Danny Wilson has admitted his Cardiff Blues side face a massive challenge if they are to make next season’s European Champions Cup.
The Blues finished the Guinness Pro12 season in seventh place – earning themselves a play-off spot to lift themselves out of the European Challenge Cup and into the premier tournament.
But they will need to do it the hard way, by winning two away fixtures to clinch the one place available.
Firstly, they must claim victory away to French club Stade Francais on May 20. If they come through that test, then the Blues will travel to face either Northampton, Gloucester or Connacht a week later with the prize of a Champions Cup place at stake.
But head coach Wilson admitted his team will need to improve on their narrow 26-24 final regular season victory over the Newport Gwent Dragons.
“We’re going to face a huge pack of forwards in France and a huge set piece and a very powerful team,” said
“We need to get the pace into games, as we’ve shown at times this year, but maybe not been able to do too consistently.”
Wilson – who has withdrawn from his coaching role on this summer’s Wales tour to the South Seas in order to focus on the Blues – was underwhelmed by his team’s victory over the Dragons at Caerphilly on Saturday.
“It was maybe done differently to how we’ve played recently. We didn’t get the pace into the game that we wanted, especially in the second half, but we had a dominant scrum and a mature performance in terms of taking points.
“We got the win, but I think we’ll all agree it’s not the most exciting derby we’ve witnessed.
“The game didn’t get going. It became a bit of a scrum fest at times, which we played to at times because you play to your advantages when you’ve got them, as sides have done against us recently in that area.”
