AFTER finishing eighth in the last two seasons, Edinburgh have a chance of slipping into the top six of the PRO12 and claiming the place in the Champions Cup that goes with that upper-half finish. If they are going to succeed, however, they may well have to do it the hard way, by getting the better of Munster tonight then Cardiff next week.

Those three teams are locked together in a mid-table mini-league. Edinburgh are in sixth spot at the moment, ahead of the Irish province only on points differential, while Cardiff are a point behind in eighth.

The Blues play Ospreys tomorrow before visiting Murrayfield a week later. Munster’s last game is at home to Scarlets - who, although five points clear in fifth place, could still be caught. There is everything still to play for, although, like Glasgow, Edinburgh know that if they win both their remaining games they will not have to worry about what happens elsewhere.

“You look at the table and how close it is, it’s make or break,” openside flanker John Hardie said. “To make the top six would be awesome and I think this is one of the most important games we’ve had this year.

“There’s a lot at stake for both teams, so we’re going to be up for it. We’re looking forward to it, and I’m sure they are as well.

“From now on it’s the Last-Chance Saloon sort of mind-set. We know that we have to win the next two games. This one is really important to them, too, so it’s going to be a great showdown.”

Irish Independent Park, the Cork venue for tonight’s game, is not nearly as intimidating a venue as Thomond Park in Limerick, Munster’s other home ground. Nor are the province the force they were a few years back, when a fight for something so lowly as sixth would be seen as failure. But Edinburgh have found it hard to win on the road this season whatever the venue, and they will need to be at their best to pull off the win.

Alan Solomons has made three changes to his team from their last outing, the narrow defeat at Leinster. Matt Scott and Andries Strauss come in at centre, replacing Chris Dean and the injured Phil Burleigh, and Sean Kennedy starts at scrum-half in place of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.

“It's a massive game,” the head coach said. “Munster will come out all guns blazing. They're a very proud province - they'll be very determined and physical.”

Jason Tovey, who has been an important addition to the ranks since joining on loan from the Dragons, again starts at stand-off. His loan runs out at the end of May, but, although Duncan Weir is arriving from Glasgow, Solomons hopes he can keep the Welshman next season.

“I've been very happy with Jason,” he said. “He's fitted in beautifully. Obviously he forms part of what we want to do going forward.

“It's all under discussion at the moment and I'd rather leave it there. All I'll say about Jason is I've been very happy with him. He's a very good player: he's fitted in well and he’s happy.”

Tovey and his team-mates will be even happier, of course, if Edinburgh win tonight then go on to ensure that Champions Cup spot by beating Cardiff next week. Solomons argues that his side have already made significant progress this season because some of his most promising young players have have gained valuable experience, but the most significant measure of improvement remains the final league table.

Edinburgh (v Munster at Irish Independent Park, tonight, 7.35pm): B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, M Scott, A Strauss, T Brown; J Tovey, S Kennedy; A Dickinson, R Ford, W Nel, A Bresler, B Toolis, J Ritchie, J Hardie, C du Preez. Substitutes: S McInally, R Sutherland, J Andress, A Toolis, M Bradbury, S Hidalgo-Clyne, C Dean, D Fife.

Munster: S Zebo; A Conway, F Salli, R Scannell, K Earls; J Holland, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, S Archer, D Foley, B Holland, D O’Callaghan, T O’Donnell, C Stander. Substitutes: M Sherry, J Cronin, J Ryan, R Copeland, J O’Donoghue, D WIlliams, I Keatley, R O’Mahony.