Blues pick team to face Racing Metro

First topic message reminder :

Cardiff Blues travel to Paris on Friday to face a star studded Racing Metro side. The rugby season is set to explode into life across Europe as the 17th Heineken Cup takes centre stage with all roads leading to the final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, 19 May, 2012.

The Blues open their campaign against Racing Metro on Friday 11 November, 9pm kick off local time, at Stade Colombes, the match is shown on the red button on Sky Sports.

With the match against Dragons being postponed last Friday night, the Blues had to change their preparation this week. Speaking ahead of the trip to France, Cardiff Blues forwards coach Justin Burnell said,

"Due to the cancelled game, on Monday morning we had two XV's playing against each other, which was interesting."

"It was an eye opener with the XV that was due to play against the Dragons playing against another XV."

"There was some good match up's so selection has been very difficult."

"Obviously having the game against Dragons postponed wasn't ideal."

"A lot of players have performed fantastically for us during the opening of the PRO12 so it would have been good to mix them with the World Cup players."

"The Welsh players have come back from a very successful campaign and they showed they are some of the best players in the world."

"Physically and mentally they are ready for the Heineken Cup."

Looking at the strength of the Racing Metro side Burnell added,

"When you play a French team first up, on their own patch, it is perhaps the most difficult game of the pool."

"However, we have got the mindset that we have to perform and win the game."

"They are typically French, in so much as they have good set piece, strong scrum, one second row doesn't jump and is 120kilos and an outstanding kicking outside half."

"It will be a massive physical battle, that's what we're planning for and working towards."

Cardiff Blues
15 Chris Czekaj 14 Alex Cuthbert 13 Casey Laulala 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Tom James 10 Dan Parks 9 Lloyd Williams

8 Xavier Rush 7 Sam Warburton 6 Michael Paterson 5 James Down 4 Bradley Davies 3 Taufa'ao Filise 2 T Rhys Thomas 1 Gethin Jenkins

16 Marc Breeze 17 John Yapp 18 Scott Andrews 19 Paul Tito 20 Andries Pretorius 21 Richie Rees 22 Ceri Sweeney 23 Gavin Evans

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Probably the strongest team we could put out and the closed doors game was a good idea to get our players some preparation time. Glad to see Lloyd Williams start and Pretorious back from injury on the bench. RM92 are missing a few players but this is going to be a hard match to win, so we need to get out of the blocks early and take control. Take the wind out of their sails early and we have a chance.

could you give me a stream for the game lads
thanks

c'mon Cardiff Blues, Wales expects that every man will do his duty!

No news on roberts

did he walk off or was he carried?

Thought L.Williams was through then, was half considering the 4 try BP and a losing BP (or win ) - Poor turnover though.

Turkster wrote:did he walk off or was he carried?

Walked I assume, cameras didnt pick it up untill they saw Evans was on. Looked like a strain or something.

Estabanez is in trouble. Looks bad.

Jamie roberts has a Fractured and dislocated ankle.

The game stopped for a few minutes while he was being treated

Anyway, Cuthbert seems to be filling in quite well for Roberts' role atm.

Blues really need better support runners for breaks like that

maestegmafia wrote:Jamie roberts has a Fractured and dislocated ankle.

where'd you hear that?

maestegmafia wrote:The game stopped for a few minutes while he was being treated

That was James Down the lock forward. Roberts was sitting on the sideline when they showed him, not in hospital...

Cant watch the game. Whats the latest score?

Outstanding breaks by James, Cuthbert and Czekaj this match.

James just ripped open the Racing defence, Shane Williams esque with the dummies and sidestep, made far more ground than he should have...

Still 14 - 20 to the Blues Sub bench - Penalty to Parks after James break.

20-14 Blues. C'mon Cardiff!

Awful kick by L.Williams (he has been good otherwise, one of the reasons we are doing well) wind must be bad.

Offside gives Racing 3pts back though...silly errors.

17 - 20

Blues need points on the board.

Thanks 606. Though from the referance to James being Shane Williams esque suggests you may have been drinking heavily!

Gethin Jenkins trying Sonny Bill Williams offloads now...doesnt work for him this time, lucky the ref was playing advantage.

17 - 23 Parks is kicking well, some tough kicks he has landed.

is Gethin Jenkins filling in to Jamie Roberts role well?

Come on you Bluuuuues!

Back to Quins v Connacht

His offloading is better

Blues scrum wins a penalty against the head (somehow?)

A chance to go a score ahead, but Parks has his first miss, and its a biggy - Racing are not great try scorers so a 9pt lead would have been very useful

2 mistakes by Laulaula in 2 minutes, not a good sign.

Not much going Racing's way today.

Blues dominating this 2nd half - they NEED to get point with this territory, Parks DGs may be of use now.

Ref is awful

Must make this count!

17-26

Paterson shows off his kicking for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. Great steal and hack though.

When Parks is rushing up to make a tackle you know they are up for it.

Blues have stolen possession, its all going their way at the moment.

And they get the penalty.

This one needs to go over...

9pt lead

17 - 26

10 mins to go.

Obstruction by the Blues straight away....a chance for Racing to go back to within a score

This would be a HUGE win for the Blues, but its not over yet.

20 - 26

Dan Parks gets MOTM. Eight minutes left, scrum to the Blues.

Racing don't look like scoring another try, should be a win for the Blues here.

Knock on by Racing relieves the pressure from the Blues.

8 minutes to go.

Dan Parks MOTM!!! - I dont believe it, but to be fair he has played well, him of any of the back3 deserve it.

Good time for Parks to have his first good game of the season.

Oh dear!

Laulaula is off now!!!

Sweeney on at centre....

this doesnt bode well for next week, or the next 7 minutes.

I have Blues by 4 on Sportguru, it's in the bag guys and gals.

Scrum to the Blues, nice time wasting.

Filise is off though, so I dont know how this scrum will go...

PJHolybloke wrote:I have Blues by 4 on Sportguru, it's in the bag guys and gals.

As do I...

wales606 wrote:

PJHolybloke wrote:I have Blues by 4 on Sportguru, it's in the bag guys and gals.

As do I...

Nice.

Free kick to Racing...taking Filise off could have been a mistake.

Tom James has stolen it - In Racings half. 2.5 mins to go.

Pretorious turns it over

Back for a Racing scrum, in on their 22.

wales606 wrote:Sweeney on at centre....

He is a super sub remember

Great hit by Warbs, welcome back Sam!

Pretorius is a clown

Superbly timed hit (for once ) by Warburton lead to a Racing knock on.

Ball turned over on 80 minutes though

It's ok we won, well done blues their off to a flier!

AlynDavies wrote:Pretorius is a clown

He has been out for weeks and doenst normally play 8

Penalty to the Blues - 80 minutes.

GAME OVER!!!!

BRILLIANT WIN!

Thats how to start off a HC campaign.

Its their pool to lose now.

great win, 1st of many this weekend for Welsh teams hopefully, great stuff!

fantastic result for the Blues, brilliant start the their HEC campaign fair play!

Well done Blues, great win.

rugbydreamer wrote:fantastic result for the Blues, brilliant start the their HEC campaign fair play!

Yes, missy how come you were watching and Irish / English game and not the Welsh one?
A person living in Cardiff and not even watching the Blues!

AlynDavies wrote:

rugbydreamer wrote:fantastic result for the Blues, brilliant start the their HEC campaign fair play!

Yes, missy how come you were watching and Irish / English game and not the Welsh one?
A person living in Cardiff and not even watching the Blues!

That's probably like most people in Cardiff LOL