Win puts Cardiff Blues in pole position

Jan 12 2008 by Our Correspondent, South Wales Echo

SUNDAY, January 20, 3pm, at Bristol’s Memorial Stadium.

This is the time, venue and place of Cardiff Blues’ European day of destiny.

It has been a long time coming for the region and something they have been waiting for since David Moffett announced the Welsh game was changing from the club system in the summer of 2003.

The Blues have never qualified for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals in four attempts since then and never even had their destiny in their own hands going into the final round of pool matches. Until now.

This time Dai Young will take his Blues side across the Severn Bridge to the Memorial Stadium knowing his side are firmly in pole position to qualify from Pool Three.

They sit on top of the group with a three-point advantage over Stade Francais, and that is something not many pundits would have predicted when the draw was made.

There are a range of scenarios surrounding losing bonus points and points aggregate that could see the Blues, Bristol or Stade Francais still qualify from the pool as group winners.

But there is one result which would simplify the situation and not have people scrambling for calculators or the Heineken Cup rule book on Sunday evening.

The Blues know if they triumph across the Severn Bridge against the Guinness Premiership side in eight days time, they will be the side celebrating reaching the last eight in April, regardless of what Stade Francais achieve at Harlequins on the same day.

Apart from failing to gain a home bonus point against Harlequins, the results last night could not have fallen more favourably for the Arms Park outfit with Stade Francais beating Bristol in Paris but neither side gaining a bonus point.

But now the Blues must ensure they do not allow their two rivals to sneak up and pip them as group winners. And a win in Bristol’s backyard will do that.

This scenario has presented itself because of the Blues’ workmanlike defeat of Harlequins at the Arms Park last night, which went ahead despite three pitch inspections following the persistent rain that fell in the Welsh capital yesterday.

A try in each half from centres Dafydd Hewitt and Tom Shanklin, and 13 points from the boot of New Zealand full-back Ben Blair, was enough to defeat a Quins side who now have won only one match in their last 11 games and have not won a Heineken Cup clash in six years and 11 attempts.

The visitors responded with a try from Wales Grand Slam winner Hal Luscombe and full-back Mike Brown.

But the result was never really in doubt, especially after the London side lost centre De Wet Barry to the sin-bin in the second-half for a high tackle on Blues outside-half Nick Macleod.

But Young will know there will need to be an improvement on last night’s performance if they are to defeat a Bristol side who revel playing on their own patch – somewhere they have not lost since defeat in the Guinness Premiership against the Leicester Tigers last September.

Yes, the Blues display against Harlequins was a step up from recent performances against the Dragons, Ospreys and Edinburgh, especially with captain Xavier Rush back to his rampaging best with another barnstorming man-of-the-match display.

But there were still the handling errors that have hampered the Blues lately and they still have not totally solved the problems of their kicking game.

These things will have to be addressed for next Sunday and the Blues pack will need to match the physical nature of the Bristol forwards and avoid attempts to slow the game down.

The West Country outfit might be without injured Shaun Perry, but they will provide a much sterner test than that set by the Quins.

The Blues players will know there are no excuses now. It is time to deliver and the region must ensure past European failures are not repeated when they take the field in Bristol next weekend.

Cardiff Blues: B Blair; J Roberts, T Shanklin, D Hewitt (J Robinson 76), G Thomas; N Macleod, J Spice; G Jenkins, G Williams (D Goodfield 75), T Filise (J Yapp 78), D Jones, P Tito, M Molitika, M Williams, X Rush (capt).

Tries: D Hewitt, T Shanklin; Conversions - B Blair (2); Penalties - B Blair (3).

Harlequins: M Brown; D Strettle, H Luscombe, D Wet Barry (T Masson 70), T Williams; C Malone (A Jarvis 70), S So’oialo; C Jones, G Botha (T Fuga 70), M Ross, J Percival (O Kohn 70), N Spanghero, T Guest, P Volley (capt), C Hala’ufia (P Davies 70).

Tries: H Luscombe, M Brown; Conversion - C Malone. Yellow card: D Wet Barry 59Referee: Romain Poite (France) Attendance: 9,716.D Wet Barry 59

Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Attendance: 9,716.