On the 27th of April 2019, over 40,000 people will pour into the Principality Stadium to watch a double header containing four teams that hold no hopes of making it to the Pro14 playoffs this season, that is unless Benneton suffer a shock defeat to Zebre. It’s been very much a season of ups and downs for Welsh rugby, from panicking about project reset to winning a 6 Nations grand slam a week later. However, Judgement Day affords the chance for Welsh rugby to end on a high.

The possibility of getting in the Champions Cup is possible for Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and Scarlets, and it’s entirely possible we might see two of them play off for that last qualification spot at the end of the season. Before that though, there is rugby to play.

The first game is Dragons vs Scarlets and you would be very brave to back the “home” team here. Scarlets have had a season which falls below their standards and still having something to fight for, they’ll want to send their coaches and departing players off having rescued something from the season. Dragons have had yet another season to forget, and you wouldn’t blame them for having very little in the tank left against Scarlets. A win for Scarlets would see them pass Edinburgh and move into 4th place (The coveted Champions Cup playoff spot), provided Edinburgh lose to Glasgow in the Scottish derby. If Scarlets get a bonus point win, they can still pip Edinburgh to 4th even if Edinburgh win, provided they don’t also get a bonus point.

The battle for 4th in Conference A is a lot more direct for Cardiff Blues and Ospreys, with the winner on Judgement Day taking the spoils. It’s also a match that’s much more difficult to call, with Cardiff Blues struggling recently after a mid-season boom, and never being able to count the Ospreys out in a heated derby. With both teams knowing that victory is vital to playing top-level rugby next season, passions will be stirred and nerves will be tested.

Going back to Conference B, and aside from Edinburgh and Glasgow, there’s one other result which could totally shift the fortunes of one Welsh region. Zebre host Benetton, who currently sit in 3rd, for what is possibly the most important Italian derby in the history of the competition. A win for Benetton would confirm them as a playoff side for the first time ever. However, Zebre can never be dismissed easily in Parma, and a win for them and Glasgow could actually see Scarlets take Benetton’s playoff place away from them and occupy it themselves, giving them a free ticket to the Champions Cup next season in the process.

How does this affect Conference A? The above scenario would mean Ospreys or Cardiff Blues playing against either Benetton or Edinburgh (Bonus points and points difference have very big parts to play at this point of the season) for that last qualifying spot. For Wales, it would mean the chance of having two teams in Europe’s top competition next season. This year, Judgement Day won’t just be confined to the Principality Stadium.