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Cardiff Blues and Glasgow Warriors get the Heineken Cup action back underway at the Arms Park on Friday with both teams still hopeful of securing a quarter-final spot next month. - 05/12/2013 08:46
Cardiff Blues and Glasgow Warriors get the Heineken Cup action back underway at the Arms Park on Friday with both teams still hopeful of securing a quarter-final spot next month.
Pool 2 is the most tightly-contested of all six pools so far, with each of the four sides having won one and lost one of their opening two fixtures. And while it is English outfit Exeter Chiefs and Heineken Cup holders RC Toulon who currently occupy the top two spots, Glasgow or the Blues could yet be leading the standings after the next round of action.
The Blues began with a heavy defeat at Exeter but a strong second-half showing saw them score four tries to claim a bonus point before they produced the shock of the weekend with a stunning 19-15 success over Toulon. Few critics gave the Welsh region any chance of toppling Toulon given the star-studded nature of Bernard Laporte’s squad but the Blues did just that thanks to a late Gareth Davies try in the capital.
That surprise victory has raised hopes of a first Heineken Cup quarter-final showing since 2009, but the Warriors will be confident of dampening those spirits having had something of a stranglehold over the Blues in recent years. The Scottish side have won the last five encounters between the two teams since the Blues secured back-to-back successes in November 2010 and February 2011, with the Blues only once picking up a losing bonus point in that handful of fixtures.
The sides were relatively evenly matched in their most recent encounter as the Warriors won 22-15 at Scotstoun in the opening game of the season, but things had been far more clear cut before that with scorelines of 18-3, 28-13, 34-13 and 31-3 last season and the season before.
The Blues have won two, lost three and drawn one of their six games since the latest of instalment of European action, with the draw coming in their most recent outing at Benetton Treviso at the weekend. The Warriors have played two less fixtures but have also enjoyed mixed fortunes since beating Exeter in Round 2. Having won their first six league games before taking a try-scoring bonus point in defeat at Toulon, Gregor Townsend’s men have been beaten by Munster and Newport Gwent Dragons in the RaboDirect PRO12 but they did win away at Connacht and were 28-16 victors at the Ospreys on Friday night.
Glasgow welcomed back seven internationals for that latest trip to the Liberty Stadium and the Blues should be boosted by the return of the likes of Lions stars Sam Warburton, Leigh Halfpenny and Gethin Jenkins from Wales duty and Alex Cuthbert from international action and an ankle injury. Cuthbert hasn’t played since the win over Toulon but started for Wales against Australia on Saturday.
Match facts
These two teams have met twice before in the Heineken Cup, each securing a home pool victory in the 2001/02 tournament. Those two fixtures averaged 66 points per game.
Cardiff Blues have won four of their six matches against Scottish clubs in the tournament.
Glasgow have won seven and lost 11 of their matches against clubs from Wales. However, the Warriors have won their last three matches against Welsh opposition.
Glasgow average more clean breaks (11.5) and defenders beaten (29) than any other side in the opening two rounds of this season’s Heineken Cup.
Ruaridh Jackson provided three try assists in Glasgow’s opening two games this season, more than any other player in the tournament.
Both clubs have scored exactly 48 points to date, although Glasgow have scored one more try (six) than the Blues (five).
Nikola Matawalu has beaten 12 defenders so far in the tournament, the joint- second-highest individual total this season.
The Blues have won six of their last eight home games in the Heineken Cup, only losing to French opposition in this run (Toulon and Montpellier in 2012).
Tim Swinson and Matawalu were named in the Amlin Opta Index Team of the Round for their performances in Round 2. Matawalu’s average score of 444 points after two matches ranks him amongst the top five players in Europe on the Amlin Opta Index this season.
Cardiff Blues leapt to the top of Pool 2 with a thrilling 29-20 victory over Glasgow Warriors. - 06/12/2013 22:08
Cardiff Blues leapt to the top of Pool 2 with a thrilling 29-20 victory over Glasgow Warriors.
Wales pair Rhys Patchell and Alex Cuthbert crossed either side of half-time to hand Blues their second successive win.
Sean Maitland and Leone Nakarawa also scored tries but that could not prevent a disappointing night for the Warriors, who left the Arms Park empty-handed.
Leigh Halfpenny proved the difference by kicking 16 points, while Heineken man of the match Patchell also kicked penalty.
Halfpenny uncharacteristically missed his first effort but was on target three times before half-time as the Blues – missing seven of the side that defeated champions RC Toulon in the previous round – raced into a 16-0 lead.
Cuthbert went close three times amid a thrilling start to the tie as both sides looked to play attacking rugby on the fast plastic pitch. Macauley Cook broke clear for Cuthbert’s first chance before the video official ruled out the second after Patchell launched an attack from close to his own line.
Duncan Weir’s mistake handed the hosts an attacking scrum and, following bursts by Robin Copeland and Cuthbert, Patchell dived over from close range on 22 minutes. Halfpenny converted and added a penalty as Glasgow’s errors mounted.
But the Warriors struck an important response through Maitland just before half-time and, when Weir kicked two penalties, they trailed 19-13 ten minutes from time.
Halfpenny kicked a fourth penalty after Weir kicked out on the full before the game was effectively decided in the 71st minute. Glasgow looked to run a penalty and Ed Kalman’s pass was picked off by Cuthbert, who burst clear from inside his own half to score past Ruaridh Jackson.
Replacement Nakarawa stretched out to score a try on his Heineken Cup debut in the 79th minute but it was too late to salvage a losing bonus point for Glasgow.
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