Heineken Week 5
By Lestyn - 25/01/04
January 26 2004
Two of Wales’s unlikely hopes of Heineken cup progression bowed out of contention. Neither Cardiff nor the Dragons could do enough to prolong their European hopes. Llanelli and the Warriors look set for a nervous Sunday afternoon as the pool stages reaches it's finale.
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Despite thumping Borders at Stradey Park
it was not that greater Friday night for the Scarlets, due to Northampton’s surprise win at Agen. The Saints 19-6 win has set up a make or
break encounter at Franklins Garden next Sunday. Based on they’re past few encounters with English opposition, or to be more specific East
Midland sides, it’s sure to be a nail biter. It will also be a nervous Sunday also for
the Celtic Warriors, who thanks to a last minute penalty try scraped past Perpignan. The visitors could lose their point for fielding fifteen
players at a time when supposedly having their full back in the sin bin. To qualify the Warriors must beat
Calvisano with a bonus point, and hope Wasps slip up in France without scoring or conceding four or more tries. With Gloucester and Toulouse
recording victories, going through as a best runner up is out of the equation. Mathematics won’t matter for the other
Welsh sides. Despite a valiant effort the Dragons couldn’t cope with a revitalised Leicester side, going down to a first ever defeat at
Rodney Parade. Tigers outside half Jaco van der Westhuyzen ran the show
superbly. The South African picked holes in the home sides defence with relative ease. Defensively the Dragons were very poor, Lee Jarvis in
particular was found wanting. Rumours are circulating that hot on the
heels of Bobby Skinstad, Ruddock is looking to add three more former super 12 players to his squad, with the halfbacks and inside centre being
the likely recipients of Tony Browns chequebook. Like the Dragons, Cardiff can take a lot of
heart out of their Heineken cup campaign. This time last year as a club, losing by a last minute penalty in Dublin would have been
unthinkable. Had the Blues taken any of three golden opportunities in the second half, a deserved would have been in the bag. Dai Young has at last something to build on
for the second half of the Blues Celtic League campaign, unlike the Ospreys who fell to a tenth unprecedented loss at the hands of Edinburgh.
The Gunners who could resemble something close to the Scottish national team in the six nations, became Scotland’s first ever quarter
finalists in the tournaments history, which is undoubtedly a big boost for the Celtic League's reputation. Results: Friday
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