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Last season's Amlin Challenge Cup Champions Cardiff Blues will be looking for an improvement after a stuttering opening weekend performance against Edinburgh. - 15/10/2010 12:33
Last season’s Amlin Challenge Cup Champions Cardiff Blues will be looking for an improvement after a stuttering opening weekend performance against Edinburgh.
The Blues took the victory at the Cardiff City Stadium but failed to show the form that has seen them impress in the Magners League so far this season.
Casey Laulala was the star for the Blues again and they will hope the former New Zealand centre continues to create chaos in the mid-field at the Stade Pierre Antoine.
Their French hosts put in a spirited display at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend and nearly came away with the win against former European Champions Northampton Saints.
Castres have not had the best start domestically, languishing in mid-table in the Top 14 but their impressive performance on the road in Europe will give their supporters optimism.
The Blues will have their work cut out for them trying to control the Castres back-row which is led by former All-Black Chris Masoe and includes last week’s man-of-the-match Ibrahim Diarra.
Un essai de dernière minute inscrit par Scott Andrews a permis aux Cardiff Blues d'empocher un bonus défensif après la domination du Castres Olympique en première période au Stade Pierre Antoine. - 15/10/2010 23:06
A last-minute try by Scott Andrews salvaged a losing bonus-point for Cardiff Blues after Castres Olympique had dominated the opening half at the Stade Pierre Antoine.
The home side built up a 27-13 half-time but the Blues managed to fight back in the second half and grab an all-important bonus point on the road.
Castres were on the front-foot from the start and continually overpowered their visitors at the set piece. They opened the scoring thanks to the boot of Romain Teulet who kicked an early penalty.
Teulet landed another two penalties either side of a Seremaia Bai drop-goal before Ben Blair struck with Cardiff's first points.
The goal-kicking fullbacks exchanged further penalties to bring the score to 15-6.
The French side crossed for the first of their two tries after 36 minutes. Yoan Audrin speculative kick was grabbed by Vincent Inigo who danced around the visitors’ defence to score.
Things got worse for the Blues just a few minutes later when Marc Andreu gathered a Teulet cross-field kick to score, giving Castres a 27-6 half-time lead.
The Blues came to life in the second half and up the physically and intensity. They got their reward six minutes into the second period when Maama Molitika crashed over.
Wales centre Tom Shanklin re-gathered his own grubber and passed inside to Czekaj who fed inside to substitute Tom James. James was tackled high with the try line at his mercy but was able to recycle the ball. Richie Rees popped to Tongan international Molitika who drove through two defenders to score. Ceri Sweeny converted to pull the Blues back to 27-13.
Cardiff began to dominate but failed to convert territory into points as the clocked kicked down.
Thomas Sanchou was given his marching orders for a professional foul at the ruck and the Blues took a quick tap from the resulting penalty and after a few phases Andrews drove his way through the Castres defence, with the help of Sam Warburton, to score the crucial try which Sweeny duly converted.
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