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Cardiff Blues have no chance of a Heineken Cup or Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final but they have it all to play for when they play hosts to Sale Sharks at the Arms Park. - 17/01/2013 18:02
Wing Alex Cuthbert will be hoping to put his recent woes with Wales behind him and to see his impressive vein of try-scoring for his region and country continue for Cardiff Blues against Montpellier.
The Welsh wing is one of four players leading the try-scoring stakes in this season’s Heineken Cup and has crossed for three tries for a Blues side which has yet to record a win in their Pool.
Wales lock Bradley Davies is expected to miss this game after being knocked unconscious by All Backs hooker Andrew Hore in the recent defeat at the Millennium Stadium.
Cardiff Blues languish at the bottom of the table, having thrown away a victory against Sale Sharks in Salford and narrowly missing out to Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon in the Welsh capital.
Montpellier, after their impressive victory over Sale, will still have their eye on a quarter-final place, knowing back-to-back wins over their Welsh opponents probably holds the key for qualification.
The Blues, who reached the quarter-finals of last season’s tournament, are a vastly changed side for this campaign, with a host of big-names having left and the emphasis now on young home-grown talent.
The Welsh region have lost their last three Heineken Cup games and the last time they lost four games in the tournament was back in the 2006/07 campaign.
Match Facts
• Cardiff have missed the most tackles in the Heineken Cup so far this season, missing 42 in their two pool matches so far. Their completion rate of 85% is the lowest in the tournament.
• Montpellier’s six lineout steals is a joint-high this season.
• Montpellier’s scrum is particularly strong this season having won all 17 of their put-ins so far.
• Cardiff have lost their last three Heineken Cup games, the last time they lost four in a row was in 2006/07.
L'équipe du MHR
Montpellier kept their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes alive with a hard-fought 35-24 victory over Cardiff Blues as Lloyd Williams saw red at the Arms Park.
Outside half Rhys Patchell had booted the blues into a 9-6 lead but they were reduced to 14 men on 25 minutes when Wales scrum half Williams was sent off for a dangerous tackle.
And Montpellier took full advantage of their extra man with tries from Yoan Audrin, Mamuka Gorgodze and Timoci Nagusa.
The victory sees the French club climb to second in the group while the Blues’ European hopes are in tatters.
Having thrown victory away against Sale in Round One and succumbed to a narrow defeat at the hands of Toulon the following week, the Blues needed a victory to keep their slim hopes of advancement alive.
But they went into the must win clash without a host of stars, including Wales trio Bradley Davies, Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Sam Warburton.
And it did not take long for the French club to make their numerical advantage count, with quick hands releasing Audrin in the left hand corner.
Paillaugue converted and continued to exchange penalties with Patchell as the Blues entered the break trailing by four points.
They quickly reduced the deficit to a single-point but Montpellier hit-back with a second try.
Paillaugue and Santiago Fernandez combined to make the initial inroads and Audrin almost crossed the whitewash for a second time but the ball was recycled and Gorgodze drove over from close-range.
Montpellier failed to add the extras and Patchell responded with his seventh penalty but the diminutive French scrum-half put the result beyond doubt.
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