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'Shambolic' Cardiff shredded as Dai Young gives players ultimatum
Cardiff head coach Dai Young has branded his side’s thrashing at the hands of Benetton Treviso as “just wasn’t good enough for the jersey”.
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The Welsh region’s URC campaign came to a miserable conclusion last night as they were subjected to a 69-21 defeat by the Italian side.
It’s the latest in a long line of humiliations that Welsh rugby has been subjected to this year in what has been one of the worst seasons for the game in Wales for decades.
Worryingly, Cardiff boasted 11 Wales internationals in the side that was easily walloped at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
“We just looked really tired physically and mentally. No excuse. That’s a disappointing factor,” Young bemoaned during a pitchside interview with S4C after the game. “We didn’t build pressure or momentum and they broke our line far too easy, especially around the forwards. Obviously you can play open rugby, but you have to have the skill levels to do it and we didn’t demonstrate that.”
“It’s been a difficult season for us. People ask me if there have been any positives. Not really. I suppose the only positive is this is our last game. We will have to work hard pre-season and we have to come better than that because that wasn’t good enough for the jersey.”
“I told the players – if that doesn’t hurt us then we don’t want to be here next year, it’s as simple as that. Unfortunately we’ve now got a long wait until we can put things right.
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“It’s a really quiet changing room, but how can you tell if they’re really hurting? We’ll find that out next season when they come out and they need to use that as fuel to get better.”
The result capped off a miserable campaign for Cardiff, who have finished the regular season three places from the bottom of the 16-team league.
It has gone unnoticed online, with Welsh rugby fans once again left to digest an unfathomable result. As Stuart Farmer pointed out, it broke URC records, but for all the wrong reason from a Cardiff perspective.
“Benetton rewrite the record books in Treviso! Their highest score (and Cardiff’s most conceded). Only six other teams have racked up TEN tries in a URC game: Cardiff, Ulster, Ospreys & Leinster, Munster and Glasgow (twice apiece).”
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Benetton rewrite the record books in Treviso! Their highest score (and Cardiff's most conceded). Only six other teams have racked up TEN tries in a @URCOfficial game: Cardiff, Ulster, Ospreys & Leinster, Munster and Glasgow (twice apiece).
— Stuart Farmer (@Stu_Farmer) May 20, 2022
ITV Wales journalist Gareth Axenderrie wrote: “Just in case you were wondering, there were 11 full Welsh internationals in the Cardiff Rugby match day squad that just lost 69-21 to Benetton. That was painful. Italian rugby no longer the sick man of Europe.”
Just in case you were wondering, there were 11 full Welsh internationals in the Cardiff Rugby match day squad that just lost 69-21 to Benetton.
That was painful.
Italian rugby no longer the sick man of Europe.
— Gareth Axenderrie (@gaxenderrie) May 20, 2022
Rugby statistician Russ Petty noted: “Cardiff conceded 40 points or more in the league 15 times from 2001/02 – 2020/21, 5 times this season.”
Cardiff conceded 40 points or more in the league 15 times from 2001/02 – 2020/21, 5 times this season
— Russ Petty (@rpetty80) May 20, 2022
Popular supporters account Cardiff Rugby Life put the boot into Young and his coaching ticket, even though they qualified the statement by saying the former Wasps boss shouldn’t be sacked. “Dai Young’s squad management over the last few weeks has been absolutely shambolic. Stick with a load of the same old faces for weeks chasing crap wins over Zebre and Dragons, then chuck a load of young lads to the slaughter away from home in the last game of the season.”
Dai Young’s squad management over the last few weeks has been absolutely shambolic.
Stick with a load of the same old faces for weeks chasing crap wins over Zebre and Dragons, then chuck a load of young lads to the slaughter away from home in the last game of the season.
— Cardiff Rugby Life (@CardiffRugbyWeb) May 20, 2022
Cardiff supporters trust CF10 couldn’t recall a worse performance. “Struggling to think of a worse performance. Can’t find a single positive thing to say other than thank god it’s over.”
Struggling to think of a worse performance. Can't find a single positive thing to say other than thank god it's over.
— CF10 Rugby Trust (@CF10RugbyTrust) May 20, 2022
Wales Online rugby writer Simon Thomas said: While Cardiff were really, really poor, it’s only right to acknowledge how well Benetton Rugby played. Their offloading and support play was top drawer. They were really good to watch, letting the ball do the work and always looking for space.”
While Cardiff were really, really poor, it's only right to acknowledge how well @BenettonRugby played. Their offloading and support play was top drawer. They were really good to watch, letting the ball do the work and always looking for space.
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) May 20, 2022
It will be a case of back to the drawing board for Cardiff next season, as it simply can’t get much worse for the side.
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
24 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
24 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
10 Go to comments