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The Amlin Challenge Cup Final has been welcomed to Cardiff City Stadium
Cardiff Blues return to the Challenge Cup for the first time since winning the competition in 2010.
That marked the pinnacle of Dai Young’s tenure as head coach but the club has endured mixed fortunes in Europe since that memorable day in Marseille.
Gethin Jenkins is the only survivor from that victory over Toulon while their domestic form is hardly inspiring hope of a repeat.
The Blues have suffered their worst start to the Guinness Pro12, having won just one of their opening seven games, under new coach Mark Hammett, who will get his first taste of European rugby.
However with a team that includes British & Irish Lions such as Sam Warburton, Adam Jones, Alex Cuthbert and Adam Jones, Cardiff have plenty of experience.
Hammett said: “As a region we have a proud past in Europe and we must look to build on that history and launch our latest campaign with a victory. We must ensure our physicality and game plan is spot on against Grenoble’s intensity. But while we are more than aware of the threat they pose, it’s imperative our focus is on ourselves and moving forward as a unit.”
In contrast, Grenoble have a limited history in the Challenge Cup but come into the tournament having proved they can mix-it-up in the French championship.
Grenoble are sixth in the Top 14 and have racked up wins over the likes of Racing-Metro and Brive but have struggled on the road, losing all four away games this season. However head coach Fabrice Landreau insists the club is determined to make amends for previous performances in Europe.
Landreau said: “Europe is a laboratory. It’s good for us to judge and we learn a lot from these foreign teams. It is rewarding and I would be happy one day to be able to play the finals with Grenoble in the European Cup.
“These last two years, we have always dropped on the competition. Our defence cost us dearly last year against Wasps and were left ashamed, without showing our true colours. We hope that this year we will be better on that aspect.”
Match Facts
- Cardiff Blues boast a 100% record (3/3) in this competition, having entered at the quarter final stage in 2009/10 before going on to win the competition three games later.
- Grenoble have not faced Welsh opposition in this tournament since 2000/01 when they faced Bridgend.
- Grenoble’s Jordan Michallet beat 22 defenders in last season’s Challenge Cup, the third most of any player in action.
- Cardiff Blues’ Alex Cuthbert made nine clean breaks in last season’s Heineken Cup, only three players beat more in the tournament and all played more games than Cuthbert.
Les Blues reçoivent vendredi à 20h30 les Italiens de Rovigo
Rhys Patchell scored 17 points as Cardiff Blues continued their unbeaten run in the Challenge Cup.
The Wales international, playing at full-back, scored the first of his side’s five tries as Cardiff secured maximum points with a 37-14 victory over Grenoble at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park.
Lloyd Williams, Sam Warburton, Richard Smith and Josh Turnbull all followed while Patchell added a further 12 points with the boot for a convincing start to the campaign.
Grenoble replied with three kicks from captain James Hart and late try for Louis Marrou but they rarely troubled a Cardiff team who know how to win this tournament.
Cardiff were unbeaten in the competition having lifted the trophy on their only previous appearance in 2010.
And they got this campaign off to a flying start as they led by 12 points in as many minutes.
The Blues stretched Grenoble one way and then the other before an exchange between Gareth Davies and Jarrad Hoeata opened space for Patchell to score.
Patchell converted but struck the post moments later after Williams burrowed in to get the final touch after Matthew Rees and Sam Hobbs went close.
James Hart clawed back two penalties for Grenoble, either side of a miss by Patchell who was successful on the stroke of half-time for a 15-6 lead.
Cardiff began the second half as they did the first and found their way over for a third try inside two minutes.
Davies wriggled through and Evans followed before Warburton was on-hand to stretch out and score between the posts.
Patchell converted but was again off-target with a penalty moments later.
Instead it was Hart who kicked the next points as Grenoble made the most of their few incursions into Cardiff territory.
However Cardiff were able to bring the likes of Wales internationals Gethin Jenkins, Cory Allen, Josh Turnbull and Scott Andrews off the bench and they clinched the bonus point on the hour with the best try of the lot.
Kristian Dacey burst through and looked set to score before he was chased down by Hart. The hooker off-loaded to Patchell who handed Smith an easy finish. Patchell missed the conversion but Cardiff had the game sewn up.
Patchell and Dacey combined again in the 73rd minute for Turnbull to race over from 20 metres out.
However Grenoble showed their competitive spirit with the final say, flanker Marrou peeling off the back of a line-out drive to score in the corner two minutes from time.
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