup will be ranked nine to 12 and the remaining quartet of Challenge Cup sides who have qualified will make up the final four spots from 13 to 16.
Pool 1 - Cardiff target home knockout tie
If Cardiff defeat Connacht they know they will finish in the top four of Pool One and qualify for the last 16 in April.
That will be the scenario whatever happens when Lyon host Cheetahs on Saturday and when Zebre entertain Perpignan the following day.
Connacht are already guaranteed to finish top of the pool having gained a maximum 15 points from three games so far.
So the Irish province have already booked a home knockout which Cardiff are also hoping to emulate.
For that to happen, Matt Sherratt's side need to finish second in their group or be one of the best two three-placed finishers from the overall three pools.
Fixtures:
Friday, 17 January - Cardiff v Connacht (20:00 GMT)
Saturday, 18 January - Lyon v Cheetahs (17:30 GMT)
Sunday, 19 January - Zebre v Perpignan (15:15 GMT)
Pool 2 - Can Dragons join already qualified Ospreys?
Ospreys have already qualified for the knockout stages for the second consecutive season.
Mark Jones' side now face a straight shootout with Pau over finishing in second place to guarantee a home draw in the last 16.
That could also occur if Mark Jones' side finish as one of the two best third-placed finishers.
Dragons will aim to make it two Welsh sides from Pool Two in the last 16 with a winner-takes-all game with Lions in Johannesburg.
Filo Tiatia's side will need to avoid defeat and sneak into the knockout stages.
A draw would put them through on points difference, with a try bonus-point needed by the visitors if the Lions cross the Dragons line four times.
Fixtures:
Friday, 17 January - Newcastle v Montpellier (20:00 GMT)
Saturday, 18 January - Pau v Ospreys (13:00 GMT), Lions v Dragons (15:15 GMT)
Pool 3 - Qualification in Scarlets' hands
Again there is any easy equation for a Welsh side. If Scarlets beat Vannes they will qualify for the last 16 with an outside chance of a home knockout match depending on other results.
If Scarlets draw and collect a four-try bonus point with no bonus point for Vannes, both teams will finish on nine points so the French side would stay above Scarlets on points difference.
Sunday's encounter between Bayonne and Gloucester could also have a big bearing on the pool if Scarlets and Vannes have drawn.
If Bayonne lose to Gloucester with no match points and Scarlets have reached nine points, Dwayne Peel's side would finish above the French side on points difference.
Fixtures:
Saturday, 18 January - Scarlets v Vannes (17:30 GMT)
Sunday, 19 January - Bayonne v Gloucester (13:00 GMT), Edinburgh v Black Lion (13:00 GMT)
