Italian Job Is On

Dan Baugh Last Year
By Andrew Collins
May 13 2005

The Blues have begun their scouting mission of Italian opposition Calvisano. The Cardiff region will play the third placed side in an all-or-nothing play-off on May 29th to determine who gets the final Heineken Cup spot for next seasons campaign.

With help from old 'friend' Llyn Howells Dai Young and his management team will be studying the style of play and key players for Calvisano. Llyn Howells, who has applied for the Leinster job, is currently in charge of Italian side Leonessa and has got to know the Blues oppenents quite well since the collapse of the Warriors.

"Lynn has been good because he has given us some videos and some useful information," said departing coach Geraint John.

"We have got a number of videos of them and we are going to see them live out there on the weekend. We know where their strengths are and we know it is going to be a difficult challenge." Added Young, who makes this weekends Italian visit his second outing since the close season having already been on a scouting mission to Sout Africa.

The Blues will be without the three Lions, Tom Shanklin, Gething Jenkins and Martyn Williams and also US Eagles cptain Kort Schubert who few out to America this morning.

The match will be played on May 29th at 6.00pm in Brescia. It is a one-off game in which the winner gets the final Heineken Cup spot and the loser gets entered into the second rate European competition, the Parker Pen.

While there is a lot of money up for grabs for the winner, a place in the PP would do the Blues no harm. This years finalists Sale have doubled their average attendence, the fans have had a good set of outings, brought prestige and success back to the club and ended up finishing 3rd in the Zurich Premiership. Other winners include Wasps who won it 3 years ago and then went on to win the heineken cup the following year.