Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, 14 September

                          
Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors 
Sunday 14 September 2014, KO 16:00
BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Live on S4C/BBC Teuchter

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 36th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Davies, Jon Mason (both)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

A. Teams:

I. Cardiff Blues

15 Adam Thomas
14 Alex Cuthbert
13 Cory Allen
12 Gavin Evans
11 Dan Fish
10 Rhys Patchell
9 Lewis Jones

1 Sam Hobbs
2 Matthew Rees
3 Adam Jones
4 Jarrad Hoeata
5 Filo Paulo
6 Josh Turnbull
7 Sam Warburton
8 Manoa Vosawai

16 Kristian Dacey
17 Taufa'ao Filise
18 Scott Andrews
19 Macauley Cook
20 Josh Navidi
21 Lloyd Williams
22 Gareth Davies
23 Richard Smith

II. Glasgow Warriors

15. Peter Murchie
14. Tommy Seymour
13. Mark Bennett
12. Alex Dunbar
11. Sean Lamont
10. Peter Horne
09. Henry Pyrgos

01. Alex Allan
02. Pat MacArthur
03. Rossouw de Klerk
04. Tim Swinson
05. Jonny Gray
06. Rob Harley
07. Chris Fusaro
08. Josh Strauss (Captain)

16. Fraser Brown
17. Gordon Reid
18. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
19. Leone Nakarawa
20. James Eddie
21. Niko Matawalu
22. Duncan Weir
23. DTH van der Merwe

B. Form - head to head:

24 Played 24
12 Wins 12
12 Losses 12
0 Draws 0
46 Tries 45
32 Conversions 33
48 Penalties 56
2 Drop Goals 2
444 Points 465
25 Avg. Age 25

C. Form - last season:

6 September 2013, 19:35 (league)
Glasgow Warriors 22 - 15 Cardiff Blues
Scotstoun Stadium

6 December 2013, 20:00 (Heineken Cup)
Cardiff Blues 29 - 20 Glasgow Warriors
Arms Park

13 December 2013, 20:00 (Heineken Cup)
Glasgow Warriors 7 - 9 Cardiff Blues
Scotstoun Stadium

15 February 2014, 18:30 (league)
Cardiff Blues 20 - 27 Glasgow Warriors
Arms Park

George Carlin wrote:
6 December 2013, 20:00 (Heineken Cup)
Cardiff Blues 29 - 20 Glasgow Warriors
Arms Park

13 December 2013, 20:00 (Heineken Cup)
Glasgow Warriors 7 - 9 Cardiff Blues
Scotstoun Stadium

I suspect these two fixtures will form a big part of Glasgow's motivation this week.

Really looking forward to this. First home game of the season. We really should be targeting a win. Although we did not look too sharp vs Zebre.

Our locks really need to step up as Grey looked very good for Glasgow last weekend, whereas Filo was dreadful. I feel the Glasgow front five may have the edge in the scrum but if Patch has a good game I feel like we've got a great chance. Blues by 5 points.

Yes, it should be good. Quality match-ups all over, especially Matawalu v Williams, Warbuton v Fusaro and Cuthbert v DTH. Ultimately, Glasgow can win if their loose forwards find a way to disrupt Patchell before he gets into a rhythm - he's shaping up to be a very big talent, but currently he is relatively inexperienced and that can be a thing.

More importantly, do Cardiff fans now have to sing about the 'Green, Green 3G Artificial Grass of Home'?

George Carlin wrote:Yes, it should be good. Quality match-ups all over, especially Matawalu v Williams, Warbuton v Fusaro and Cuthbert v DTH. Ultimately, Glasgow can win if their loose forwards find a way to disrupt Patchell before he gets into a rhythm - he's shaping up to be a very big talent, but currently he is relatively inexperienced and that can be a thing.

More importantly, do Cardiff fans now have to sing about the 'Green, Green 3G Artificial Grass of Home'?

Are there any Scottish players playing for Glasgow that could give it a go ?

A lot of folks have been talking up Cardiffs chances of the playoffs or even the title. Next two home games against Glasgow and Ulster need to be won if they are to demonstrate they're real contenders

LD- Fusaro is Scottish.

To be fair to Glasgow, the squad is predominantly Scottish! The only NSQ players who are likely to be regular startes are Nakarawa, Strauss, Matawalu and DTH.

Most teams in the league would be delighted to have those players.

Matawalu would terrify me if he played for my team. Nearly did a tap and go when Glasgow had a kickable penalty in front of the posts in the last minute of a game where they were behind by one point!

That would make you very, very nervous indeed!

RDW_Scotland wrote:To be fair to Glasgow, the squad is predominantly Scottish! The only NSQ players who are likely to be regular startes are Nakarawa, Strauss, Matawalu and DTH.

Most teams in the league would be delighted to have those players.

And Strauss is a 'project' player - qualifies by residence as of September next year, just before the World Cup.

Notch wrote:Matawalu would terrify me if he played for my team. Nearly did a tap and go when Glasgow had a kickable penalty in front of the posts in the last minute of a game where they were behind by one point!

That would make you very, very nervous indeed!

Absolutely.  To be fair to him, he was probably only thinking about the BP try.  Given that he was on the 22 it would be unlikely the Leinster players will have treated 10m, so at the worst he would have got another penalty for not being 10.

Still absolutely bonkers though - you could see the panic in the other players as they tried to grab him!

I was only joking guys, Matawalu is one of the stand out players in the Pro 12, would love him at any of the Welsh regions.

I can see a storm brewing over Mad Mata. He is unbelievably gifted. Not talented : genuinely gifted. BUT he is totally mental. He's just mad Ted, he is so. The thing is, in a cost-benefit analysis does he win more games than lose? Then again who cares as long as he has moments like the try against Harlequins the other week? Actually I'm beginning to. Glasgow are so close to winning the Pro 12 and should be competing in the latter stages of Europe. Is he consistent enough for us? Or, does Toonie keep playing him just to mess with our minds?

I think that with Niko unfortunately familiarity is breeding contempt that isn't really deserved. I'm not really sure how you're supposed to have opportunity without risk.

Everyone makes mistakes, but I think that he has to stay as our starter at 9.
I am, of course, happy to drop him from the very moment that Henry Pyrgos is able to regularly do this:


or this:

or this:

or, frankly, I would settle for just any of this:

Please play Pyrgos over Matawalu, you'd be doing us a favour. From an outsiders point of view i rate Matawalu very highly. I watched a lot of Glasgow games on Alba last year in the hope he was playing. Very special player, suprised he hasnt been offered big money to go to England or France.

Coleman, I think he has, but he absolutely loves it Glasgow and is so grateful for the opportunity that the Warriors gave him - which just proves even more how mad he is!!

GC, there is no argument about Mad Mental Mata's genius with ball in hand. None whatsoever. Nor is there any dubiety about his love for the club/ supporters/ city. A love which is reciprocated.
Unfortunately, it's what he does when the opposition have the ball (mainly) that is worrying me.
I shall defer to Graeme Souness, who when playing at Liverpool would argue that Kenny Dalglish was the best player in the world by saying that maybe Maradonna scored more goals, more spectacular goals, was more outrageously flamboyant BUT week in week out Dalglish would win more games for a side by working selflessly for the team at a consistently high level. (I paraphrase, of course).
I know that Mata is a rare talent. I just don't know that he wins us more points over a season than (a) Chris Cooseater (b) Henners Piecrust or (c) he actually costs us.
As I said, maybe a couple of seasons ago a two or three points over a season meant fecc all but last season it meant the difference between a final at Sellick Park or the RDS. And I hate saying this because the creative, artistic side of me just wants to watch him make it up as he goes along. The more pragmatic side wants to see Glasgow win something.

Mad McMata. Impact lunacy sub no more no lea

Adios e buenos notches

PS. Anyone see Emily maiisscs rip Fanny Alexander and Lord 'Wenker' Robertson a new one on news night this evening. Absolutely brilliant !

Glasgow Warriors team to play Cardiff Blues:

15. Peter Murchie
14. Tommy Seymour
13. Mark Bennett
12. Alex Dunbar
11. Sean Lamont
10. Peter Horne
9. Henry Pyrgos
 
1. Alex Allan
2. Pat MacArthur
3. Rossouw de Klerk
4. Tim Swinson
5. Jonny Gray
6. Rob Harley
7. Chris Fusaro
8. Josh Strauss (Captain)
 
Replacements
 
16. Fraser Brown
17. Gordon Reid
18. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
19. Leone Nakarawa
20. James Eddie
21. Niko Matawalu
22. Duncan Weir
23. DTH van der Merwe

Undoubtedly that's a very strong squad with some useful game-changing options on the bench. Nice bit of continuity in key positions, particularly back-row, half-backs and centres. Also, it's the Return of the Jedi!

Not convinced how well that front row will do against the Blues front row - Allan is still very green and McArthur isn't renowned for his scrummaging. Is Jerry not mainly a looshehead too?

Blues Squad:

15 Adam Thomas
14 Alex Cuthbert
13 Cory Allen
12 Gavin Evans
11 Dan Fish
10 Rhys Patchell
9 Lewis Jones
1 Sam Hobbs
2 Matthew Rees
3 Adam Jones
4 Jarrad Hoeata
5 Filo Paulo
6 Josh Turnbull
7 Sam Warburton
8 Manoa Vosawai
16 Kristian Dacey
17 Taufa'ao Filise
18 Scott Andrews
19 Macauley Cook
20 Josh Navidi
21 Lloyd Williams
22 Gareth Davies
23 Richard Smith

Looks like debut for Hoeata and a first start for Adam Thomas, the former Sevens skipper

Hobbs. . . Going to love watching us get battered in the scrum all evening and with Evans at 12 Glasgow will have no problems shutting down our wide attack. Excited to see Hoeata. We have some really strong options on the bench for our back row. Where is the lad from Bristol? Fish has improved a lot lately, was hoping he'd be at 15.

Coleman wrote:Hobbs. . . Going to love watching us get battered in the scrum all evening and with Evans at 12 Glasgow will have no problems shutting down our wide attack. Excited to see Hoeata. We have some really strong options on the bench for our back row. Where is the lad from Bristol? Fish has improved a lot lately, was hoping he'd be at 15.

By yur with Tavis;
http://www.cardiffrfc.com/Match/Preview/223214

I guess he needs game time. I think it's great that Tavis is playing for the RFC. More of the regions should be releasing their players if they're not in the match day squad. Wonder how Tav feels about it though.

Toonie for once has confounded expectations and has picked a very settled team, which after last weekend is probably no bad thing. The main changed has been dictated by the fact that the game is on a sunday, so no Murray. De Klerk has looked good in pre season though and we will get the chance to see how Jerry's switch to TH is going. Lamont coming in is no surprise and the other switches with the bench won't weaken the side. Having Weir's boot there at the end is quite reassuring as well if it becomes a tight game.

Hogg not playing does not surprise me. I don't think the plan was ever to rush him back, he played last week due to injury, otherwise he would not have featured. We may see him next week and he will certainly get his chance.

If Glasgow play like last week and can just tighten things up a little, then they should win.

IanBru wrote:

Glasgow Warriors team to play Cardiff Blues:

15. Peter Murchie
14. Tommy Seymour
13. Mark Bennett
12. Alex Dunbar
11. Sean Lamont
10. Peter Horne
9. Henry Pyrgos
 
1. Alex Allan
2. Pat MacArthur
3. Rossouw de Klerk
4. Tim Swinson
5. Jonny Gray
6. Rob Harley
7. Chris Fusaro
8. Josh Strauss (Captain)
 
Replacements
 
16. Fraser Brown
17. Gordon Reid
18. Jerry Yanuyanutawa
19. Leone Nakarawa
20. James Eddie
21. Niko Matawalu
22. Duncan Weir
23. DTH van der Merwe

Undoubtedly that's a very strong squad with some useful game-changing options on the bench. Nice bit of continuity in key positions, particularly back-row, half-backs and centres. Also, it's the Return of the Jedi!

Yes, it's strong - one of the most aggressive tight fives we have.
Interesting to see Toonie start Horne against one of the best young 10s in the league.

I have to say that an axis of Horne-Dunbar-Bennett is probably the most creative bunch of footballers available to us and if we can get our offloading game working, we really should see some backline scores.

Strong bench this week too. Three doses of Fijian mentalness await, plus Scotland's form loosehead over the past year (IMHO), the club's top try scorer and a 10 who knows that he's fighting for his position.

Hobbs against De Klerk will also be an interesting fight - two young props out to make a name for themselves.

The Glasgow LH factory just keeps rolling them out though. Allen has had a great start to the season and quite rightly starts. Grant is not going to walk back into that team when he comes back, LH is going to be our most competitive position this year.

Down the line you do wonder if we will be able to hang onto all of them, are Glasgow going to be able to give them enough game time to keep them happy, or be able to afford them all once contracts come up for renewal. Good problems to have though!

Shame Grant had the op and isn't available for this game - I always loved watching him and Adam have a tear up.

Agree that after years of relying on the comedic girth of Alan Jacobson at 1 (the only man in the Scotland squad who looked worse than me in a skintight pro jersey), we finally seem to have the likes of Grant, Reid, Allen and Dickinson with some big youngfellers like D'Arcy Rae and Rory Sutherland waiting in the wings.

Coleman wrote:I guess he needs game time. I think it's great that Tavis is playing for the RFC. More of the regions should be releasing their players if they're not in the match day squad. Wonder how Tav feels about it though.

There is that, but what is the point of The Rags these days?

I see that Scarlets are unfortunately bearing the brunt of the post-Glasgow game backlash from Leinster at the moment.

George Carlin wrote:I see that Scarlets are unfortunately bearing the brunt of the post-Glasgow game backlash from Leinster at the moment.

They had 3 tries at half time, and you knew they were going to get the bonus point win. You don't get that feeling with Glasgow. It cost us last year and it will cost us this year, unless we get our finger out

So - a few folk on the pro 12 predications thread https://www.606v2.com/t55291-guinness-pro12-predictions-thread-2014-15 were saying Blues would be challenging for the top of the league. this match will give us some indication of the relative strengths. gonna be interesting

Looking forward to seeing how Hoeata plays

IronMike wrote:Looking forward to seeing how Hoeata plays

Yes, very handy to have a guy that is comfortable as a lock as well as a loose forward.
I can see him getting moved around the Blues pack a bit this season, depending on injuries.

I think we have quite a few backrowers in reserve, but not too many quality locks, but you're right in saying its handy to have that option if we need it.

Sounds like he could be the Cardiff Jedi.

Love the idea of a Welsh jedi.

"I used the force, you see. There's lovely, boyo".

"I am your father, boyo, not Big Nev down at the bingo hall"

How long before this gets racist?

Watch the Taff wars series on youtube... hilarious!

IanBru wrote:"I am your father, boyo, not Big Nev down at the bingo hall"

How long before this gets racist?

Two posts ago.
I am going to have to ban myself now.

First real challenge for the Blues, while Glasgow had a successful big challenge last week,

If the Blues play like they did in Zebre we will lose.

Need to see a big improvement from Turnball, Paulo and Vosawai along with a big first game from Hoeta.

If we can get an edge up front then hopeful Patchell will dictate behind

This is like Glasgow 4th choice front row if you guys can't get parity up front, this will be a long old season for you!

Blues are only as good as their weakest link (Sam Hobbs).

VinceWLB wrote:This is like Glasgow 4th choice front row if you guys can't get parity up front, this will be a long old season for you!

That's true but similarly Allan is as good a young prop as we have and De Klerk is a Blue Bulls thoroughbred who benches crazy weights and will give Hobbs a lot of problems.

If it wasn't for gravity, Pat MacArthur would miss the ground with his throwing, but let's not dwell on that for the moment.

Shrek and Jerry are replacements of at least similar quality (and in the case of Shrek, a much superior player) if it all goes jubblies up in the tight.

Blues scrum will be ok for the first half, when Adam Jones goes off and Scott Andrews comes on we will start walking backwards.

Having Gethin Jenkins fit would make a big difference :L

What stage is Jenkins at? I thought that he was close to coming back?

Does anyone here know how i can reliably watch the referendum stuff AND rugby on live tv.

All my links here are hit and miss.

George Carlin wrote:Love the idea of a Welsh jedi.

"I used the force, you see. There's lovely, boyo".

"No Luke, the blaster is not the weapon for a Jedi: too random, too messy. A lightsabre however: tidy"

alive555 wrote:Does anyone here know how i can reliably watch the referendum stuff AND rugby on live tv.

All my links here are hit and miss.

YOu have pm