Blues announce strong side

Team news
By Andrew Collins
October 18 2006

Dai Young has announced the strongest possible side for this weekends visit to Bourgoin.

The Heineken Cup kicks off on Friday night, with the Cardiff Blues opening their campaign with an away trip to Bourgoin on Saturday, and Young has announced a side that will please fans.

 

With Xavier Rush out for a further week, Mark Lewis continues from number 8, hoping to pick up where he’s left off in recent appearances. Joining Rush on the bench is Rhys Williams, who it has now been revealed will miss the rest of 2006 with a serious hamstring injury. The Welsh flyer has torn the muscle from the bone, and faces a 3 month lay-off.

 

Elsewhere it’s as you would expect.

 

Ben Blair, Tom Shanklin, Mosese Luvietasau, Mike Phillips all return in the backs joining Nick Robinson, Chris Czekaj and Marc Stcherbina.

 

In the pack, Gethin Jenkins and Rhys Thomas return making up a front row with Gary Powell. Sidoli and Deiniol start at 5 and 4 respectively, and Martyn Williams replaces Ben White with Mark Lewis and Scott Morgan for company.

 

It’s a tough start to a tough pool for Cardiff, who face a daunting trip to France. This week, head coach Christophe Urios has admitted he hadn’t rated the Blues until recent wins over Saracens and Wasps. He told BBC;

 

"We are acutely aware of how serious an opponent Cardiff Blues are following some of the big results they have had in recent game. If I'm honest, to start with we totally underestimated them. With such a tough pool, we were hoping that our games against the Blues would be relatively easy, but recent history has shown us that this clearly isn't going to be the case."

 

Dai Young has responded saying;

 

“We have no fears going to Bourgoin”

 

You can catch the game in the Cardiff club house, as it will follow the local derby of Cardiff RFC vs Glamorgan Wanderers. That game kicks off at 1.30pm, then will be followed by live coverage in the upstairs bar from 3.30pm.

 

Cardiff Blues
Blair; Czekaj, Shanklin, Stcherbina, Nick Robinson; Luviatasau; Phillips. Jenkins, Thomas, Powell, Deiniol Jones, Sidoli, Morgan, Martyn Williams ©, Mark Lewis.

 

Filise, Gareth Williams, Bradley Davies, White, Fairhurst, Macleod, Jamie Robinson.