Cardiff Blues
Glasgow Preview
Match Preview
By cardiffsteve
September 13 2014
Tomorrow we get the first serious test of the season. With respect to Zebre, they've some quality players but overall remain a long term project for Italian rugby. Glasgow are the real deal.
Tomorrow we get the first serious test of the season. With respect to Zebre, they've some quality players but overall remain a long term project for Italian rugby. Glasgow are the real deal. Our performance against them will help us measure whether Hammett has made an immediate impact or whether, as he himsef says, it will take time.
Of the changes, the most interesting is maybe at fullback. Adam Thomas was assumed to have been signed as a centre - although he has played plenty of rugby at fullback. Has he impressed in training or has Dan Fish's defence for the second Zebre try seen him shunted to the wing for a stronger tackling player?
It'll also be interesting to see if Rhys Patchell can continue his form. He was quite superb last week.
Up front, everybody will be keen to see Hoeata but it'll also be good to see if Josh Turnbull and Manoa Vosawai can improve from some largely anonymous displays last week. Also good to see Filise bac on the bench. Scott Andrews will likely get on for the second half as Adam Jones continues his return to full match fitness.
I should probably say something about Glasgow... but to be honest Im knocking this together after a hectic week to finally get some new content o the site to get the forum back up! Ill just say that if they take their all singing and dancing game plan from their HEC efforts last season we've a great chance. if they're more pragmatic, it'll be far trickier.
Enjoy everyone.
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14/09/2014 18:28
Quote:robin58
we are gonna win
Whereabouts in Glasgow are you from?
Our scrum had a really good 5 minute spell.
And....
14/09/2014 19:41
In my opinion Patch tried the chip kick too often but had a very good game overall.
I think Hammett is giving squad players an opportunity to stake a claim for a starting XV spot. It will be interesting to see whether Knoyle and Watkins will play on Friday. I would like to see Richard Smith partnering Cory Allen in the Centre.
In the last couple of games, Cook and Navidi have impressed me from the bench.
14/09/2014 19:51
I thought a lot of players had decent games but Glasgow beat us at the breakdown comfortably.
The tactic with cuthbert didn't work at all.
Gavin Evans played well defensively but offers little going forward.
Number 8 put some great hits in and carried well also.
We still didn't pick and drive enough and keep possession once we knew that Glasgow were targeting the contact area.
Early days though!
We lost to Glasgow at home last season and they came 2nd last year.
Glasgow a lot more efficient there.
Some positives to take from that. Set piece went well and a lot of commitment amongst the mistakes.
Glasgow are very strong and Im confident we can play a lot better.
Quite enjoyed the game all things considered.
To the new announcer: There is no Cardiff City RFC. Do not ask the crowd to sing Happy Birthday and Penblwydd Hapus simultaneously. Well done on remembering that Rhys Priestland doesnt play for us.
So slow to the breakdown leaving us isolated and subject to penalty / turnover.
A couple of poor options with ball in hand led to two Glasgow tries.
Announcer shocking. so many mistakes and sentences with English and Welsh mixed up. Pathetic!
I thought our scrum was decent. As ATTR said Sam Hobbs did really well.
Hammett said after the match he's looking forward to seeing how the players deal with adversity. With that in mind let's see how the boys respond on Friday night!
Unless we're in for another centre come November Im certain we made a mistake not giving Ice a longer contract.
Our scrum was driving us back into the game but there were no scrums for 15 mins from the time we went 13-12 and Glasgow down to 14- remarkable. Hobbs was good benefiting from a stable tighthead on the other side of the scrum.
McGeehan had a good piece in ST today talking about artificial pitches. Said the key is ball retention and lots of big carriers. We kicked too much and only have a couple of carriers who can break a line.
Quite a bit to work on.
Game-changer.
He was poor beyond again.
Vosawai was great yesterday and our scrum was solid, we just need to sort the backline out. Cuthbert was horrendous and did his usual can't pass won't pass routine, not sure what Gavin Evans is up to to allow him to be constantly selected and Fish was poor.
I would like some faith to be shown in Richard Smith, he seems a damn sight better than Evans and has some gas on him too.
Thought Adam Thomas did well for his first start, when he gets more comfortable i expect him to really shine.
The recycling of the ball from the breakdown was sooo slow, it killed any momentum the side had. That was probably most telling for that performance. Glasgow will do very well this season on that basis.
15/09/2014 21:30
In othernews, George Watkins scored a hatrick for the Rags on the weekend. Hopefully he'll get his chance as well. Would it be worth trying Ieuan Jones at 8?
