IN all professional sport, momentum is vital.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Cardiff we have now won three games in-a-row and the most pleasing victory was probably our last – at home to Zebre – six days back.

That said, the PRO12 fixture with the Blues has taken on extra significance because it can provide us with even greater momentum and a launch-pad going into our Heineken Cup campaign, which opens a week on Sunday with a challenging tie at my former club Northampton.

But back to the Zebre game. I took the opportunity to make 13 changes for that one and to blood youngsters like Stirling County scrum-half Sean Kennedy in the professional game, as it is absolutely vital we keep the squad fresh in one regard but make sure we give all our players game time.

The balance in doing just that is one of the biggest challenges that both myself and the Glasgow coaching team face over the season ahead.

We now face a different type of test at the Arms Park.

Cardiff are once again playing their rugby and we're facing a Blues side who will be smarting after their heavy loss on home soil to Ulster.

That said, last season we achieved the double over the Blues for the very first time and I believe a win on Saturday night in the Welsh capital would mean an unprecedented third straight win over Cardiff.

As has been well documented, our hopes have not been helped by the hamstring injury that will sideline DTH van der Merwe for up to six weeks and of course Moray Low's knee injury, both of which were sustained against Zebre.

But that is where the depth of squad we now have will once again, I hope, come into its own.

Last season Leinster used 51 players on their march to the Heineken Cup and the final of the RaboDirect and with our latest arrivals in Strauss, Matawalu and Fainga'anuku we are now operating at a similar number.

So there will be changes again and once again I remain confident that the Glasgow team who run out at the Arms Park will be capable of keeping our momentum going as the season reaches a crucial period.

As a footnote to the forthcoming Heineken Cup campaign, I was at the tournament launch in London on Monday.

English and French clubs are driving for changes which could see automatic entry for Glasgow and Edinburgh and the two Italian sides removed.

For me, if the competition no longer had representatives from every major European rugby nation then you would take away one of the tournament's unique ingredients.

I hope an agreement can be reached which will allow the Heineken Cup to remain the club game's greatest cup competition.