Blues serve up feast – now comes famine

Mar 3 2008 Andy Howell, Western Mail

Blues 25-22 Munster

A MAGNIFICENT crowd of 11,269 saw the Blues snatch a dramatic victory in the final minute to keep their hopes of the Magners League title alive ... but there’s a sting in the tail.

A pretty significant one too for, you see, the Cardiff Arms Park outfit only have two more home games this season.

The Scarlets go to the Welsh capital on April 11 and are followed by Ulster eight days later.

Utterly ridiculous!

It seems the word balance didn’t occur to whoever drew up the Celtic fixture list.

You’ve only got to look at the Blues’ neighbours Dragons for further evidence of the on-going shambles.

The Gwent region haven’t got a match for a month then have to fit in five home and three away games.

Feast or famine. Dragons supporters will gorge on the former, while Blues supporters are going to be starved of rugby action.

The Magners League is maturing nicely with crowds up – leaders Leinster are averaging more than 14,000 – and the regional revolution is starting to pay off in Wales with the Ospreys and Blues leading the way when it comes to innovation and attracting new fans.

Attendances at the Arms Park have grown this season and the clever marketing ploy of the Blues in making the clash with former European champions Munster regional clubs’ day certainly paid off with a bumper turnout of excited children.

That can only be good for the future with the young buying into the concept. All it needs now is for the Blues to drop the name Cardiff when they ground-share with Cardiff City and they could be on to a financial winner.

Magners matches are certainly improving with Irish big guns Munster and Leinster treating the competition far more seriously these days.

Sale Sharks coach and former Wales captain Kingsley Jones was in the Welsh capital to watch his son Rhys play at outside-half for the Blues and reckoned it was the most intense Celtic clash he had seen.

But what it and rugby in Europe needs is a revamp. Dipping in and out of different competitions like at present is madness because it ruins any momentum and leaves followers of union confused.

Yet the solution is simple: play the Magners in one block, the Heineken Cup in another and then the Six Nations.

Even factoring in the November internationals, the regional season would be over by the end of March.

The Six Nations would be played afterwards and what a spectacle that would be on firm grounds.

It would also prepare our boys for their end-of-season tours to rugby strongholds like South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

While the Six Nations was going on, Wales’ Premiership clubs could hold a supplementary tournament with a difference, with the rest of the country’s regional players being distributed around them a la the Currie Cup in South Africa or Air New Zealand Cup.

Now that would lift standards, produce enticing derbies and attract large crowds. Fans would be spoilt and know exactly what is happening, not like in today’s mish-mash.

It’s a challenge WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis needs to take up sooner rather than later.

Blues’ clash with a Munster team containing legendary New Zealand finisher Doug Howlett, Paul O’Connell, Peter Stringer, Anthony Foley and Alan Quinlan had a bit of everything.

There was the elements with a strong wind followed by rain, some great running, dogged defence and a mighty contest for the ball at the breakdown.

It was fourth against fifth in the table with the winner climbing to second and the loser probably dropping out of contention.

So the stakes were high and neither side was prepared to willingly give an inch. Blues prevailed in the end because they refused to give up.

Munster took control in the second half with tries from juggernaut prop Tony Buckley and Ireland’s star lock Paul O’Connell, who fired a warning at Wales by proving his fitness following major back problems with a rousing display, to move into a 22-11 lead.

But the Blues responded with 14 points in the final 15 minutes to snatch victory.

Former Wales captain Gareth Thomas made a break for Jamie Roberts to score.

Munster had the confidence and skills to play keep-ball in their 22 for what seemed an eternity, and appeared to have it in the bag when they were awarded a penalty.

However, outside-half Paul Warwick missed touch, Blues went through the phases before an inside pass from replacement Nick Macleod saw Roberts pierce the Munster defence and provide fellow wing Tal Selley with the touchdown pass to prompt a pitch invasion from the excited youngsters at the final whistle.

Man of the moment Roberts, who hopes his eye-catching performance has put him in the frame for a return to the Wales team for its bid for Triple Crown glory against Ireland in Dublin next weekend, reckoned defence won the Blues the game.

“It was outstanding and we are happy with the win. It was a massively important game for us,” he said. “If I play for Wales against Ireland, I will be really happy. If I don’t, I’ll bide my time. Going to Croke Park is going to be a big challenge.”

Former Swansea full-back Shaun Payne, dubbed ‘Champagne’ by Munster fans, touched down after just 48 seconds, pouncing on a smart chip over the Blues defence by Warwick.

A penalty from Ben Blair and try from hooker Rhys Thomas put the Welsh outfit ahead, but Warwick restored the Irish advantage near the interval.

Buckley trundled his way over, Blair replying with a penalty, before O’Connell proved unstoppable from close range.

It looked all over for the Blues, they showed bags of character to come back and nick it.