World League - Cardif Blues [Rugby 2006]

[kookaburra69]

cool,cant wait for this match update mate.

 

[smssia0112]

Let's go Cardiff, hopefully we can pick up a win in our first match of the season!

 

[w3lshrugby]

C'mon boyos, lets win

 

[woosaah]

Welcome to Cardiff for the first match of the season agains Clemont. Cardif have had some good preparation up until this game with a close game against the formidable Canterbury Crusaders. Cardif, even though they are in the third division showed that they will be a force in this division, even though they are expected not to get anywhere in this competition. There is word from the franchise owners that they just want them to finish in the top half of the competition, but their coach has put some hard words on the team telling them that he expects them to get promoted to division two in his first year as coach. Time will tell to see who has the more realistic views by the end of the season.

The two line ups for the team show that neither team has any star players (woosaah only star by name, not by reputation), but both teams have some decent pace out wide. Lomu, Edmonds and the versitle Dean Sherr are all capable of breaking the line and even big prop Tobie Chapman (spelt it right for you) has shown some pace in the last game. Clermont have Paulse on the left wing and a solid fullback of Damnelli while the scrum half of Mini is very quick and nimble and Cardiff will have to watch his quick runs from the back of rucks.

03:04 - TRY! Lomu - From the kickoff Clermont were put straight under pressure and the centre Canale was forced to kick from inside his won 22 only to go straight to Edmonds instead of finding the much needed touch. Edmonds tries to put up a huge bomb but only finds that it gets charged down. Rocky dived on the ball to set up a ruck 45m from the Clermont line. Then some quick deft passes by the Cardiff Blues team as well as some very good ball handling they moved up to the 22. Then Rocky choses to use the blind side, uses the flanker Biswas who offloads to an unmarked Lomu. Lomu easily passes Clermont halfback Mini and bulldozes over the fullback Damnelli. Then 5m out from the try line, Lock Privo dives for Lomu to trip him up but he rolls over the line to score the first try. Heffler was unable to convert the easy conversion. 5-0

20:00 - DROP GOAL! Jones - After a decent leadup from Clermont but little headway the fly half Jones decides to get some points on the board and slots a 30m drop goal, making it look easier that it should have been. 5-3

26:16 - TRY! Hefler - After some good teamwork and some hard rucking. The forwards working hard with picks and goes and short passes. Rocky set it up with a pick and go and an offload to Hefler who ended up just falling over in the tackle of Barrio. Just good team work and forward momentum set up this try. Hefler kicked the conversion for his own try. 12-3

30:23 - DROP GOAL! Jones - After Sidoli foolishly knocks on just out of the 22 Clermont number 10 Jones slots another drop goal. 12-6

39:04 - TRY! Mini - An intercept by Canale halfback Mini picks up the ball from 33m out from the Blues goal line. With no support around Mini changes the angle on Dean Sherr and ends up running around him and beating him to the line. Jones converts the try. 13-12

- HALFTIME -
SO a good close first half to both teams and the two drop goals by Jones kept them close. The try to Lomu was very opourtunistic but Hefflers was the result of some good forward play. Minis try was just a bit of luck and some slack defense by the Blues. The second half of this game is going to be a cracker.

 

[kookaburra69]

ooo its tight so far,we will have to play a bit beter in the second half.

 

[aussie1st]

Close game so far, looks like I setup 2 tries

 

[woosaah]

44:16 - TRY! Lomu - Sidoli finds some space and runs accross the field from a short pass off Rocky. He passes out to Mathers who does quick hands to Liebenberg. Liebenberg straigtens and breaks the line, he then draws in Damnelli and passes to Lomu who strolls over the goal line and Heffler converts the try. 19-13

62:10 - Try! Lomu - 5m inside their own half Clermont fullback Damnelli, who is having a shocker of a game really, gets his kick charged down by Ross Mathers. Lomu picks up the ball and with noone near him shoots down the sideline runs under the posts for an easy try. Hefler converts and the score starts to inflat a bit at 26-13 and a hattrick for Lomu.

64min - Subs - B. Evans in for Yapp, Heffler off for Chez Spin who goes to full back and Dean Sherr gets moved to first five.

66min - Sub - W3lshrugby in for Rocky, Simon Barrow in for Ross Mathers.

69:40 - TRY! Chez Spin - After a clearing kick from Jones failes to find touch and only lands in the arms of Lomu. Afterwards Jones tries a high tackle on makeshift first five Dean Sherr but offloaded before he got hit. Simon Barrow then passes to Spin who has a bit of space and is able to sidestep past Damnelli and scores under the posts. Sherr converts and the score is 33-13

80:00 - DROP GOAL! Dean Sherr - With time up on the clock and after about 5 unsucessful attempts Dean Sherr finaly kicks a drop goal. and the final score is 36-13

After a great and dominant second half Cardif pull through with an easy win in the end. They capitalised on the mistakes that Clermont made and made it look easy after the first try in the second half. The Scrums need a bit of work as every feed they lost possesion but the line out cancelled that out winning two of the opposition line out. Playing the game in the Clermont half made it easier to capatalise on the mistakes. Lomu with the man of the match for his three tries showed some form that he used to have back in his playing days for for the All Blacks. All in all it was a very dominant Blues side and they are going to be hard to beat if they play their games like this.

 

[kookaburra69]

great win their boys,we smashed em:P

 

[aussie1st]

Lomu still got it, what a champ. Good game guys awesome win.

 

[Wildwil]

Great win boys.

 

[woosaah]

next game will be up in the next couple of days

 

[kookaburra69]

cool,cant wait for it mate.

 

[Simbazz]

Would you take a look at that, my skillful (although not skillful enough to start ) made the try

Great Presentation so far Woosaah

 

[woosaah]

So for the first knockout game of the year. Against the Cats who are also in division 3. This should be a close game though on paper the Cats look like a decent team. The Cats with backs like Pretorius (both Andre and the one starting with J) are dent platerys with Fourie as well should push the Blues hard. Also with springbok halfback Januarie Rocky will have trouble keeping him under wraps.

The first half was not very productive, The Cats having the lone penalty for an offside and kicked easily by Andre Pretorius. All the territory went to the Cats with 85 percent and 53 percent of the possesion. And that was mainly because near the end of the half the Blues decided to keep ball in hand a bit but just couldnt get out of their own half. The scrums have looked very good on both teams and the Blues have won from the opposition throw.

 

[aussie1st]

We just need to get territory and who knows we might pull off a win.