The Incumbent - Ceri Sweeney

Ceri Sweeney has sparked a revival in the Blues' fortunes this season, orchestrating victories over Ulster, Newcastle, the Scarlets and his old club, the Dragons. Sweeney has taken advantage of the outside-half crisis, and has made the 10 jersey his own, he has been able to release his backline, making good use of Jamie Roberts and Casey Laulala, while he himself is not averse to a line-break. He has shown in the past few games that he has a wide skill set, running, kicking and passing. His try against the Dragons, albeit with the luck of the bounce, showed that he had the intelligence to follow up a kick (which few Welsh teams consistently do), then jump for the ball in the air, beat 2 Dragons defenders and have the pace to make it over the line. Then, against Wasps, he showed that he was also able to play in terrible conditions, and still be able to run the show. Maybe not the perfect option, but much better than Sam Norton-Knight!

The Challenger - Sam Norton-Knight

Sam Norton-Knight was brought in at the start of the season amidst great fanfare. We knew he was a full-back by trade, but wanted to play outside-half, however, we soon found out that this signing was a mistake. In his first match for the region against Edinburgh, he was found out, eventually being substituted in the 67^th minute. He failed to take control of the game, and looked fragile whenever he touched the ball. That set the tone for the early part of the Blues season. He has skills, but he has failed to adapt to the outside-half position. His trademark seems to be putting the ball out on the full, which he seems to have executed perfectly many times this season, especially against Australia, when one such kick was greeted by the crowd with a groan more eloquent than words. He has been out recently due to a back injury, but this has probably been for the best!

The Future - Dan Parks

Dan Parks' signing was confirmed before his extraordinary performances for Scotland during the Six Nations. Many Blues' fans were dubious about the move, but it has proved to be excellent foresight by Dai Young. His deft tactical kicking, with the ability to change a game, and his goal-kicking precision, make him a formidable opponent. He is also the leading point's scorer in the Magners League. He is obviously a good acquisition, but with a revived Sweeney, will he be guaranteed first team Rugby? I think so. However well Sweeney plays, he probably won't be able to match the International class of Parks, but I think that it is important to have 2 quality fly-halves pushing each other to win the jersey.

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