Connacht head into a crucial series of games in January which will start this Friday evening when they take on Leinster at the RDS (7.30pm). Michael Bradley's men will be bidding to complete the first double over Leinster since the professional era started in 1995. Leinster, defeated 19-18 when they visited the Sportsground in early October, will be out for revenge in a game which will be broadcast live on Setanta.

The Leinster tie will be the first of four key matches in the month of January for Connacht, with the Scarlets visiting the Sportsground on January 9.

Connacht will be hoping to exact some measure of revenge in that clash having gone down 45-3 in the final Magners League game to be played at Stradey Park back in September.

Connacht will then turn their attention to the European Challenge Cup when they will bid to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in three years.

Connacht have made it to the last eight on five occasions — twice making it to the semi-finals — and hopes are high that they can again qualify for the quarter-finals in April.

Connacht will travel to play London Irish on Saturday, January 18 (3pm), but they will face an uphill battle against the Guinness Premiership leaders.

However, victory the following week at home to Dax on Friday, January 24 (6.30pm) should be enough to secure one of the best runners-up spots for Connacht.

After that, Connacht's season will be disrupted for the RBS Six Nations with just games away to the Ospreys on February 20 and at home to Cardiff Blues on March 6, before more regular action returns at the end of March when they travel to play Edinburgh.

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