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Six stats to worry Cardiff Blues fans ahead of the Challenge Cup Final
The Cardiff Blues face off against Gloucester in this weekend’s Challenge Cup final in Bilbao.
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The Blues booked their place in the Bilbao final with a stunning 16-10 victory over Pau at the Arms Park last month and will now take on the Cherry and Whites at San Mamés Stadium with an eye on repeating the feat of 2010, when Dai Young’s side beat Toulon.
This will be the second meeting between the clubs in the Challenge Cup. Gloucester won last season’s quarter-final clash 46-26.
Sadly for the Cardiff Blues, there’s a pattern, with most of the stats stacked in favour of the Cherry and Whites.
Continue reading below…
• The last three Challenge Cup finals have all been decided by a single figure margin, a sequence that started with Gloucester’s 19-13 win over Edinburgh in 2015.
• Gloucester are bidding to equal Harlequins’ record of three Challenge Cup titles having won in 2006 and 2015.
• The Blues have averaged 16.9 points and 1.9 tries per game on their way to the final. Only Oyonnax (1.8) have averaged fewer tries in the competition this season and only Enisei (15.2) have averaged fewer points.
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• Conversely only Edinburgh (5.7 tries, 41.1 points) have averaged more tries and points than Gloucester this season (5.6, 39.9).
• Gloucester have won a competition high 98% of their own scrums this season, losing just one of 58 against the head.
• Jake Polledri has beaten 28 defenders in his seven appearances, the most of any forward this season. He has also completed 95% of his 65 tackles and won eight turnovers, while his total of 323 metres is the second most by a forward and the most by any player in the Gloucester squad.
But, conversely, on the bright side…
• Thirty-seven year-old Gethin Jenkins, who played in a losing Challenge Cup final with Pontypridd in 2002, and who captained the Cardiff Blues to victory in 2010, could become the first player to lead a winning side in two finals.
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• Cardiff Blues are the only Welsh side to have won a European title beating RC Toulon 28-21 in the 2010 Challenge Cup final. Gethin Jenkins and Taufa’ao Filise both started that match in Marseille while Scott Andrews was on the bench.
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Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments