A tough test for the Cardiff Blues
The Cardiff Blues will play Connaught in the Magners League at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday evening.
Cardiff will go into the game as favourites, although Connaught have been in good form so far and have claimed their first away win this season against Glasgow. This was their first away win in the Magners League in almost two years.
The Blues will give fitness tests to Xavier Rush (knee), Casey Laulala (head) and Richie Rees (calf) who all missed last Saturday’s visit to Treviso. Gary Powell, Jamie Roberts and Gareth Williams have all got long term injuries and Tom Brown will be out
for several weeks with strained ligament damage.
Bradley Davis and Chris Czekaj will expect to return for the Connaught match having being rested for the last game and both will be eager to play some part in the match.
Dan Parks will play a vital role in how Cardiff play and the Scottish international will be looking to use his backs with the likes of Leigh Halfpenny and Tom James playing on the wings.
Cardiff should win the contest up front and Martyn Williams and Gethin Jenkins will play an important role in turnovers and in the scrum. If Connaught can match Cardiff’s pack they may well manage to come away with a surprise win.
Connaught did not pick up any serious injuries against Ulster at the weekend, but it was an incredibly physical encounter. The director of rugby, Eric Elwood and the team manager Tim Allnutt may consider resting some players with such a short turn around
before the midweek game.
However, important players like Ian Keatley, Gavin Duffy and Fionn Carr will be expected to start. Keatley has been superb this season and kicked all of Connaught’s points in their 15-15 draw with Ulster. He will need to be on form once more.
Cardiff have never lost to Connaught at home and the Irish province has only beaten the Welsh side twice in 2005 and in 2009. Both of these games were played in Galway.
This season Cardiff have only lost one match in the Magners League. They went down 23-34 against Leinster at the RDS Showground.
Connaught have only managed to win once in Wales. This victory came in 2008 against the Dragons when Connaught scraped to a 13-11 win.
However, this season Connaught appear to be a far stronger side both physically and mentally. They have only lost one game in the Magners League. They lost to the Scarlets by the narrowest of margins. The game finished 35-33 in round two of the league.
Connaught managed a draw against Ulster at home and Brian McLaughlin, the Ulster coach said, “Galway is not an easy place to come to and win but we came away with something.” Connaught have brought that same tempo and effort to their away games this season.
Consequently, the Magners League contest between the two sides is not the forgone conclusion it has been in the past. Connaught are one of the form sides in the league at present and have been unlucky not to have won all their matches so far this season.
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