Scrambling for the line!

It's that time of year again, when teams over Europe sweat over probability charts and calculators trying to work out if they can still make it to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

It's that time of year again! That time of year when several teams over Europe sweat over probability charts and calculators trying to work out if they can still make it to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

But fear not dear reader, we've made it easy for you. We've broken down who needs what on the final weekend of action… and what we think will happen!

The top eight teams qualify – six pool winners and the best runners-up. If teams are equal on points they are sorted on tries scored.

Some things are pretty much certain: Two teams from Clermont, the Ospreys and Leicester will qualify from Pool Three, for example, unless Clermont somehow lose in Italy.

Teams still in with a shout, their current points and what they need to do:

Munster 20 – Simple. A win over Northampton will see them through, as would a draw.

Leinster 20 – Just as simple. A win over London Irish is required for the champions. Even a bonus point defeat would be enough

Toulouse 19 – Already qualified as Pool winners.

Biarritz 18 – Already qualified as Pool winners.

Northampton 18 – A win over Munster would be enough. A defeat leaves them relying on other results, as does a draw.

Leicester 17 – Need to beat the Ospreys with a bonus point to guarantee qualification, a mere win would leave them needing Clermont to not get a bonus point win over Viadana. But a win will see them through either as Pool winners or one of the best runners-up

Stade Francais 17 – Need to beat Edinburgh in Scotland next week to guarantee their passage, or a defeat for Ulster at Bath would work too. A defeat with a bonus point would only be enough if Northampton lost heavily in Munster.

Clermont 16 – Should get a bonus point win in Viadana, then they wait for Leicester. But a bonus point win for Leicester would still leave them as likely best runners-up.

Ospreys 16 – Need to beat Leicester with a bonus point to guarantee qualification, a mere win would leave them through as one of the best runners-up unless Clermont somehow failed to beat Viadana.

London Irish 15 – Beating Leinster well, with a bonus point and with Leinster empty-handed, means they get through. Any less leaves them sweating on others, a defeat leaves them out. But a win and a pointless defeat for Northampton would be enough.

Ulster 13 – A bonus point win over Bath, and defeat for Stade Francais in Edinburgh, gets them through as Pool winners. A bonus point win, a pointless defeat for Northampton in Munster, anything less than a bonus point win for Sale, Cardiff and the Scarlets and defeat for London Irish at home to Leinster also would see them through.

Sale 13 – A bonus point win over Toulouse, a pointless defeat for Northampton in Munster, anything less than a bonus point win for Ulster, Cardiff and the Scarlets and defeat for London Irish at home to Leinster would see them through.

Cardiff 13 – A bonus point win over Quins, a pointless defeat for Northampton in Munster, anything less than a bonus point win for Sale, Ulster and the Scarlets and defeat for London Irish at home to Leinster would see them through.

Scarlets 13 – A bonus point win over Brive, a pointless defeat for Northampton in Munster, anything less than a bonus point win for Sale, Cardiff and Ulster and defeat for London Irish at home to Leinster would see them through.

Our predicted quarter-final line-up:

Leinster v Northampton
Munster v Leicester
Biarritz v Stade Francais
Clermont v Toulouse

But don't ask us how we got there… don't you just love the Heineken Cup?!