Cardiff Blues kick off their Pro 12 campaign on Sunday afternoon at home to Zebre. The decision to allow a World Cup Supporters’ Village to be placed on the pitch means that this will be their only home game until the beginning of November.
Their away run comprises of a series of games against the four Irish Provinces, and strangely the return fixture against Zebre. Not an ideal sequence; especially for a team who have struggled to produce winning rugby over the last few years.
When Danny Wilson was appointed as new head coach earlier this year, he identified the defence and set-piece as areas for concern that need to be built on. The appointment of Graham Steadman as defence coach has seemed to have already had an effect. Although the team have conceded in both pre-season games against Bristol and Newport, greater intensity and line speed, and more intent to fill holes in the line were evident in both games, and continuing this improvement is vital.
The set-piece is the head coach’s area of expertise. His transformation of the Scarlets’ pack in his time there was impressive, and there is hope that he can work the same magic at the Arms Park. Last Saturday, in the game vs Newport Gwent Dragons, there were signs of improvement in this area too. It’s a worry for them, though, that this week Matthew Rees (appendectomy) and Kristian Dacey (Wales’ duty) are both out. It will be tough for Ethan Lewis against a side who can be pretty strong up front.
However, the positivity surrounding the team from Cardiff fans can be seen as curious. There have been few new signings who are currently available – though the expectation is that one or two will be brought in after the World Cup. The start that Cardiff face, with many players on international duty, is extremely tough, and the team have struggled over the past few years to make an impression with similar personnel.
What is required of Danny Wilson is his ability to get the best out of the players at his disposal. The team selected on Saturday is young and exciting. There are areas of weakness of course, but this is a game that Cardiff should win, and convincingly at that.
Getting the basics right is vital now. A strong scrum, a functioning lineout and good defensive patterns are key, but have been sadly lacking recently at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park. Don’t get me wrong, Zebre will present a physical challenge, but they aren’t anywhere near the standard of the next four teams Cardiff will play, and confidence and momentum are both important going into that period.
The return of old favourite Tom James from Exeter should offer a boost, and the experience of players like Navidi, Vosawe and Turnbull in the back row will be a focal point for the team.
When the team was announced for this game, Danny Wilson had this to say: “The first game of any campaign is always an exciting time and we’ve been pleased with the way the squad has prepared this week and throughout pre-season. Zebre will be keen to make a winning start and have a number of high profile and talented players. They have threats throughout, but it’s vital we concentrate on ourselves. We need to defend against what they bring and just as importantly impart our own game on the opposition.”
That’s the key, getting your own house in order, and often the rest will take care of itself. Danny Wilson has had a full pre-season, time-wise, with his new club. Those fans, who will have had the experience of Wales vs Italy this afternoon, will be hoping that they can see the effects of that time spent here.
No point in expecting miracles, but the positivity inside the club itself has been noticeable. Numerous people have remarked how impressed they have been with Danny Wilson and new defence coach Graham Steadman. Tomorrow is the first real opportunity to see whether the confidence is well-placed, and the fans of Cardiff Blues hope to see their team off on the road with a win.
Cardiff Blues: Dan Fish, Aled Summerhill, Tom Isaacs, Gavin Evans, Tom James, Rhys Patchell, Tavis Knoyle, Sam Hobbs, Ethan Lewis, Taufa’ao Filise, Jarrad Hoeata, James Down, Josh Turnbull, Manoa Vosawai, Josh Navidi (capt).
Replacements: Rhys Williams, Thomas Davies, Craig Mitchell, Macauley Cook, Ellis Jenkins, Lewis Jones, Gareth Davies, Garyn Smith.
Zebre: Kayle Van Zyl, Gabriele Di Giulio, Tommaso Castello, Mattia Bellini, Michele Visentin, Maicol Azzolini, Luke Burgess, Bruno Postiglioni, Tommaso D’Apice, Pietro Ceccarelli, Michele Sutto, George Biagi (capt), Paul Derbyshire, Andries Van Schalkwyk, Maxime Mbandà.
Replacements: Oliviero Fabiani, Andrea De Marchi, Emiliano Coria, Marco Bortolami, Johan Meyer, Giulio Toniolatti, Ulrich Beyers, Matteo Pratichetti.
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Gwyn Morris, Ben Whitehouse (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)
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