Overview
- Following Friday’s decisive round, Glasgow edged Ulster 26-22 in Belfast to finish first, Cardiff beat the Stormers 22-16 to book a berth, and Connacht thumped Edinburgh 26-5 to secure the last of the new quarter-final spots.
- Ulster’s defeat confirmed the Lions in the top eight regardless of their Saturday trip to Munster at Thomond Park.
- Cardiff’s bonus-point win lifted them to fourth for now, while the Stormers sit second but would slip to third if Leinster beat the Ospreys in Dublin.
- Leinster need a win, or a draw with a try bonus point, to lock down second place and home advantage for the quarter-final.
- Team availability is in flux heading into the knockout phase, with the Bulls restoring Springboks Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar and captain Ruan Nortjé, the Lions losing Ruan Venter to a knee injury as Asenathi Ntlabakanye serves an 18‑month doping ban, and Ulster still awaiting Iain Henderson’s disciplinary outcome.