Shanklin’s delight at Blues Bristol victory

Jan 21 2008 by Simon Thomas, Western Mail

TOM SHANKLIN last night summed up the delight in the Blues camp following their landmark victory over Bristol.

Their hugely impressive 17-0 win has earned them a place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup for the first time since their inception as a region in 2003. Shanklin played no small part in that victory as he produced a mighty performance that will no doubt have caught the eye of watching Wales coach Warren Gatland with the Six Nations opener against England less than two weeks away.

“It’s the first time that we’ve really played well in Europe and got through to the quarter-final stages,” said the hard-running centre.

“We controlled the game well. The forwards were brilliant and we kicked a bit better than we have done recently.

“We always knew Bristol were going to be physical with the side they picked, but we outmuscled them.

“That’s the biggest game I’ve been involved in with Cardiff and it’s a game that we dominated.”

If the Blues had managed to score one more converted try they would have edged ahead of Toulouse on points difference in the seedings for the quarter-finals and been at home to them in the last eight. As it is, they have finished as fifth seeds – one try behind Toulouse – and will travel to France on the weekend of April 4-6.

Shanklin said, “At the start of the game we would have taken the win. Ideally, it would have been great to play at home in the quarters and we are a little bit unlucky that we didn’t get the home draw.

“But Toulouse away is what we’ve got now and we’ll look forward to it. We have got a big belief now that we can beat these top teams away.”

Bristol coach Richard Hill was glowing in his praise for the Blues who, he says, are a totally different animal these days.

“They were the better side. Teams come here and normally crumble under a bit of pressure, but they were clinical,” he said.

“All round they played well. Technically they were good and they controlled the game. When they ran the ball, they looked dangerous, they kicked well and their big players stood up.

“Most teams would have wilted under the sort of pressure we put them under early on.

“We were very physical, but they didn’t lose their heads. They kept their control.

“Cardiff will always play rugby and give it a go, but the difference this year is they’ve got a better pack. In the past, their forwards have left a little bit to be desired. But now they produce ball and all eight are comfortable handling the ball. So they are a dangerous footballing side.”

However, former England scrum-half Hill doesn’t see them winning out in the south of France in the quarter-finals.

“Toulouse are a good side with a multitude of attacking threats,” he said. “It will be the best victory in Cardiff’s history if they win out there.”