By Andrew Collins
August 30 2005

Cardiff Blues finally moved into their new home this week as Dai Young announced the official opening of Hensol Training facillity. Now decorated proudly with the Regional creasent, Hensol is beginning to feel Blue. The new HQ boasts some excellent resources and will prove a major coup for the Blues

The Vale has been one of the pieces at Cardiff missing since the game went proffesional 10 years ago, and long overdue since regionalisation, but at last the self-proclaimed Greatest Club in the World can get back on the right track and maybe, just maybe reclaim that title.

The facillites, also used by the WRU, come as a well documented state of intent that the Blues want to be back up there with the big names of world rugby.

I visited the Vale once before with Rhys Williams, in 2001. It's a fantastic complex that rivals the likes of Wasps and Stade Francais.

The new facilities include:

• a newly laid playing field
• a new gym
• a video analysis room where each player can study their own game or the opposition 
• a squad debrief room with new video annalysis coach Rhodri Manning.
• players lounge and kitchen for them to relax
• use of the WRU indoor barn
• offices for the coaches, fitness instructors and video analysis

Along with the extra toys is a serious convenience having spent the last 5 years leaping from the Arms Park, to David Lloyds to the University feilds.

There are also new coaches on board, Rob Howley - Full Time defence and scrum half, Richard Webster - Full Time forwards and tight 5, Rhodri Manning - Part Time Video Annalysis, Dan Baugh - Part Time Conditiong coach and Tim Atter - Full Time Physio. These are added to Dai Young - Head coach and Front Row, Tristan Bevan - Full Time Conditioning caoch, and Chris Tombs - Part Time Fitness coach. It's finally beginning to look right, we have a set of 8 qualified, ambitious coaches in an enviroment that suits them, and none older than 40.

It's a proffesional game, and at last the blues look like a proffesional outfit. Whether they can take that onto the pitch remians to be seen, but without doubt, the excuses are getting fewer.

Foundations have been layed for this region to become sucessful for the next 20 years. It's been a long few years, and i'm not suggesting things will suddenly click into place, but for the first time, there's light at the end of the tunnal, in 5 years from now, the Cardiff Blues CAN be there, the Greatest Club in The World, whether they DO, is up to them.