15 for 10: Cardiff Blues - an all decade XV
15 for 10: Cardiff Blues : The Blues struggled domestically in this decade, failing to make the title playoffs at any point. But their fans have had two European Challenge Cup triumphs to celebrate in the same period and some serious stars to watch.
RugbyPass has put together a team of the decade, a mix of stardust, regional servants, and exciting youngsters.
Here’s our 15 for 10: Cardiff Blues:
Continue reading below…
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15. Leigh Halfpenny
He’s a Scarlet now but it was in the colours of the Cardiff Blues that Halfpenny played his best rugby. He was rock-solid in defence, flying in attack, and racked up 568 points with in his time there. It was no wonder he was shortlisted for IRB Player of the Year in 2013 or that Toulon came knocking shortly after.
14. Alex Cuthbert
It’s easy to forget now, with Cuthbert having become a joke to some in recent years, but the big winger was one of the most lethal finishers in the world in his earlier days at the region. Even with a noticeable loss of form towards the end, he scored 46 tries for Blues in his time there.
13. Ray Lee-Lo
The versatile Samoan centre, who won the region’s Player of the Year award for the 2016/17 season, has put in more than one hundred shifts for Blues and narrowly edges Willis Halaholo.
12. Jamie Roberts
The former winger may have left in 2013, with his final seasons disrupted by injuries and international call-ups, but his performances as the region claimed their first European trophy are more than enough to gain him a spot here.
Batten down the hatches. #Stormers #SuperRugby #JamieRoberts #Springboks #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/NJqhfD8Uzi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 15, 2020
11. Tom James
The region’s record try-scorer, with 60 successful efforts, is an obvious choice here. A hugely popular figure in Welsh rugby, his recent openness around his mental health issue has been as inspirational as his earlier on-field performances.
10. Ceri Sweeney
There have been some talented No10s over the decade at Blues but none have really nailed down their spot as an icon. Nicky Robinson, Dan Parks, and Gareth Anscombe all had moments but Sweeney just about edges them all. Will Jarrod Evans cement his place going forward?
9. Lloyd Williams
Tomos Williams has overtaken him in the pecking order and is a thrilling talent but his older namesake is second on the list of appearances and third on the list of try scorers in their history. He is better known outside the region for an appearance on the wing and that assist in Wales’ RWC 2015 pool game against England but he has all the qualities of a good scrum-half.
1. Gethin Jenkins
A modern great of Welsh rugby, Jenkins redefined the role of loosehead prop. We are getting used to all-singing, all-dancing props like Mako Vunipola and Tadgh Furlong but Jenkins was the pace-setter with his outstanding all-round game. When he left for New Zealand, Steve Hansen said Jenkins was the player he wishes he could take with him.
What a win and what a way to finish for our young Tongan tighthead. Congrats to @bubba_andrews on the 150👍 pic.twitter.com/w9EQ9UPO1K
— gethin jenkins (@gethinjenkins1) May 14, 2018
2. Matthew Rees
He captained Scarlets, Wales, and Blues, was first choice in all three games on the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour, and racked up nearly 400 games over his career, despite taking time out when he was diagnosed with cancer. Rees was some player.
3. Taufa’ao Filise
Cardiff Blues have been a little light on traditional, grunt-work tight five players but instead have had a number of lovely, skillful options up front. Filise is a perfect example. Signed off for the region after 255 appearances, a regional record, in their European Rugby Challenge Cup final victory in 2018.
4. Bradley Davies
A gnarly, fight-starting, grunt work-welcoming lock in exactly the mould that Blues could do more of, Davies came through the academy to become a mainstay of the senior side. Like so many others in Welsh rugby, he left for more glamorous pastures before returning in the past few years.
5. Seb Davies
There are a number of contenders for the second lock position and some would give it to Deiniol Jones, with him having made the most appearances. However, Davies has played 63 games at the age of 23 and has put in some very memorable performances. He edges it.
6. Josh Navidi
At one point, Navidi seemed destined to go down as an outstanding regional servant who never stepped up to international level but he has since become a fixture in the Wales side too. Comfortable anywhere across the back row and never stops working, no matter how huge the odds are against him.
7. Sam Warburton
There might be some who feel like Warburton was more of a visiting professor at times, with his injuries and international duties, but the man himself was always clear about how much his home region meant to him, turning down lucrative offers elsewhere and putting in 175 appearances. Ellis Jenkins is unlucky to miss out but Warburton deserves his spot.
8. Nick Williams
His importance to the region was shown in the moving scenes before Christmas when they paid for his mother to come over from New Zealand and watch him play for the first time in Europe. The tributes from his teammates said everything about his contribution to the side over the years. He has also been hugely influential developing the regions’ impressive young back rowers.
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
2 Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
9 Go to commentsWith Stuart Lancaster at the helm, Racing 92 looks more and more a mercenaries club like Toulon some years ago and they are not even performing despite all the money on offer.
4 Go to commentsCouple of things BS missed: wind was behind the Baby Blacks in the first half. Baby Boks got points from a scrum penalty in the final quarter against this ‘dominant pack’, and left three points on the park after a missed penalty.
9 Go to commentsSensible thoughts on this, Brett. Also worth considering we’ve sold 60k tickets for a game between the Rebels and the Lions next year. Got to be roughly $10m in ticket and game day revenue there.
5 Go to commentsUnsuccessful bitter ex Ulster player taking a pop shot at a side that isn't including his consistently poor mates up north
4 Go to commentsHis decision to play in France isn’t a petulant decision as this article suggests. I reckon that France is the perfect place to demonstrate that he can mix it in those battles Rassie references. It’s a good decision to try get into the squad. My personal opinion is that he wins more battles than he loses. I don’t have Rassie’s stats machine behind me, but Daymian’s is so strong moving through traffic and in the rip.
4 Go to commentsWow! Argie forward dominance is something I have not read in years….
1 Go to commentsIs the ‘snub’ really why he is leaving? He hasn’t said that has he? You don’t have to stay in SA to play for the Boks, so it’s not that he’s giving up on trying to get into the squad as the case would be in, say, England or New Zealand. Rassie made it clear that the early camps won’t feature all the players to play for the Boks this year so I can’t imagine Dayimani was too offended by being overlooked this time. It just seems like a sensationalist angle to take for a story without really knowing the player’s intentions.
4 Go to commentsWell, it is easily one of the best Irish sides, it’s just that their historical standard is very low.
4 Go to commentsThe Irish side is good. They have lost 2 games in the last 23 tests. In the last 12 months they have have a 60% win rate against the top 5 sides in the world. Over the same period south africa have a 67% win rate against the top 5 teams, and New Zealand are at 40%.
4 Go to commentsOnly 1247 days until RWC 2027 starts Bin Smuth🤣Can’t wait to see how unhinged you’re still gonna get between now & then
200 Go to commentsany chance either team will improve on their u20 world cup performances this time around? I assume both sides will be deeply disappointed with how things went.
6 Go to commentsAnother poor articles by a poor journo, nothing new from Ben, at least you are consistently bad lol, geez I will try and watch the match later, clearly Benny was only looking to one end of the pitch, hard to tell whom the Baby Blacks were playing if it wasn’t in the header 😄😄
9 Go to commentsNz should have won. I didn't watch the game, but the ref was at fault and the bounce of the ball and the Bokke used the Bomb squad and the Bokke slow the game down and the Bokke scrum. They should remove the scrum. The Bokke are to strong. Not fair. Nz should have won
9 Go to commentsProbably the worst article on a rugby match I have ever read
200 Go to commentsWho hurt this man.. LoL 😭
200 Go to commentsIt unfortunate for the Jaguares that they became formidable just as super rugby as we knew came to an end. However, the idea of bringing them back is nonsensical. While I enjoyed the Jaguares and the South African flavour of the comp, a selling point of this incarnation of super rugby is that all games are on a decent time for an Aussie audience.
5 Go to commentslol that’s your opinion Ben, All Blacks benefited from a forward pass try, SA played 77 min without a recognised hooker, missed a no try conversion and a penalty could have would have but didn’t
200 Go to commentsBrett, from my distant perspective, I hope you get to keep the Rebels. Any ideas of teams from Japan or Argentina are just crazy. Won’t happen. If you look at logistics, it is much easier to get to LA from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney than to Buenos Aires. All with direct non-stop daily flights. You may even get some “gringos” to watch the games, with some younger players compared to Giteau and Nonu who still “play” in the area. I think it is virtually impossible to get a competitive Argie team for SR. All Pumas are in Europe, almost all second tier players are also in Europe. Fringe players are in South American pro rugby tournament (and many still in the MLR!) but these players who might be most interested in joining a new Jaguares do not have the skills to compete. As I have been saying since the Jaguares joined, they should have had TWO teams to make logistics for visiting teams better and Argie player development improved as well. Jaguares/Pumas was not ideal. But this is where Pichot and his cronies did not think long enough. Further the country with he new president “No hay Plata” Milei is in a very difficult situation. Galperin, the richest man in Argentina owns the Miami franchise of MLR. I don’t think you can get him to invest in Argentina. Actually, he played rugby himself. He was a fly half. He is worth around $6 billion!
5 Go to comments