Total Humiliation for Blues

Well done to the CARDIFF BLUES for another great performance.It was nice to see the one trick pony that is JAMIE ROBERTS going nowhere along with all the other so called superstars of WELSH rugby,and may i add LIONS CAPT(WHAT A JOKE). HOOPER and POCOCK must be pantsing it. l.o.l

I guess the cardiff blues was having an off day. especialy in the first half...right.

If the Wales national side can get the best out of the likes of Roberts and Warburton, but the region can't, then that suggests to me that the problem is with the coaches. Yes, the players need to take responsibility, but if they're following instructions, and they seem very good at doing that at international level, then the instructions/tactics don't seem designed to utilise their talents in the best way at regional level.

And then we look at the guy in charge, Phil Davies, and everything is explained. He's still living off the back of getting Leeds promoted to the English Prem. Everything else he's done has been gash.

We have seen time and time again that when players get in the Welsh set up their performance levels increase significantly so I guess it is hte coaches.

The Blues cant keep sacking their coaches each season, we blamed Dai Young, then Gareth Baber and Justin Burnell and now finally Phil Davies.

The bottom line is on paper the Blues have a very talented first 15 players when their all on the field and they are not playing to anywhere near their potential.

15 Leigh Halfpenny
14 Harry Robinson
13 Cory Allen
12 Jamie Roberts
11 Alex Cuthbert
10 Jason Tovey
9 Lloyd Williams
8 Andries Pretorius
7 Sam Warburton
6 Josh Navidi
5 Bradley Davies
4 Lou Reed
3 Scott Andrews
2 Rhys Williams
1 Sam Hobbs

On paper this is a fantastic team, a massive and mobile pack with a powerful and pacey back line. No one should be beating the Blues at home in all honesty.

Shifty,

So is it the coaches thern that are failing to get best out of the players?

You might have blamed Dai Young, Shifty, but I thought he did well for the Blues. They've certainly plummeted since he's left. Nowhere near as competitive now.

I'm not sure it's all down to the coaches, the more I see the Ospreys and Blues the more I'm convinced there is a awful laziness within the squads of Welsh regions, they are being allowed to turn in substandard performances week after week, sadly the regions have no depth so no one can be dropped. Everything seems just a little too comfortable for these players and are to mollycoddled.

I do wonder if the French idea might be right and let the top 6 Rabo qualifiers get into the Heinaken Cup, that way the players will be forced to aspire to better performances in games if they want to play at the top level. Players simply won't be able to afford these sloppy efforts.

Agree there shifty. They've got it easy. No relegation so no fear of the business failing and their wages being chopped. A limit on foreign players so no better-standard-but-cheaper-option-from-abroad players, thus making our rubbish players indispensable.

Griff Shifty

Although I applaud you both for actually attempting a soloution (unlike a lot of posters who just prefer to rip ideas apart) I'm not sure the Rabo qualification is the best route to go down.

Take the HC for example, everything to play for including Wales selection yet the same poor performances from the top players.

So I don't think competition for som ething is reallt the answer.

I think the problem has 3 faces.

1/ Competition for places. Our internationals know that no matter how poorly they play they'll make the national team. They have little to worry about losing their place at int level so why would they even consider losing their place at club level??? Club games are international warm ups for these players, chance to get some gametime before the call up so they are already in a 'don't get injured' mindset.
With an amateur prem providing a huge drop in quality behind them the regions have to stick with their investments, meaning the club needs the players more than the players need the club.

2/ A lot of very good players just don't care about their regions, they didn't grow up watching them, supporting them or playing for them so they have no real connection and therefore can't lift their game that top few inches at club level but can at int level.

3/ The life of a club player in Wales isn't very attractive, much more money over seas, having to catch flights once a fortnight, playing in front of empty stadiums, constant media criticism, substandard coaches, and a sub par infrastructure.

In fairness it's not just the Blues but the regions in general who are struggling.

And I just want to point out to all those saying that returning to a club game (not that I'm promoting that here) would give us 60/70 point thrashings in europe look at the regions results this season!! We are one step away from being there at regional status!!!

As I said on another post the Blues lost: Melon, Yapp, Rhys Thomas, Tito, Deiniol Jones, Nugget, Rush and Molitika last season. Any team would miss those stars. The capped playing budget has meant that the players that have come in are not the same quality. The Blues need a run with a settled side for the new players to blend, unfortunately with the system in Wales that does not happen.

When the get the ball they look good, in fact the Blues backs behind the Ospreys pack would be a very good team!

seagul

But letting Rees leave for 2 new 9's doesnt make sense!!

Letting Yapp go to sign 4/5 props doesn't make sense!!!

Letting Thomas go so sign 2 new hookers doesn't make sense!!!


Nugget, Rush, Tito, Jones, and Molitika were all but gone last year, they were poor quality players last season!!!

How many Cardiff boys have been shipped out for poor NWQ replacements??? What a surprise these boys don't care about the 'region'/cause!!

Leinster are where they are because they havce local boys playing with pride and passion with top NIQ players in key positions, it's not rocket science!!!

From an outsiders perspective, the Blues main problem is they might be strong in some areas but they're very weak in other areas. Didn't they lose matches because of the scrum alone. That can be demoralising for any team. It kills momentum and once momentum goes its hard to get back.

They need to concentrate on strengthening those weak areas, make themselves hard to beat and they'll start winning and getting some momentum going.

Blues,

Dis-agree with point 1, whith the exception of T/head I think we have more competition for places than for a very long time.

Shifty,

As for the laziness in the squad isn't that again a coaching problem. Surely its a coaches job to make things more intense, keep players on their toes etc

The Irish provincial teams are becoming more like Super rugby outfits with each passing season, except for Connacht, which is a crying shame.

bedford

So you beleive that Roberts and Hewitt are true competition for the 12 shirt? That Robinson is tru comp for the wing over Cuthbert? That Fish is true competition for 1/2p? Or are you talking International?

Who is the real comp for Roberts? I don't see anyone.

Who is the comp at FB? Byrnes not int he squad and Hook/Williams are backup options.

Who is the comp at 6 or 8? I see options but no real competition.

Anyone worthy of Phillips place?

I see your point at hook, LH, lock and 7 but not many other positions.

Well if they gave Cory Allen some opportunity I'm sure he could push for the 12 and 13 jerseys.

Morg

Couldn't agree more mate, especially the way we're playing surely Allen and Dacey would benefit from the experiences of getting dicked week in week out

There are others like Fish, Lewis, Patchell, Cook who could all benefit from long stints in the team.

Owen Williams too, experienced Sevens player. You aren't short of backs, but you are short of some props and a defencive strategy.

Get Dean Richards in there he would frighten the crap out of them.
they seem happy to not preform,
obviously Phil Davies isn't pushing them.

Well technically we have lots of props, it's just none of them can scrummage.

Andrews is actually looking good since he came back (well better than he used to) and he'll get better and better.

Trevett, Filisse, Mafi, are just awfull though. Borrust can scrummage but little else, Kyriacou is too small for prof rugby.

The Blues need a defence desperately though, and some breakdown grit. Oh and a clue!!!