Dai: We Can Do Better

Cardiff Blues Head coach, Dai Young, has issued a statement of intent ahead of tomorrow’s massive Pool 6 showdown with Biarritz. The Welsh region currently top their group by 5 points, but know they need to get something to remain top, as Gloucester face Calvisano at Kingsholm.

Young told Wales Online,

"It was good to walk into the dressing room having just beaten Biarritz and the boys were pretty frustrated. If that had happened a year ago it would probably have been plenty of high-fives and thinking we had really achieved a hell of a lot. We had the win, but we all know we didn't play like we can do and what we need to do this week."

The Blues won the home fixture 21-17, without really playing to the high standards now expected, but Young feels they´ll be back to their best in time to topple to French outfit, at their fortress home ground, Parc des Sports Aguilera. Young believes that last week´s inability to score a try was due to a change of defensive tactics from the visitors.

"They changed their defensive system coming into the game, which caught us on the hop a little bit for the first 30 minutes. After that, we worked out what they were doing there, but we were still unable to really cause them problems, which was all down to their physicality on that gain-line. We've tinkered with our attack this week. We feel if we can get over the gain-line and play on the front foot we can cause them problems."

If Cardiff can take anything from Saturdays 1.30pm kick off, they´ll know that they have one foot in the Quarter Finals already. Whilst a win against an out of sorts Biarritz would all but guarantee a home draw for the next round, Young will know that even a point would be massive for the Blues, who have a 5-pointer against Calvisano to come at the Arms Park.

The Welsh region have a mixed record in France, claiming a 13-5 victory against Bourgoin in 06/07, while last season, Young´s men put on a magnificent display in Paris against Stade Francais, earning themselves a point, which ultimately saw them through to the Quarter Finals. However, Toulouse proved to be a step too far, losing 41-17 in front of an intimidating 30,000 fans.

But Biarritz certainly aren´t Toulouse. Despite being beaten finalists in 2006, things have taken a turn for the worse for Biarritz, sitting 10^th in the prestigious French Top 14, and recently firing their head coach. Cardiff played poorly last week, but still came away with the 4 points, and that must worry their home fans ahead of the all-or-nothing fixture tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Blues prop Gary Powell has put pen to paper on a two year contract that could be worth up to 200,000 pounds, subject to bonuses and appearances. Powell arrived back at the Arms Park three years ago, having left for Gloucester two years prior to his return, and has become a highly valued member of the squad.

"I'm very pleased because I love playing here with the Blues. We are moving to a new stadium next year and the team is playing well so everything is great all around. I've played in quite a few games and there´s good competition for a place between Faao Filise and me. The coaching set-up is second to none and we get lots of feedback on our performances. It's my third year at the Blues and I am really enjoying it."

This week, it was the 29 year old Welshman who got the nod, with Felise´s impact from the bench and ability to cover both prop positions working somewhat against him. But Powell held his own last week against an experienced and renowned front row, and few would begrudge him the starting berth. Ahead of the huge Heineken rematch, he told the South Wales Echo,

"They came at us, defended differently than we expected and caught us off-guard. We know it is going to be hard in Biarritz but we are going to put our bodies on the line. It's a must-win game for us, it's massive. We've got Gloucester away and Calvisano at home to come but we want to do a job at Biarritz. Our confidence is up and this is another game we have targeted."