John Mulvihill has emphasised the importance of Cardiff Blues must-win clash with Connacht in the Guinness PRO14.
Following last week’s defeat to Munster, the Galway-based province have moved four points clear of Mulvihill’s men in the race for a play-off spot.
The Blues now need to triumph at the Sportsground to keep the play-off race alive and edge back in front to third.
Mulvihill has described Saturday’s encounter as a grand final and he is determined to deliver Cardiff Blues’ first PRO14 play-off.
He said: “It’s been us and them all year and we’ve known throughout that it will come down to these last two games.
“This is a grand final for us, and if we don’t get the result we want, we’ll be looking at a play-off spot to try to get into Europe.
“The club has never played in a Final Series in the Guinness PRO14 and our burning desire from the start of the season has been to do that.
“If you gave us this scenario at the start of the season, we would’ve taken it. We’ve said all week that this is our final and that’s the way the boys have approached it, and that’s the way we’ve seen them train all week.
“We’re into knockout competition now. If we lose two, we’re out of Europe, if we win one then we’re in a play-off and if we win both we finish third in our pool.”
Following Saturday’s encounter in Galway, the Blues return to Wales and face the Ospreys on Judgement Day, April 27.
Should they not finish third, they can still qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup by finishing fourth and winning a play-off against the conference B fourth-placed team.