GLASGOW Warriors are already into the PRO12 play-offs - but Josh Strauss says they will treat Saturday’s league match in Connacht as if it were a must-win cup-tie.

Nine victories on the trot have taken the Warriors to the top of the table, and they go into the last game of the regular season knowing they can finish no lower than third. But they are desperate to keep that winning run going, and make sure they get a home semi-final.

“We have to focus on winning, so it is pretty much a knockout game,” Strauss said yesterday. “Finish the season on a high and it’s a great morale and confidence boost when you do finish in top spot.

“That’s what we’re aiming for. You want to win every game you play in. We do know that’s important, but it’s also important to focus on it just being another game, and not to put too much importance on it.

“We started slowly this season as a club and I think it’s been a great squad effort. We have a big squad and it’s shown a lot of character all around, for everyone to have played a part in this and for us to put it together, hopefully make it ten in a row.”

Of course the big aim for Glasgow is to stretch that winning run to 12 matches and reclaim the trophy they won so convincingly last season. There was a time just a couple of months ago when they were down in eighth place and it looked like their hopes of holding on to the trophy were fading, but Strauss explained that they had never panicked.

“I suppose it’s 12 in a row we’re aiming for,” the back-row forward added. “Mid-season we managed to turn it around a bit. We knew coming into the latter end of the season what we had to do to get to the play-offs firstly, and then what we had to do to get to the top spot, and also what we had to do to get a home semi-final.

“So it’s been a real concerted effort and everyone worked hard and bought into it, which shows the character of the squad again. If you weren’t picked or were on the bench, you worked just as hard to make the preparation good for the rest of the team.”

Meanwhile, former Warriors scrum-half Chris Cusiter has announced his retirement at the age of 33. Capped 70 times for Scotland, Cusiter also made one appearance for the Lions in 2005. He now plans to build up an alcohol retail business in Los Angeles.

“As far as my rugby career goes, I considered myself privileged to receive a Scotland ‘A’ cap in 2002,” he said yesterday. “If it had ended there at that point then I would have been happy.

“The memories of playing for Scotland and touring NZ with the British and Irish Lions will be with me forever and I am grateful for all the incredible experiences I have been afforded through rugby.”

Cusiter explained that his move to the US will allow him to pursue a longstanding interest. “I’ve been fascinated by the Scotch whisky industry for the past few years and firmly believe that it is Scotland’s finest and greatest export and something to be very proud of.”