However, there will still be plenty of jostling for places, with the big question being whether the Stormers can avoid a trip to either Durban or Pretoria for their first game of the knockouts.
While some may say having two South African teams playing each other in the quarters means guaranteed representation in the semi-finals, others would prefer the local sides to avoid each other in the last eight if possible.
Here's how it could all unfold in the final weekend of the URC's regular season...
Bulls (Dragons in Pretoria)
Current position: 2nd
Best possible finish: 2nd
Worst possible finish: 4th
The Bulls cannot catch Leinster at the top of the table, but are likely to finish second and get a favourable quarter-final.
They could be usurped by Glasgow if the Warriors score five competition points and the Bulls score none, but Glasgow play Leinster and therefore will be struggling to get a result of that magnitude, and the Dragons have only won one URC match all season so the Bulls should ease to victory at Loftus on Saturday.
Four points would not be enough for Glasgow even if the Bulls get none, because if two teams are tied on the log, it's the teams with more wins that would finish higher - Bulls have 13 wins and Glasgow have 11, so the Scots can't catch Jake White's side.
The Bulls could also be caught by the Sharks, but again would need to lose by a handsome margin and the Sharks would have to hammer Wales' Scarlets.
Sharks (Scarlets in Durban)
Current position: 4th
Best possible finish: 2nd
Worst possible finish: 4th
The Sharks are eight points clear of the Stormers in fifth place, and therefore are guaranteed a home quarter-final in the next stage of the competition.
It's extremely unlikely that they would be able to catch the Bulls in second place, as the Bulls currently have a points difference of 141, and the Sharks have 25. So they would need a swing of nearly 120 points to catch their rivals.
However, the men from Durban are in with a shout of finishing third if they beat the Scarlets and Glasgow don't get a good enough result against Leinster.
The Sharks are currently a point behind the Warriors and have more competition victories than the Scottish side, so if they get a bonus-point win, Glasgow would have to beat Leinster with a bonus point as well in order to finish third.
While there's not much difference between third and fourth, it would likely mean John Plumtree's side would avoid a quarter-final against the Stormers if they nab third place.
Stormers (Cardiff in Cape Town)
Current position: 5th
Best possible finish: 5th
Worst possible finish: 8th
The Stormers are in a slightly precarious position in that there are only four points between them and ninth place, but they are saved by the fact that this weekend Munster, currently in eighth place, play Benetton, who are seventh.
Both are four competition points behind the Cape Town side and so the Stormers are guaranteed a quarter-final regardless of their result against Cardiff. However, finishing eighth would mean a trip to Dublin to play Leinster in the last eight, and that is a prospect every team wants to avoid.
If the Stormers win, no team can catch them in fifth. If they lose, however, they will likely need to pack their passports for a trip to Glasgow. That was in fact the same quarter-final in last year's URC and it was won by the eventual champions Glasgow, so the Stormers will know it would not be a game for underestimating the opposition.
There is still a good chance that Leinster could lose to the Warriors, but without a Champions Cup final to think about, the Irish province won't have to spare swathes of their talented squad members this weekend.
Lions (Ospreys in Johannesburg)
Current position: 13th
Best possible finish: 11th
Worst possible finish: 14th
The Lions are not going to make the quarter-finals no matter what happens, but will still want to make a statement against the Ospreys this weekend. They were the only South African side to lose to Welsh opposition last weekend, and will want to rectify that this Saturday.
