Only six matches remain, and teams on the cusp can hear the proverbial clock ticking on their chances to make the knockout phases of the three events Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup and D’Orsi Seniors Bowl.

Barring unexpected collapses, some teams are virtually certain to still be playing after round robin play ends on Saturday.

Looking good in the Bermuda Bowl are the leaders after 15 matches, defending champion Norway, followed by Italy (29-4 losers to USA2 on Thursday) in second place, only 2.25 victory points clear of fifth place. No team wants to be worse than eighth the last qualifying spot for the KO phase. A couple of days ago, the gap between eighth and ninth in the standings was significant. With six matches to go, No. 9 is only 1 VP out of eighth.

In the Venice Cup, China Long Zhu has a 2-VP lead on France. The others in the top eight are tightly bunched, and No. 9 Indonesia is only 1 VP behind.

In the D’Orsi Seniors Bowl, England’s once-formidable lead is now down to 6.5 VPs over Belgium, with USA2 3.5 VPs behind them in third place. Canada and Italy, tied for ninth, are close enough to have hope for KO play.