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Cardiff Blues will be looking to record their six straight victory over Edinburgh when the two sides meet in their first of back-to-back Pool 2 clashes at the Cardiff City Stadium. - 08/12/2011 08:19
Cardiff Blues will be looking to record their six straight victory over Edinburgh when the two sides meet in their first of back-to-back Pool 2 clashes at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The sides from the Welsh and Scottish capital are both unbeaten so far this campaign but the Blues, who have won the last five games between the sides, will be favourites on home soil.
Edinburgh, who top Pool 2 after narrow one-point wins over London Irish and Racing Metro 92, will be hoping to end their disappointing run of defeats to the fellow Pro12 side on Friday night.
The Scots will be hoping to carry on their march to reach a first knockout place since 2004 and only their second quarter-finals berth in the 15 seasons of the Heineken Cup.
The Blues will be hoping to extend their current run of five wins, in all competitions, on the trot against Edinburgh and to reach a quarter-finals place for the first time in two seasons.
Edinburgh have lost their grip on top spot in Pool 2 after going down 25-8 against Cardiff Blues and will have to reverse the current trend against their Welsh rivals if they are to get back on course for only a second visit to the quarter-finals - 09/12/2011 23:09
Edinburgh have lost their grip on top spot in Pool 2 after going down 25-8 against Cardiff Blues and will have to reverse the current trend against their Welsh rivals if they are to get back on course for only a second visit to the quarter-finals
This defeat made it six in a row against the Blues and Michael Bradley’s men can’t afford a seventh in the return leg at Murrayfield next week. As for the Blues, they relied on the boot of Dan Parks to steer them to a third successive win and maintain the unbeaten record of the Welsh regions in this season’s tournament.
If it wasn’t pretty, it was still effective for the home side as they leapfrogged their main rivals for a spot in the last eight and put themselves on course for a return to the top flight.
A drop goal and penalty from Parks edged the Blues ahead 6-3 at the break and then three more penalties in the opening 15 minutes of the second period moved the home side into the box seat.
But, as they proved in their 48-47 thriller over Racing Metro in the last round, Edinburgh are capable of opening up even the tightest of defences and when Tim Visser popped a ball out of a tackle to send fellow wing Lee Jones over for the first try it was anyone’s game.
Until, that is, ‘Dan the Man’ added a second drop goal and ended the night with a match winning tally of 20 points with a touchline conversion of new Wales wing Alex Cuthbert’s 74th minute try.
The Blues are now three points clear at the top of the table and one big performance away from putting themselves in the clear.
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