Cardiff Blues
Toulouse, Sidoli and Macca
Sidoli to Bristol
By Andrew Collins
April 11 2008
It was easy to get carried away before and after the Toulouse match on Sunday. Pre kick off, I must admit feeling a small bit of confidence, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, but at the end of 80 minutes, I felt flat and the feeling that we are a LONG way off the French giants.
But now that we've had a week to reflect, how bad was Sunday's 41-17 loss? Let's be honest, Toulouse were massive favourites before the game, and rightly so, they're 3 time champions as well as consistently great performers in both Europe and the French Top 14. Cardiff on the other hand have had nothing to celebrate for far too long. Add to that winning/losing mentality, the fact that the favourites were playing at home with 35 fans for every 1 Cardiffian and there are very few teams in Europe who could compete.
We were never expected to win the match, but to their credit, the Blues stayed within 6 points until the hour mark, despite gifting 10 points in an appalling 4 minute start. Given, Cardiff didn't look like getting that try, and were at time more just hanging on. But you have to remember, the chances were there, for example missed penalties and drop goal in the first half, plus the irrational throw in by Toulouse that Jamie Roberts collected, that resulted in a Toulouse sin binning. Admittedly we were 2nd best for the entire match, but surely that can be expected.
You've got to be realistic about where we are, we're not the best in Europe, in fact we're probably not even in the top 8. But going to France on the weekend was a benchmark for where we must keep aiming to be.
It's true, there's a lack of ambition at the top, with Cardiff failing to secure the very best players in the world, and until we start splashing the cash on these guys, we can't expect to go to a place like Toulouse and get a result. But in the defence of the top men, how can we compete financially with Europe's elite? Perhaps Thomas should be putting more money in the Blues, as we've seen at the Ospreys where they have 2 sugar daddies, but if we can't rely on him, then where is the support from the WRU, who are meant to be getting the best out of our regional teams?
Adrian Hadley and Mark Ring have both slated the Cardiff Blues lately, with the former suggesting we need around 13 new players (although this comment may have been taken out of context). But it's hard to see where we would get these guys given next season we can only have a maximum of 6 nWq in the squad, while Wales' top talent is either under contract, being signed for too high a price (Mike Phillips for example), or going to England and France, as we've seen this year with Dwaine Peel.
But that's all about investment and building on what we have. Being more realistic, we need an experienced fly half as rotation with Nick Robinson. For me, someone like Andy Goode who is leaving Leicester this season would be perfect for this role. The guy isn't a World Class stand off, but in terms of effectiveness, the guy's boot can literally take you from one 22 to the other, which is exactly what we needed out in Toulouse on Sunday. He can take the pressure off in one simple kick, while even his defence is solid, as he is big bloke.
We are also crying out for a 9 who knows how to control a game. We need someone in the mould of Justin Marshall, who has superb distribution, excellent control over a game, and the experience to bully other 9's, rather than be bullied.
I would also like to see a real game breaker 12 in the squad. Hewitt is a good at Magner's level, while Alfie has been very uninspiring and too old. Here you perhaps need to look to New Zealand or on of the South Sea Islanders for a crash ball who can offload too. Sergio Rambeni does this job very well for Leicester.
If you believe the reports, which do have mixed validity about them, Cardiff have let Rob Sidoli go to Bristol, Nick Macleod has also left for Sale, while Alfie may be set to join Scott Johnson in America. With the need to drop our nWq players down to 6 from 7, Marc Stcherbina's place also looks tenable, while Jason Spice and Maama Molitika may be released to make way for new players.
We may well be shifting the dead wood, but unless we're replacing them with the very best, then it's useless. Quite frankly, we should be using the combined salaries of Sidoli and Macleod to get 1 player of real class.
As well as Sidoli and Macleod's departure in today's news, it's been revealed that The Ospreys are in the market again, chasing one of New Zealand's World Cup squad centres, Isaia Toeava, who has 15 caps, as well as fellow Kiwi and Aukland Blues centre Ben Atiga, who has 1 cap.
To me, Toeava is the perfect player for Dai Young to be chasing, but there's absolutely no point trying to outbid them with Thomas in charge of our budget.
But going back to Sunday's result, it really wasn't that bad. But if we want to develop so that next season, we can go to Toulouse an get that win, we have to keep developing and show the sort of ambition the Liberty outfit are showing. They crashed out at the same stage as the Blues, and were even expected by many to go all the way, so how do they go about improving, by bringing in proven World Class quality. We have to be able to match that, or realise that this years Quarter Final appearance, was simply a one off.
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StumbleuponCAC will not put money is so PT can only lend he can not invest.
Come on Andrew, for one who claims to be "in the know" that is basic information.
ANYTHING is negotiable with the right incentives and strategies. He's simply failed to deal with the blazers in CAC. As a result, he's running away and ruining the long term future of the club as a result.
Admin of theArmsPark.co.uk,
Make Noise and You Will Be Heard!
Quote:theArmsPark.co.uk Admin
Well you've changed your tune. Last time i spoke to you SA, you hated PT. So are you now for the stadium move, because your post would imply you are, seeing as you're blaming CAC, are you saying that moving would be a good solution?
I can see no implication of that at all. Has anyone ever left 100% blame at a single door anyway?
"but if we can't rely on him, then where is the support from the WRU, who are meant to be getting the best out of our regional teams?"
Curious as to what the WRU are to do here, aside from ditching the NWQ rule that is mentioned.
Thomas is far from innocent. He has wasted the clubs funds on pet buys and egotistical nonscence. But that does not mean he is at fault for everything.
The move will not alter the funding issue one iota. The same company will exist hampered by the same agreement. Did Thomas not understand what the shareholding rules meant when the rules were written? Does he not now?
Thomas is a disaster.So too is CAC.
However, I see it as the responsibility of the Chairman of the Board to draw all members of the club together to work together. If he can't do this (or if he's failed) then he needs to bring in someone who can.
1. He's not interested in bringing all parties together - he hasn't consulted the shareholders nor the fans.
2. He's not even on talking terms with another major shareholder on the board of directors.
3. There are no channels of communication between Thomas and CAC other than by letter.
Therefore, he's failed to get everyone working together. Now I don't expect him to be able to do everything, but I do expect him to recruit the necessary skills in his team to make things happen.
He's running away.
He's failed.
Sadly the restiction on investment,whilst well meaning, is hamperign the development of rugby at CAP.
Thomas could do much better with what is there mind you.
Thomas surrounds himself with idiots, like Norster, who are just lapdogs and yes men. There is much to change at CAP (or wherever Cardiff Rugby is going to be) will it happen?
