Connacht in last chance Heineken Cup saloon

Michael Bradley says his Connacht side will put everything into their last chance to make the Heineken Cup as they play Sale this weekend.

While Sharks are still on course to qualify for next season’s blue riband European tournament from the Zurich Premiership, Connacht have run out of options.

Connacht’s only remaining qualification hope is by winning the European Challenge Cup this term – and sinking Sharks in the process.

Sale go into Sunday’s semi-final second-leg tie at Edgeley Park with a healthy seven-point advantage following their victory in Galway earlier this month. But Connacht will be on a win-or-bust mission.

“We got to the (Challenge Cup) semi-finals last season, and this year our stated objective was to get into the Heineken Cup,” said Connacht coach Michael Bradley.

“The chance of doing that through the Celtic League ended last weekend, and now our only avenue is through the European Challenge Cup. I think you will see the boys playing accordingly at Sale.

“We can do it and qualify for the final – if we play well. We are very conscious of the Sale Sharks’ strengths, but now we have seen them at first hand and we are very familiar with their game,” he added.

French clubs Pau and Brive contest the other semi-final tomorrow, with Pau holding an emphatic 21-point lead from the first leg in which former Gloucester fly-half Ludovic Mercier contributed a try, drop-goal, five penalties and two conversions.