As the European Rugby Challenge Cup enters the final round of the pool stages, four of the five Guinness PRO14 teams are still in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Qualification is still on the line though, and with only the five group winners and three best runners-up going through, teams will need to be at their very best if they wish to continue their European campaigns. Here are all the permutations heading into round six. POOL 1 – DRAGONS Dragons take on Clermont Auvergne on Friday but the Guinness PRO14 side know they are already out of the competition. Two wins and three losses from their five Challenge Cup games has left them placed third in the pool coming into the last game and six points adrift of Northampton Saints. With knockout phase qualification impossible, Dragons’ attention may turn back to their domestic clash against Munster at Rodney Parade on January 26. Ceri Jones, who has been placed in charge of Dragons until the end of the season, earned a rare win against Ospreys at the end of last year and will be hoping a win can put further distance between themselves and Isuzu Southern Kings at the foot of the table. Dragons 🏉 ✔ @dragonsrugby 📝 CONFIRMED | @dragonsrugby reveal Ceri Jones has been appointed Head Coach until the end of the current 2018⁄19 season… 👇 ➡️ http://dragonsrugby.wales/News/Article/54040 …#BringYourFire 🔥 View image on Twitter 297 06:40 - 14 Jan 2019 Twitter Ads information and privacy 42 people are talking about this POOL 2 – OSPREYS There is only one potential qualification spot up for grabs in Pool 2 after Worcester Warriors booked a place in the next round as the pool winners with their win over Ospreys in round five. Ospreys were downed by a last-minute Ryan Mills drop goal that day, meaning their only hope of progression is to win Saturday’s game against bottom-of-the-pool Pau. With a home quarter-final off the table, the best Ospreys can hope for is one of the three available best runner-up spots and even with a win, they will need results elsewhere to be finish up in their favour. Ospreys ✔ @ospreys TryTuesday Ahead of this weekend’s game against @SectionPaloise we took a look back at this try from @morgan_harri back in October, who became the first Osprey player born in this century to make his debut …. and score a try 💪🏉#OurBloodIsBlack Embedded video 11 18:10 - 15 Jan 2019 Twitter Ads information and privacy See Ospreys’s other Tweets POOL 3 – CONNACHT Connacht Rugby come into round five sitting level on points with Sale Sharks at the top of the pool. The Irish province clinched victory over Sale in round five to ensure the battle for top spot will go down to the wire. A win over Bordeaux-Begles this weekend would almost certainly guarantee Connacht a spot in the quarter-finals but they will be looking over their shoulders at results elsewhere. At the AJ Bell Stadium, Sale face a Perpignan side that have yet to win in Europe, but failure to beat them would hand Connacht top spot. Connacht Rugby ✔ @connachtrugby GALLERY 📸 | The build up is continuing to Saturday’s European Challenge Cup pool finale with Bordeaux in France. Check out some of the best pics from today’s training at The Sportsground ➡️ http://fal.cn/r10v View image on Twitter 40 19:00 - 15 Jan 2019 Twitter Ads information and privacy See Connacht Rugby’s other Tweets POOL 4 – ZEBRE Pool 4 has been reduced to a three-horse-race with Enisei-STM only able to record a solitary point from their five games. Meanwhile top spot is unattainable for Zebre after losing to current occupants La Rochelle in the last round. Zebre can still progress in one of the three best runner-up positions, but they have to win the reverse fixture this weekend, this time on home soil. Bristol Bears currently have a two-point advantage over Zebre meaning that the Italians will have to hope that Enisei-STM can produce a shock result in order to leapfrog them and have the best chance of qualification. Zebre Rugby Club 🦓 ✔ @ZebreRugby La classifica del girone 4 della coppa europea 🇪🇺 @ERChallengeCup dopo il penultimo turno. Sabato prossimo 19 Gennaio il girone si chiuderà con le due gare in contemporanea alle ore 16#ZEBvSR 🇮🇹 vs🇫🇷 allo Stadio Lanfranchi di Parma#BRIvENI 🏴vs 🇷🇺@ashtongatestad di Bristol https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1084733116403630081 … Challenge Cup ✔ @ERChallengeCup 📈 POOL 4 STANDINGS 📈 A thumping win in Russia leaves @BristolBears with a fighting chance of qualification 💪 But @staderochelais top Pool 4 after victory over @ZebreRugby 👌#ChallengeCupRugby View image on Twitter 9 12:38 - 14 Jan 2019 Twitter Ads information and privacy See Zebre Rugby Club 🦓’s other Tweets POOL 5 – BENETTON RUGBY Benetton have found themselves on a good run of form of late that’s put them in good contention to top the pool. The Italians showed their mettle against Agen in round five with a hat-trick from Tito Tebaldi helping them overcome their French opposition 38-24. Currently second in the pool, one point behind Harlequins and six ahead of Agen and Grenoble, Benetton need a win to give themselves a shot at progressing. In order to finish as pool winners they will need to ensure victory over Grenoble and hope that Agen are too hot for Harlequins to handle. Benetton Rugby 🦁 ✔ @BenettonRugby 🗣️ Federico #Ruzza: “A Grenoble ci aspetta una gara dura soprattutto sul piano fisico” 🦁 Il seconda linea biancoverde presenta il 6° round di @ERChallengeCup in programma venerdì 18 Gennaio alle ore 19:45 contro il Grenoble. 📺 Gara in diretta su @DAZN_IT Embedded video 10 15:33 - 15 Jan 2019 Twitter Ads information and privacy See Benetton Rugby 🦁’s other Tweets
