Cardiff Blues v Connacht Rugby, 4 December

         
Cardiff Blues v Connacht Rugby
Friday 4 December 2015
KO 19:05
BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park

Live on BBC Wales & TG4

Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 6th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Simon Rees (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Jonathan Mason (WRU)

A. Head to Head

25 Played 25
19 Wins 4
4 Losses 19
2 Draws 2
603 Points 361

B. Form

Fri 3 October 2014
Connacht Rugby 24 - 24 Cardiff Blues

Fri 6 March 2015
Cardiff Blues 18 - 17 Connacht Rugby  

C. Teams

Cardiff Blues

Rhys Patchell; Alex Cuthbert, Ray Lee-Lo, Gavin Evans, Tom James; Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Ethan Lewis, Taufa'ao Filise, Jarrod Hoeata, Lou Reed, Macauley Cook, Josh Turnbull, Manoa Vosawai.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Sam Hobbs, Craig Mitchell, James Down, Cam Dolan, Tavis Knoyle, Garyn Smith, Dan Fish.

Connacht Rugby

Tiernan O'Halloran; Darragh Leader, Bundee Aki, Craig Ronaldson, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Ian Porter; Ronan Loughney, Dave Heffernan, Rodney Ah You; Quinn Roux, Aly Muldowney; John Muldoon (capt), James Connolly, Eoin McKeon.

Replacements: Jason Harris-Wright, Conan O'Donnell, Finlay Bealham, George Naoupu, Sean O'Brien, Kieran Marmion, Peter Robb, Rory Parata.

Dull and drizzly is the forecast.

Cardiff Dave wrote:Dull and drizzly is the forecast.

 That's what I was getting at.

Amazing stat in the offy preview that whilst Cardiff has lost its last 7 games, they are the top try scorers in the league with 23.

How is that even possible? And this suggests that the Blues are one decent defence coach away from being a top 4 side!

We scored a bucket load vs Zeb in our first game. I think our defence has been okay for the first half in most games. We seem to start falling off of tackles later on. 

We've trained against Bristol this week in preperation for this game. Hoping we can dig deep and pinch a win. Sadly I can't make it this friday but if we do win it'll confirm my status as a bad luck charm.

I am going to this game, I doubt it will be as exciting as the try in the 90th minute game last season though. All I can see a a severe man shaming for the boys from the cap with their optional tackling and general not give a toss attitude.

George Carlin wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:Dull and drizzly is the forecast.

 That's what I was getting at.

Derek here with an update;
Cloudy with a chance of highballs. Due to the stiff breeze.

Cardiff Blues:
Rhys Patchell (can't believe he's leaving);
Alex Cuthbert, Ray Lee-Lo, Gavin Evans, Tom James; Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams;
Gethin Jenkins (capt), Ethan Lewis, Taufa'ao Filise (can't believe he's still here; legend!), Jarrod Hoeata, Lou Reed, Macauley Cook, Josh Turnbull, Manoa Vosawai.

Replacements:
Kristian Dacey, Sam Hobbs, Craig Mitchell, James Down, Cam Dolan, Tavis Knoyle, Garyn Smith, Dan Fish.

Pi$$ poor attendance.

are you there dave?

GavinDragon wrote:are you there dave?

Yeah i'm 'ere.

Yes get in there Connacht

Hope you and the rest of the "regional" crowd are keeping warm Dave

Personally I blame Ponty fans for not supporting their "region"

Altogether now......KAAAAAAIDIFF

they are a club arent they?

Where the f*ck is Masterchef The Professionals?!

Griff wrote:Where the f*ck is Masterchef The Professionals?!

That's more like it boys

Good try

GavinDragon wrote:they are a club arent they?

A tad dysfunctional though it seems.

Back of the net!
#bloosfamily.

Come on the blue and not quite blue and blacks!

Williams kicking and the chasing is poor

Connacht getting no luck with injuries at the moment. Well worth their lead though

Jeez Connacht are playing some good through the hands rugby but seem to fall down on the last play. Cardiff committing some penalties to prevent couple of the moves. Connacht doing the same says ref.

Connacht have deserved 13-10 lead at the half but have lost two more players to injury. They have been v unlucky with injuries with 14/15 players out. Ronaldson and Roux now out as well.

Lam is going to have his work cut out over the next month or so.

Cardiff eventually work a good try with patient build up of rucks and sucking in defenders. And the conversion puts them 17-13 ahead with the run of play in the second half.

Cardiff bench going to make the difference possibly in staying ahead.

Good attacking work and pressure pays off for Connacht with a penalty in front of sticks.

Cardiff Blues 20-16 Connacht at 67 mins

The Cardiff tackling is shocking so many missed tackles, they seems to select imports that don't tackle. Cardiff tackled quiet well against the Ospreys but they have gone back to their old ways. Plenty of time to blow this game.

glamorganalun wrote:The Cardiff tackling is shocking so many missed tackles, they seems to select imports that don't tackle. Cardiff tackled quiet well against the Ospreys but they have gone back to their old ways. Plenty of time to blow this game.

Next season mun.

Fish, filleted the defense there.

Cardiff lucky rubbish tackling, the coaches need to drop players that don't tackle but they wil only have three players left.

Conan O'Donnell is going to be some player.

Aki makes a brilliant break from his own half and gains Connacht a last chance to score. Gets injured in the process.

From the scrum Connacht win a penalty. They kick for touch. Win the lineout and drive.

Cardiff defend madly. There's a break for line. Ref calls for TMO. Try yes or no?

Knock on by Connacht.

Scrum five to Blues with 3.5 mins to go.

glamorganalun wrote:Cardiff lucky rubbish tackling, the coaches need to drop players that don't tackle but they wil only have three players left.

Yep, next season mun. Look forward to the big clearout.

Lucky with just a penalty there. Hell of a collision

Huge pressure on Uncle Pete if his team lose tonight.

That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

I reckon thats Vosawai knee gone

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Connacht mess up another attacking move and knock on and that's the game gone.

Scrum to Blues with 30 secs left

Well done Blues! Not from a Dragons point of view, but well done nonetheless.

Strange game not good for the Dragons and good news for the Scarlets.

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

Go bloos!

Pot Hale wrote:

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

I think the penalty was 50/50, as in the technique was so poor that it could be deemed dangerous (it did cause injury) and therefore was a penalty, even if he got some arms up after the shoulder impact. But seen them go both ways though.

Pot Hale wrote:

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

I like the sound of that.
I'll probably get battered by the regionalists on here though for liking it.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

I like the sound of that.
I'll probably get battered by the regionalists on here though for liking it.

'Twas a boon for the region for sure.

As much as I wanted Connacht to win I had a suspicion that Cardiff might pull off a surprise win. Keep these type of performances up and they could climb the table. The mighty Bloooos will not want to finish behind Newport Dragons 2 years on the trot...that's something you would only do for losing a bet

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

I like the sound of that.
I'll probably get battered by the regionalists on here though for liking it.

You're lost cause David. As is your whole set up. Crack on and be a club. And Stef as you and everyone knows it is, for now, Newport-Gwent Dragons

Makes sense Steff.

Congratulations Cardiff. I'm actually really happy that you're currently above us and I hope it ends up that way at the end of the season, so Lyn is under a bit of pressure.

Risca Rev wrote:Makes sense Steff.

Congratulations Cardiff. I'm actually really happy that you're currently above us and I hope it ends up that way at the end of the season, so Lyn is under a bit of pressure.

It's pressure on Hazell we need, not the monkey.

How do we put pressure on Hazell?

GavinDragon wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:

Griff wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:That's a rubbish decision via TMO for a no arms tackle by Carty.

He got an arm around his leg.

Awful technique, shoulder to the knee. Terrible.

Agreed. Terrible technique in going low from the front but he did have arms out.

Anyway game over.

Well done Cardiff - toppled the league leaders.

I like the sound of that.
I'll probably get battered by the regionalists on here though for liking it.

You're lost cause David. As is your whole set up. Crack on and be a club. And Stef as you and everyone knows it is, for now, Newport-Gwent Dragons

Not sure what you mean Gav, but it's Friday so it doesn't matter.

Stone Motif wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:Makes sense Steff.

Congratulations Cardiff. I'm actually really happy that you're currently above us and I hope it ends up that way at the end of the season, so Lyn is under a bit of pressure.

It's pressure on Hazell we need,  not the monkey.

Well this is true too.