Cardiff Blues Season Thread (Toulon fall in Cardiff)

[wales606]

First topic message reminder :

Keeping organised the ins and outs at the Blues leading into next season.

New Signing
Paetru Tamba (during the season)
Filo Paulo - North Harbour (confirmed)
Matthew Rees (confirmed)
Liam Davies (confirmed - until end of season)
Gethin Jenkins (confirmed)
Miles Normandale (confirmed)
Rhys Gill - Saracens (rumoured) Unlikely
Craig Mitchell - Exeter (rumoured) Unlikely
Adam Warren - Scarlets (rumoured)
Dan Lydiate - Dragons (mentioned) (rumoured)
Scott Williams - Scarlets (rumoured)
James Hook (rumoured - again)
Rodney So’oialo - Honda Heat (rumoured)
Aled Summerhill - Blues Academy
Ben Roach - Blues Academy
Ellis Jenkins - Blues Academy
Tom Pascoe - Blues Academy
Will Thomas - Blues Academy

Departures (all confirmed)
Jamie Roberts - Racing Metro
Ceri Sweeney - Exeter Chiefs
Tom James - Exeter Chiefs
Michael Paterson - Sale Sharks
Jason Tovey - Newport Gwent Dragons
Campese Ma'afu - Nottingham
Ryan Harford - Cardiff RFC
Nathan Trevett - London Welsh
Matthew Screech - Newport Gwent Dragons
Darren Harries - Scarlets
Jake Cooper Wooley - London Wasps
Cory Hill - Cornish Pirates
Petru Tamba - Unattached
Andi Kyriacou - Retired
Xavier Rush


Re-Signings
Alex Cuthbert (3 years)
Scott Andrews (2 years)
Josh Navidi (3 year)
James Down (unknown)
Andreus Pretorious (can't find the article...)
Marc Breeze (unknown)
Lewis Jones (unknown)
Lloyd Williams (3 years)
Tom Williams (3 years)
Rhys Patchell (3 years)
Sam Hobbs (?3 years?)
Rhys Williams (?3 years?)
Tom Davies (?3 years?)
Richard Smith (2 years)

[Coleman]

Nightmare :/

[wales606]

Shambolic

[maestegmafia]

A blip... Good kick up the backside and they will be fighting for HEC 1/4s and playoffs at the end of the season.

[wales606]

I don't understand how Baber is still coaching this year?

His contract was supposed to run out at the end of last season,

which mean Phil Davies has decided he wants the worst backs coach in the history of the game (i'm deadly serious) to stay in his coaching set up.

I wish we had Kingsley and Lyn Jones...

[wales606]

6 months ago we had never ever lost to Italian opposition...

[Steffan]

Why have Cardiff changed their colours to match the old Cardiff RFC when they are supposed to be a 'region' that is different?

[Coleman]

It's light Blue and Dark Blue, not Blue and Black.

[Guest]

Why have Cardiff changed their colours to match the old Cardiff RFC when they are supposed to be a 'region' that is different?

Whys the Ospreys kit mostly black and Scarlets mostly red?

[Steffan]

Why have Cardiff changed their colours to match the old Cardiff RFC when they are supposed to be a 'region' that is different?

Whys the Ospreys kit mostly black and Scarlets mostly red?

Dunno with the Ospreys. With the Scarlets its to show that they are still a rebranded version of Llanelli RFC

[XR]

Well we wanted to have blue and then asked pontypridd if they'd like to represented on the shirt with their iconic black colour but they said no. Don't see why they'd kick up a fuss with blue & black as our colours?

Rumour on that Cardiff Blues forum is that Phil Davies was told he has until November to sort things out.

I've stood by Phil as last year he was given a squad of inexperienced players and had a tough time. But now there's no excuse, these players went to Zebre and won this year and now we lose at home to them?

I hope he does go in November but my only worry is that Baber takes over and our lack of tries lies directly at his door. Who would want to come in and take over? No doubt it would be some washed up welsh coach looking for a job rather than a foreign coach who is ambitious and has his own ideas.

There's no ambition from the board, we need a back up 10 for patch but don't sign anyone and rely on a semi pro player to be back up. That stinks of working on the cheap. Then there's the ludicrous signing of Gethin Jenkins, he's over 30 and left us to go take up a big money contract at Toulon. he's injury prone and we take him back? We have plenty of loose head props, why sign another? We need a THP to take the load off Filise and Andrews but we sign Jenkins instead.

Not to mention no signing of a centre or number 8, there is just no forsight or willingness to improve the Blues. We need another clearout at the end of the season of players who just don't cut it and need to be taken off the wage bill. I'd start with these 4:

Lou Reed
Chris Czekaj
Gavin Evans
Dan Fish

Their contracts combined probably top £100,000 which can be invested in buying a top class player in a certain position. I watched the ITM cup on the weekend and the centre for Taranaki is just like Laulala, he's abrassive in the tackle and great in creating holes and offloading from what i saw. He's 25 years old, surely he would be a better option to have than Gavin Evans? Probably come on the same wage too. Isaia Tuifua is the lads name.

Found this video of him from 2012 ITM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgMv02gI7j4 - I believe he's also played a bit on the wing so could provide cover there too.

The Dragons got Talei...why weren't we in for him?

Then you have Baber who just being at the region meant Richie wouldn't return and went to the dragons.

[Guest]

I agree gcBlues, I would drop those players as well, Lou Reed was probably the worst signing for us in a while, he has offered next to nothing.

Ideally though, I would love to have someone like Robbie Deans as head coach, but I doubt the Blues can afford him.

[XR]

Indeed, we need to move away from welsh coaches and get someone in with no 'regional/national' ties to the country. Deans would be good and out of a job

[thebandwagonsociety]

On the plus side, you get to take on a Leinster side next in Dublin who are coming off an away loss to Glasgow and a draw at home to Ospreys.

[Coleman]

http://www.cardiffblues.com/news/6501.php#.UkBRzT_CYbo

Baber going!

[XR]

     

[XR]

going to be a "Head Coach" "overseas".

He's got the top job at Essex Under 11's, congrats to Baber & Good Luck.

[Coleman]

Wonder who has hired him. Poor guys.

[XR]

The powerhouse that is Hong Kong, according to the CAP forum

[Cardiff Dave]

Why have Cardiff changed their colours to match the old Cardiff RFC when they are supposed to be a 'region' that is different?

Whys the Ospreys kit mostly black and Scarlets mostly red?

Dunno with the Ospreys. With the Scarlets its to show that they are still a rebranded version of Llanelli RFC

The Scarlets are a rebrand of LLANELLI RFC?
I'm shocked and stunned.

[Cardiff Dave]

It's light Blue and Dark Blue, not Blue and Black.

Looks very black and very Cardiff when wet, however.
Blame Baber I say.

[maestegmafia]

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/12920.php

Warburton is back...!

5 Weeks early and in time for a huge game for the Blues

[wales606]

Shaun Edwards to come in to the set-up?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/cardiff-blues-set-sights-recruiting-6094968

Would have a great acquisition, someone to actually criticise the players...

[XR]

but only part time. If we got him that means we'd have a part time forwards coach, part time skills coach and part time defence coach.

And a full time plonker in charge

[Guest]

Teams for Fridays game against Leinster:

Leinster: Rob Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Brian O'Driscoll, Noel Reid, Dave Kearney; Ian Madigan, Isaac Boss; Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, Martin Moore; Devin Toner, Quinn Roux; Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Jamie Heaslip (capt).

Replacements: Aaron Dundon, Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Tom Denton, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Jimmy Gopperth, Brendan Macken.

Cardiff Blues: Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Owen Williams, Dafydd Hewitt, Harry Robinson; Rhys Patchell, Lloyd Williams; Sam Hobbs, Matthew Rees (capt), Taufa'ao Filise, Lou Reed, Filo Paulo, Josh Navidi, Sam Warburton, Andries Pretorius.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Thomas Davies, Scott Andrews, James Down, Robin Copeland, Lewis Jones, Gareth Davies, Cory Allen.

Probably would have started Copeland over Pretorious, nice to see Cory Allen on the bench.

[The Saint]

Personally I can't see past a 60 pointer for Leinster, or there-abouts. A bit like the last two games at the RDS...

[Taffineastbourne]

Looking forward to the 10's performances as I rate both very highly.Blues will be lucky to finish in second place in this one!Should be on after 9.00pm!

[Taffineastbourne]

Just spotted Cory Allen is on the bench.Things may not be too bad after all.

[Guest]

I hope he can make the step up, could do with a decent centre partnership at the Blues, Hewitt and Evans are not up to it.

[XR]

Gonna have to move the sofa for this one as i'll be hiding behind it when it's on.

[Steffan]

Be interesting to see how the mighty Kaiiirdiff do against Leinster after the brave defeat last week to the classy Italian outfit Zebre

[DeludedOptimistorjustDave]

Blues in for a six try hiding i reckon.

[Steffan]

Blues in for a six try hiding i reckon

Lets hope so

[wales606]

Nah...Blues by 10

 

[Steffan]

Wish Halfpenny amd Warburton would join a decent team

[wales606]

Not even Halfpenny can save us...

[wales606]

Great run by Owen

Pretty harsh penalty against Cuthbert - ref blew very quickly

[The Saint]

Pretty sure it was 20 nil just 5 minutes in last season, so this is an improvement.

[wales606]

Can afford to kick that to Kearney

[wales606]

Certainly a big reaction early on from the Blues - just need to sustain this for 80 minutes... 

[wales606]

Cuthbert and Owen Williams have touched the ball more in the last 10 than the entire season.

2 breaks from Owen already - that one should have been a try.

Robinson shouldn't have called for that!

[wales606]

Awful

First time Leinster touch the ball and it's a try

How on earth do you let a hooker do that!

That is why we need Shaun Edwards

[asoreleftshoulder]

Nice try but lucky Cronin wasn't called for jumping the tackle,that's a penalty as far as I know.

[LeinsterFan4life]

BOD is god

[Golden]

Ruddock really stepped it up at the end of last season and looks like he is continuing it which is great to see

[wales606]

The Blues can put all the effort into attacking, but it is completely useless when they don't know how to defend and miss one on one tackles.

Matthew Rees is an international hooker, he shouldn't allow a flanker to run through him!

[wales606]

Such weak defending

[wales606]

Seriously? How do you let a scrum half do that twice!

[wales606]

Blues defence has absolutely no structure, like at all

[The Boss]

Doesn't Shane Byrne have lovely hair?

Leinster playing some nice rugby now.

[wales606]

The Blues attack lacks any organisation as well

This is so clearly a coaching issue, there is no other reason for a team with the Lions captain, top try scorer and man of the series would look so completely inept.

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