Connacht face a tough challenge this Friday when they take on second-placed Cardiff Blues in the penultimate game of the Magners League season at the Sportsground (kick off: 6.30pm).

When these two sides last met at the Arms Park in October, the game remained a tight contest with 65 minutes gone, as Connacht led 14-16.

However, what happened next typified Connacht's fortunes to date in the league, losing two players to the sin-bin within just five minutes. Cardiff took full advantage, coming away with a flattering 30-16 scoreline.

That result could well make the difference between Heineken Cup qualification and missing out on the premier European competition. Had the pivotal clash gone the other way, Connacht would now be level on points with Ulster going into Friday's contest.

A loss on Friday and all thoughts of Heineken Cup qualification goes out the window for another season, but a win will see the race for the final spot in next year's competition run right down to the wire the following week, when Connacht take on the Ospreys.

Finishing the season with two home games is definitely a positive for Connacht, although playing two Welsh sides back-to-back – in a season when Welsh rugby is flying high after the international side won a Six Nations Grand Slam – represents a difficult finale to the campaign.

Having had a week off with the European semi-finals taking place last weekend, Connacht 'A' entertained a fully-professional Russian side at the Sportsground last Tuesday. Enisei STM boasted a host of Russian, Kazakstan and Latvian internationals, but that was not enough to overcome a second-string Connacht side, which finished the match with five of their U19 side as well as several players returning from injury.

Connacht eventually won 34-18 and will be boosted by the news that Samoan brothers, Ray Ofisa and Ofisa Treviranus, both came through the game without aggravating their respective arm and leg injuries, linking up twice to help score Connacht's opening two tries. Backrow Mike McCarthy also had a fine match, playing at No.8 for the first time for any Connacht side and he is expected to return for Friday's game following his four-week suspension.

The Blues haven't won in Galway since January 2005, drawing the corresponding fixture last season 16- 16 and losing the year before 13-9.

Interestingly, should they lose again on Friday, one would imagine they'd have even more motivation to end their season on a winning note, and their final game just so happens to be in Ravenhill against Ulster, Connacht's main rivals in the race for the last Heineken Cup spot.

So a win for Connacht on Friday could well have the desired knock-on effect of making Ulster's encounter with the Blues all the more competitive.

With two games left to play in Galway and three in Belfast, there are still too many permutations to work out before anything is decided, and Connacht eyes will have more than a casual interest in tonight's match between Ulster and Munster.

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