Connacht eye top seeding in last eight

CONNACHT coach Michael Bradley is delighted his side – remarkably now the only unbeaten team in Europe – have their fate in their own hands as they conclude their Amlin Challenge Cup pool in Spain today.

Connacht will finish the pool as top seeds for the quarter-finals if they defeat Olympus Madrid, following Wasps’ 19-17 loss to Racing Metro in Paris on Thursday night.

A bonus point win for Wasps would have secured top spot but they lost their unbeaten record, although they will still qualify.

“That was always going to be a tough match for them and, as we saw against Montpellier last week, home advantage can be decisive in those sort of games.

“But we can now control our own destiny and finish as the number one seeds and that is a great return,” said Bradley, whose side only once before topped a pool in the competition, and who have never won all their group games.

He has made three changes – all up front – for what should be a routine operation in Madrid this afternoon, with Ronan Loughney getting a run at loosehead as Brett Wilkinson, called into the Irish squad this weekend, is rested.

Johnny O’Connor replaces the injured Ray Ofisa at openside flanker, with George Naoupu back into the side at number eight in a move which sees skipper John Muldoon go to blindside and Mike McCarthy take over from Bernie Upton in the second row.

Connacht are guaranteed a home quarter-final and they will avoid the three teams who will come down from the Heineken Cup if they win in Madrid.

They won’t know their opponents until the full round of games is played but it is not improbable they could face Wasps, while Toulon, Saracens and Leeds are other likely opponents.