Blues back to the Arms Park (at least for Friday)

by wales606 Tue 07 Feb 2012, 11:31 am

First topic message reminder :

http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/5711.php

Cardiff Blues can confirm that they will play this Friday's fixture against Connacht at Cardiff Arms Park.
All season tickets holders, premier club members and supporters who have purchased tickets for the match do not need to take any action as their tickets are valid for the game, which will be the first time the Blues have played a competitive match at the ground since moving to the Cardiff City Stadium in 2009.
The Blues have won six out of seven of their last matches at home with their solitary loss a 19-23 defeat to table topping Leinster in the PRO12 on 7 January. They have also already recorded a victory over Connacht this season with a 26-20 win in Galway on 29 October.

Speaking of the announcement to move the match, Cardiff Blues CEO Richard Holland said,

"There are no long term plans in place to move back to the Arms Park permanently, however, we have listened to what our supporters are saying and it should be a great occasion to play this match at the Arms Park.

"Hopefully there will be a good crowd there on Friday night."

"Obviously Cardiff Blues still have a 20 year lease in place at the Cardiff City Stadium and moving the Connacht match to the Arms Park has no impact on this agreement."

"These are difficult economic times and we have to explore ways of creating a sustainable future for the region."

Cardiff Blues Chairman Peter Thomas added,

"I am pleased that the club is exploring all available options to us and playing this match at the Arms Park shows that we are listening to our fanbase."

"The licensing constraint means that 8,000 is the maximum capacity we can have on the night, so I hope we have a large crowd there to enjoy the evening."

WRU Chief Executive Roger Lewis said:

"The WRU applauds and supports this initiative from the Cardiff Blues."

"In these tough times all of their options need to be considered."

"It is a bold move and deserves credit."

(ADDED IN BY ADAM D - TEAM NEWS)

Cardiff Blues have selected their side to face Connacht at Cardiff Arms Park tomorrow night, 7.30pm kick off

Following Wales’s magnificent win over Ireland in Dublin, sealed by Cardiff Blues favourite Leigh Halfpenny, Blues supporters can look forward to another round of matches against Irish opposition when they take on Connacht this Friday.

The match kicks off at 7.30pm and is not televised, so be sure to get your ticket to watch the action.

The Blues have won six out of seven of their last matches in Cardiff with their solitary loss a 19-23 defeat to table topping Leinster in the PRO12 on 7 January. They have also already recorded a victory over Connacht this season with a 26-20 win in Galway on 29 October.

Connacht’s long win drought ended with their impressive victory over Harlequins in the Heineken Cup. However, the Irishmen have not won away from home since the opening weekend of the season in Treviso. Connacht’s only win in their last dozen clashes with the Blues since 2005 was 18-16 at the Galway Sportsground on 18 September 2008.

The Blues complete their Triple Crown of Irish fixtures with a match against Ulster in Cardiff on Friday 19 February followed by a visit to Munster on Friday 24 February.

Speaking ahead of the match Cardiff Blues backs coach, Gareth Baber, said:

“Within the period of time that the players have known about the fixture being played at the Arms Park it’s created a buzz, not only at our training venue, but with the supporters and in the media as well. So hopefully we will have a big crowd to watch the match.”

“We know it’s only for one match but it is nice to be back at a place where the players have had good results in the past and that’s given us a bit more motivation to get the victory this evening.”

Speaking of the opposition Baber added:

“Obviously Eric Elwood has taken over the reigns at Connacht this season and I don’t think there has been a huge change, in so much as they have been a good solid outfit for a number of years.”

“Everyone who has played out in Galway knows how difficult it is to get a victory out there.”

“They recruit well and get a lot of young players in and supplement that with southern hemisphere players.”

“It gives them a good style and probably away from home they could argue that they don’t get the results they deserve.”

Martyn Williams returns to the Blues side for the first time in 5 months having recovered from a broken arm, suffered against Ulster in Septmeber.

Cardiff Blues 15. Ben Blair 14. Richard Mustoe 13.Casey Laulala 12. Gavin Evans 11. Tom James 10. Ceri Sweeney 9. Richie Rees

8. Xavier Rush 7. Martyn Williams 6. Maama Molitika 5. Paul Tito (C) 4. Michael Paterson 3. Sam Hobbs 2. T Rhys Thomas 1. John Yapp

16. Ryan Tyrell 17. Nathan Trevett 18. Ryan Harford 19. Cory Hill 20. Macauley Cook 21. Lewis Jones 22. Gareth Davies 23. Tom Williams

Not available due to injury:
Fau Filise - shoulder
Dafydd Hewitt - hamstring
James Down - ankle
Andries Pretorius - knee
Deiniol Jones - shoulder

by Jimmy Moz Mon 13 Feb 2012, 6:22 pm

gcBlues wrote:Bitter little ponty boyo

And proud

Better than being a Cardiff rugby mug with their head shoved in Peter Pies Laugh

by wales606 Mon 13 Feb 2012, 7:17 pm

Jimmy Moz wrote:
rugbydreamer wrote:two of which were Ponty fans. They loved that the game was at CAP and said they'd attend more if more games were moved there

They were supporting Connach I hope. Cheering on Cardiff is classed as high treason based on the 'Never be a Blue' law

rugbydreamer wrote:will be even better if the Blues can then play some games at Sardis Road too

That will never ever happen under the current board

Holland has already stated he wants to play games at Sardis

By the looks of it, the LV games will all be played there next season Yahoo

by Cari Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:14 pm

See, I don't get that anti-Cardiff attitude. Loads of valleys people come down to Cardiff to watch and support the Bluebirds (football), some of them even have season tickets, but they won't get behind their region in rugby? Headscratch

by Coleman Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:29 pm

Cari wrote:See, I don't get that anti-Cardiff attitude. Loads of valleys people come down to Cardiff to watch and support the Bluebirds (football), some of them even have season tickets, but they won't get behind their region in rugby?

Thats because football up there is dog awful. But they have had strong rugby teams through out their history. Its funny because it seems like Welsh football has a regional model that works ^_^

by Cari Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:32 pm

Coleman - but those strong rugby teams feed into the region, so it's not like their best players and clubs are overlooked...I suppose that is like the football? It just seems unnecessarily territorial to me. I was joking with someone at the CAP on Friday, they could change the name to Pontiff Blues...that might please the fans a bit Wink

by Jimmy Moz Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:41 pm

wales606 wrote:Holland has already stated he wants to play games at Sardis

By the looks of it, the LV games will all be played there next season

Got a souce or link to back that up?

by Jimmy Moz Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:47 pm

Cari wrote:See, I don't get that anti-Cardiff attitude. Loads of valleys people come down to Cardiff to watch and support the Bluebirds (football), some of them even have season tickets, but they won't get behind their region in rugby?

It works both ways though. Cardiff rugby fans have always taken a stuck up attitude to Ponty fans and people of the Valleys

This says it all

gcBlues wrote:Bitter little ponty boyo

It football the Cardiff and Valleys people get on fine as there is no snobbery issue. I also remember when the Warriors got shutdown the Warriors website forum was flooded with Cardiff fans saying stuff like "Haha. Wheres your region gone now Taffs" and stuff like that. There is plenty of hatred their end

by Cari Mon 13 Feb 2012, 8:50 pm

Jimmy - that's a bit of a sweeping generalisation. I'm a Cardiff girl, but lived and worked in the Rhondda valley for a few years - my sister's still there. I'm not a Blues supporter, granted, but I've certainly never had a "stuck up" attitude towards people up there.

My point was, that there seems to be an issue with the Blues name that's stuck?

by XR Mon 13 Feb 2012, 9:21 pm

Jimmy Moz wrote:Cardiff rugby fans have always taken a stuck up attitude to Ponty fans and people of the Valleys

This says it all

gcBlues wrote:Bitter little ponty boyo

My comment was a remark made due to a post that 'says it all' about the small minded folks that reside up the A470:

Jimmy Moz wrote:I would go watch them just to cheer on whoever they are playing

Now, now. You need to support Regional Rugby and not let yourself get bamboozled by a local MP who is playing you all like a fiddle to secure votes come May time. But hey, Pied Piper and all that Laugh

by Jimmy Moz Mon 13 Feb 2012, 9:28 pm

gcBlues wrote:Now, now. You need to support Regional Rugby and not let yourself get bamboozled by a local MP who is playing you all like a fiddle to secure votes come May time. But hey, Pied Piper and all that

What region? There is no region

Im a Plaid Cymru voter. Why would I vote for Owen Smith

I just like the fact that is brings certain things into question about the current setup

As a typical selfish Cardiff fan who doesnt care about the future of Welsh rugby I guess you wouldnt understand that though

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