Blues claim vital away win

MOTM - Nick Robinon
By Andrew Collins
April 8 2006

Nicky Robinson's 16-point haul gifted the Blues a massive win on the road against Scottish region, the Edinburgh Gunners.

Despite spending the first half an hour in our own half of the feild, the Cardiff Blues completed a fantastic smash-and-grab win over league rivals Edinburgh at Murryfeild.

Though Robinson was the points hero of the night, a 21-10 win over the Scots could only have been atchieved by a team performance that showed no signs of weak leadership. With Rhys Willaims and moreso Dai Young coming under criticsm earlier this year, it appears the duo have turned around a poor campaign, and will now hope to focus their final games on securing a top three spot, rather than a guarenteed Heineken place.

With 10 minutes to go in the first period, the Blues were drawing 0-0 with their Scottish counterparts, but 2 trys from two visits to opposition territory, brought a much needed 14 points. Firstly, Nick Robinson latched onto a specalative pass to romp the full length of the feild and convert his own try, then Gethin Jenkins was on hand to finish off great work by Chris Czeakj.

Eninburgh returned for the second half refreshed, and a Patterson Penalty and conversion of Ali Hogg's try did make danger signs flash for Young's men. But another Robinson try secured a great win, despite nearly throwing it all away.

The outside half gathered another loose pass, this time on half way, before interplay with Rhys Williams in a neat 1-2 move brought about a 3rd and final try for the Welsh side.

With 70 minutes on the clock, Maama Molitika received a 2nd yellow, therefore a red card, and so the visitors were left hanging on to their 11 point lead, but water tight defence, and good disciplin earnt the victory.

The Blues have now secured 14 league points from a possible 15 in their last 3 league games, and with fixtures like Borders (h), Dragons (a) and Connacht (h) still to come, Dai may even be hoping for an end of season title race, albeit a tad far off.

If the side could muster something together for the final 5 games, it would bring a great end to what was in fairness a very dissapointing year. But how the side react in the next few weeks will be a indicator into whether we're doomed to the same drivval next year, or if this really is the time for this side to shine.

Take for instance tonights game, Dragons Vs Munster. As a fan from the last 10 years, i have learnt to just hope other teams poor form bail us out, and so by instinct was supporting Munster. But this win and a Dragons upset now brings about a real chance to get a title race moving.

Should we set our goals high, reach for a chapionship and want to finish best Welsh region, or just hope others lose, so that we qualify by being less bad than the Dragons or Ospreys?

Personally, i'm fed up of hoping for a savour, and now am now driven for success. Maybe this is the ethos the players should subscribe as this season draws to an end. Not a good season. Not yet bad. But just an end at last.