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Cardiff Blues will take nothing for granted as they aim to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup. - 15/01/2015 10:58
Cardiff Blues will take nothing for granted as they aim to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.
The Welsh region are unbeaten at home in the competition and face the pool’s bottom side Rovigo who have conceded more than 65 points in each of their previous away games.
However assistant coach Paul John insists Blues will remain vigilant as they target a place in the last eight.
John said: “The message all week to the players is to guard against any complacency. We have been watching and studying Rovigo just as did for facing Leinster the previous week in the Pro12.
“We didn’t have an easy game out in Italy so we cannot disrespect them as opponents. It is a European tie and we have to win it if we have any aspirations of going further in the competition and we want to be in the quarter-finals.
“It’s all about mental discipline and if we get things right over the next two weeks we will have something very exciting to look forward to later in the season and the chance to win silverware.”
Cardiff will be without injured skipper Sam Warburton and suspended former All Black Jarrad Hoeata as well as new signings, Argentina internationals Joaquin Tuculet and Lucas Amorosino, who are yet to be registered.
Italians Rovigo have not played in Wales in 13 years and while they may be bottom of Pool 1, they possess individuals who have caused opponents plenty of problems.
Lock Jean-Francis Montauriol has proved the most dominant line-outs player in the entire tournament while wing Billy Ngawini has beaten more defenders than any other player.
Match Facts
- Cardiff Blues suffered defeat for the first time in the Challenge Cup in their last game, however they are yet to drop points at home and no side has managed to leave the Wales capital with even a losing bonus point.
- Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo have played just three times on Welsh soil, and not at all since 2001; they have lost all three games but by an average margin of fewer than 10 points.
- Rovigo’s Jean-Francis Montauriol has claimed 23 lineouts (including three steals) in the tournament so far this year; no player has won more.
- Billy Ngawini has beaten more defenders than any other player in the tournament this season, successfully beating 16 would-be tacklers.
Et un peu plus encore! En l'emportant sur le score de 104 à 12 contre Rovigo
Cardiff Blues scored the eighth century in European rugby history as they ran in 16 tries in a record-breaking 104-12 win over Rovigo.
The Italian part-timers had conceded 18 tries in their previous two away games in pool one against London Irish and Grenoble but even by their standards this was a slaughtering.
Eight tries in each half for the Blues and 12 conversions from the boot of Gareth Anscombe and Gareth Davies helped the home side to their record points total in a European fixture.
It surpassed the 62 points they scored against Calvisano in 2009 by some distance and moves them top of pool one ahead of the Exiles.
There was a brief period of respite for Rovigo in the second half when they managed two tries through lock Matteo Maran and centre Francesco Menon but there was little else to smile about for the visitors.
The Blues’ first try came after seven minutes when Lloyd Williams found a gap to go over and almost straight from the re-start Josh Turnbull grabbed a second.
Richard Smith then got the first of his two first half tries, before Rhys Patchell wrapped up the bonus point with a try on his return from injury.
Sam Hobbs got the sixth after good work from Matthew Rees and straight from kick off Ellis Jenkins added another before Cory Allen got the eighth on the stroke of half-time.
Three Blues’ tries at the beginning of the second period killed off the slimmest of hopes of a second half comeback, a second each for Williams and Jenkins and a hat-trick score for Smith.
Maran and Menon got tries either side of a Macauley Cook score but it was only a brief moment of relief from the onslaught.
Scott Andrews got try number 13 with 10 minutes to go but there was still time to bring up the century with tries for replacements Kristian Dacey, fly-half Davies and an injury-time score for Lewis Jones, with Davies kicking his fifth conversion.
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