With just four rounds of the Guinness PRO14 season to go, 11 teams are still fighting to secure seeding and home advantage for the Final Series – including Ospreys. The Welsh outfit are still in with a shout of making it out of Conference A but will have to be near-perfect if they want to make it through. But Allen Clarke’s men know what they need to do, and it begins with a win in their Round 18 match at home to Dragons. Clarke’s side find themselves eight points adrift of Cardiff Blues, despite having one less win, due to the team from the Welsh capital’s ability to pick up those crucial bonus points. The two sides face off in the final round of action, with the pair and Irish side Connacht likely to be fighting it out for the crucial third qualification spot in their division. What does their remaining schedule look like? If Ospreys could choose who to face going into the final four weekends of action, it would not be far off the teams they will face – and they will hope to get 20 points from the 20 available. Round 18’s fixture against Conference B’s bottom side Scarlets could yield a win before they make a trip to South Africa. A win over Toyota Cheetahs in Round 19 would go a long way to prevent any chance of them dropping down Conference A, as a win would extend the gap between the two sides. The final two rounds will be all about grinding out the necessary wins – particularly on the final weekend, with a trip to the Welsh capital against Cardiff Blues on the agenda. Ospreys run-in: R18: Dragons (H) Saturday, March 23, 15:00 R19: Toyota Cheetahs (A) Saturday, April 6, 16:30 R20: Isuzu Southern Kings (A) Friday, April 12, 19:35 R21: Cardiff Blues (A) Saturday, April 27, 17:15 Who are going to be the difference-makers if Ospreys can reach the Guinness PRO14 Final Series? Justin Tipuric is now in his 10th season with the Ospreys and his influence from the back row could be an integral part of any charge into the knock-out rounds. He has been in stellar form in his club jersey this term, scoring four tries in nine Guinness PRO14 starts in 2018-19. Once he returns from Wales duty, the Ospreys will look to him to be one of the main men as they hunt down as many points as possible. Owen Watkin could be crucial in the backline as he looks to come back into the Ospreys fold having last featured in the Guinness PRO14 in December. The inside centre has been dangerous in his appearances for Wales this spring and had impressed for his club prior to the turn of the year, tackling hard and carrying with purpose. There are a host of experienced internationals the Ospreys can hope to fall back on to carry them to the end of the season – with any of George North, Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Lydiate able to step up to inspire a victory against any opponent. What’s the ‘must-win’ game for the Ospreys? The Ospreys’ final-round match-up with Cardiff Blues may be the one to decide which team makes it into the Finals Series. It could be a straight shoot-out between the two as they both push for a berth in the knock-out rounds. Ospreys will be hoping they will know what is needed on the final weekend of action thanks to a game in the preceding earlier round. Their requirements may well be decided in Round 20 when the Blues and fellow Finals Series rivals Connacht do battle at the Sportsground. Can Ospreys go all the way if they reach the Guinness PRO14 Final Series? As the second-most successful team in the competition’s history, the Ospreys definitely have the pedigree to make it to the competition’s climax. Their four wins is only bettered by Leinster, but they last lifted the trophy at the end of the 2011-12 season. They undoubted have the quality in their squad, with the likes of Lydiate, North and Jones all veterans with international calibre, but their patchy form up until now means they will be underdogs to make it through. One thing worth remembering is that the Ospreys have never lost a final when they have made it there – with four wins from their four finals appearances.
