Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh - build-up, teams, banter and live match day thread

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

No thread about this yet (I don't think), so let's get this started:

7 September 2012
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park
Kick off: 7.05 pm
Coverage: live on BBC Wales

Referee: David Wilkinson (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Sean Brickell, Jason Langdon (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU)
TMO: Neil Ballard (WRU)

Teams:

Blues:

15. Leigh Halfpenny
14. Alex Cuthbert
13. Gavin Evans
12. Dafydd Hewitt
11. Tom James

10. Ceri Sweeney
9. Lewis Jones

1. Taufa'ao Filise
2. Rhys Williams
3. Benoit Bourrust
4. Bradley Davies
5. James Down
6. Josh Navidi
7. Sam Warburton
8. Andries Pretorius (c)

Substitutes:

16. Marc Breeze
17. Nathan Trevett
18. Thomas Davies
19. Lou Reed
20. Luke Hamilton
21. Lloyd Williams
22. Rhys Patchell
23. Thomas Williams

Edinburgh:

15 Greig Tonks
14 Lee Jones
13 Nick De Luca
12 John Houston
11 Tim Visser

10 Greig Laidlaw (c)
9 Richie Rees

1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Grant Gilchrist
5 Sean Cox
6 David Denton
7 Roddy Grant
8 Stuart McInally

Substitutes:
16 Andy Titterrell
17 John Yapp
18 Willem Nel
19 Perry Parker
20 Netani Talei
21 Chris Leck
22 Gregor Hunter
23 Sep Visser

Unavailable:
Ben Atiga (hip)
Tom Brown (hamstring strain)
Ben Cairns (knee)
Steven Lawrie (knee)
Matt Scott (pre-season)
Steven Turnbull (shoulder)

This game is always a cracker and lovely to be back at the spiritual home of the Blues.

Form:

1. Cardiff:

Blues, of course, began the new season with a 13-9 victory in Connacht.

They won both matches they played at the Arms Park last season (against Connacht and Ulster) and won their opening two encounters last season.

2. Edinburgh:

Edinburgh had to settle for a losing bonus point in their reversal to Munster at Murrayfield last Saturday.

Amazingly, Edinburgh's only away win in their last 19 trips in the PRO12 was at Treviso last November. Edinburgh hasn't won in Wales since a visit to Scarlets on 4 December 2009.

The Blues have won their last four games against Edinburgh Rugby in the RaboDirect PRO12, whilst Edinburgh have been victorious on four of their last five visits to the Arms Park.

[RDW]

Think it's fair to say if Lee Jones gets anywhere near the Scotland team for the AIs on his current form I will cry.

[Cari]

Jiffy not complimentary about Edinburgh's 14....he did fluff that chance though. Edinburgh can push on in this scrum now though.

[bedfordwelsh]

Bedford - dunno. Sulking in a corner somewhere probably. At least there's more atmosphere at the AP and it looks nearer to capacity than 7'000 people would in the CCS.

Cari,

I agree but there was all talk that it be sell out all time etc etc when they move back

[Cari]

Wow! How did Edinburgh keep possession then?! Great tackle from Cuffy.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Poor choice to kick that

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

De Luca, straighten and give, you muppet!

[BigTrevsbigmac]

De Luca must have money on the Blues !

[RDW]

Schocking finishing from Edinburgh there - but no way was that a penalty for holding on - Warbuton didn't even compete for the ball!!!!

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

That was as straight as a very curvy thing

[Shifty]

I'll be honest I was hoping to see a bit more from the Blues. It's a entertaining game to watch but on paper the Blues should be doing better than this. Though after being shell shocked last season maybe it will take time for things to come together.

[Cari]

This game has just got exciting....brilliant defence from the Blues. Edinburgh had two good chances to score there.

Bedford - I don't know how they could say that because the AP didn't always sell out every match anyway. The Welsh derbies will certainly sell out, and possibly some European matches, but not all P-12 games.

[Looseheaded]

Edinburgh really don't want to win this do they?

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Poor call, Laidlaw was already in contact

[RDW]

Have to say this much was absolutely there for the taking and will be massively disappointing if we got on to lose.

[Cari]

Prince Harry kicking for a huge penalty on his debut. Not a bad effort but it dips before the posts.

19-18.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Good effort from the young fullback. Loosehead, they don't seem to believe they can

[Cari]

Elsewhere...

Glasgae 6 Scarlets 10
Munster 16 Treviso 3

[RDW]

FFS De Luca!!!

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Dan Parks would've nailed that

[Cari]

Oh Sweeney you muppet! Surely he could've kicked that. Another missed penalty.

19-18

Poor Leehalfapee has a sore ankle.

[RDW]

Talei is on...

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Visser, get lower

[Looseheaded]

Poor kick Sweeney, Edinburgh got let off there, Blues have lost their reliable kicker, could hurt them.

[Looseheaded]

Dan Parks would've nailed that

[Cari]

Visser can go low with me any time he likes...

6-13 in Glasgow now.

[Cari]

Cuffbutt having a good game to be fair. Laidlaw looking for a DG, but it's a bum pass. Blues scambling to stop them...

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Edinburgh should be out of sight, simply not clinical enough

[RDW]

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaidlaw!

[Cari]

Davies you're offside boy!

Laidlaw looking for the DG...and he gets it!

19-21.

2minutes to go.

[Cari]

TOM JAMES YOU PILLOCK AGAIN!!!! WTF ARE YOU DOING?!

[RDW]

Argh Edinburgh stop throwing the ball away!!!! All Talei had to do was hold on - why the feckin offload????

[BigTrevsbigmac]

Where are the cool heads here?

[bedfordwelsh]

And thats why James isn't near or shouldn't be anywhere near Welsh side

[Looseheaded]

This is why they didn't try score earlier, they wanted drama.
Get bums on seats and people tuning in next week.

TOM JAMES YOU ARE A Flip IDIOT

[Cari]

"Alice" Cuthbert is MOTM. Tom James really shouldn't have passed there. He could've got the try. What a blydi pillock. Blues must get a DG now.

[Cari]

Jiffy going apeshoite

FT 19-21 Well done Edinburgh. The locals are not amused.

[BigTrevsbigmac]

Edinburgh did their best to lose it but the best side won

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Junkies lucky to hang on!

[RDW]

Well to get the win is MASSIVE - but my god did we make that hard! With all the possession we had and the poor performance by Cardiff that should have been a bonus point win.

Bigger teams would have hammered the Blues if they had played like that.

[Looseheaded]

What the hell was Sweeney doing with that pass?

I give up already.

[Artful_Dodger]

Good result for Edinburgh after an opening home loss to Munster. Blues should be very worried that scrum is going to be smashed into splinters throughout the course of this season.

[Shifty]

Amazed Edinburgh managed to win that, I'm very disappointed with the Blues to be honest I really expected more from a team coached by Phil Davies.

Still we've had a few odd results in the first weeks of the season. The Blues really need to sort their scrums out though I did not expect that.

[RDW]

Got to say I fear for the Blues this year if that is your only front row options!

[Cari]

Don't give up Loose...it can get better. Hopefully they'll get someone more composed and sensible than ToJam.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Don't worry, RDW, they've got Scott Andrews to come back!

[Cari]

Tom James for the Lions?

6-18 in Glasgow.

[bedfordwelsh]

Don't worry, RDW, they've got Scott Andrews to come back!

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

Maybe it was money but I cant understand how someone like James moves to Bath when they Blues are desperate for a front row. Whatever happened to the rumours linking them with Rhys Gill.

But look on the bright side, least they cant poach ours from Dave - Fos we not got any either

[RDW]

You're reserve front row options look worse than ours did last year - and that is saying something!

[Looseheaded]

Right, so we need to sort out the scrum, and midfield.

Scrum is just weak as the acting in Eastenders, and the midfield is just a bit, well, flaccid in attack. I mean, it offers a bit going straight, but as soon as you need some flair or passion it's a tad limp.

Shame we failed to recruit suitably in the summer.

damn

[TJ1]

Just caught the last 30 mins - great away win from Edinburgh.



Visser v Cuthbert? Who won? Cuthbert from the bit I saw but a try apiece

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