Cagey Cardiff bid to finish with a flourish

CARDIFF BLUES will complete a triumphant march into the Heineken Cup quarter-finals tonight, but head coach David Young insists: “There is still work to be done.”

The Blues’ stirring 16-12 victory over Gloucester last weekend – achieved despite seeing wing Tom James sent off midway through the first-half - guaranteed they won Pool Six.

Young’s men now only need to beat Italian strugglers Calvisano at the Arms Park to progress as top seeds with an April quarter-final destined for the Millennium Stadium.

Young makes a solitary change from the side that stunned Gloucester, restoring a fit-again Ben Blair at full-back and switching Leigh Halfpenny to the wing instead of James.

Calvisano have shipped 208 points in their five group games so far, while Heineken Cup history shows they have lost 18 out of 19 fixtures on the road.

But Young said: “I know they would love to come and spoil the party. Our attitude is to win first and then start thinking about bonus points. There is still work to be done. We know from last season that when you get the chance of a home draw you have to nail it.

“Two missed opportunities to score tries against Bristol last year really hurt us and made the difference between playing Toulouse in France or Cardiff.

“I am not saying we would have beaten Toulouse at home, but we would have had a better chance. Now we have to use the Toulouse game as an experience as we move into another quarter-final.

“We felt that if we could go to Kingsholm and win, it would be a big statement about how far we have come.

“It has taken two to three years to build the strength in depth in this squad. Three seasons ago, we wouldn’t have been talked about in the same light as Gloucester.”

Gloucester head to Biarritz tonight knowing a bonus point win is the only realistic outcome in their quest for a quarter-final place as one of two best runners-up.

Even then, it might not be enough, although the west country club are boosted by fit-again England players Mike Tindall and Olly Morgan returning to action after missing the Blues defeat.

CARDIFF BLUES (v Calvisano): B Blair; L Halfpenny, T Shanklin, J Roberts, G Thomas; N Robinson, J Spice; G Jenkins, G Williams, G Powell, D Jones, S Morgan, M Molitika, M Williams [capt], A Powell.

Replacements: F Filise, T Thomas, B Davies, X Rush, D Allinson, C Sweeney, J Robinson.

BIARRITZ (v Gloucester): N Brusque; P Bidabe, R Cabannes, D Traille, T Ngwenya; J Peyrelongue, D Yachvili; F Barcella, B August, C Johnstone, C Damiani, M Carizza, S Vahafolau, T Hall, I Harinordoquy.

Replacements: E Coetzee, B Bourrust, J Thion, P Som, A Masi, L Tranier, I Bolakoro

GLOUCESTER: O Morgan; I Balshaw, M Tindall (capt), O Barkley, J Simpson-Daniel; W Walker, G Cooper; A Dickinson, O Azam, C Nieto, W James, A Brown, A Strokosch, A Satala, L Narraway.

Replacements: A Titterrell, N Wood, M Bortolami, A Eustace, D Lewis, A Allen, M Watkins.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)