Cardiff Blues have confirmed that scrum half Lloyd Williams will be out of action for approximately four weeks following a knee injury suffered against the Ospreys over the weekend.
The Welsh international scrum half suffered grade two medial ligament damage that will see him side-lined for four weeks, with a possible return against Ulster in the last match of the regular season on May the 3rd.
Wales Under 18 head coach Allan Lewis has made seven changes and a further two positional alterations to his side to play Portugal in the elite division of the FIRA-AER Under 18 tournament in France on Tuesday (26 March)
Half backs Tom Williams and Dan Jones, centre Garyn Smith, loose head prop Keagan Bale, hooker Ryan Elias, lock Gareth Allen and openside flanker Matthew Marley all come into the starting line-up while captain Dafydd Howells moves from wing to full back and Dillon Lewis switches from loose head to tight head prop for the match near Grenoble. The Welsh youngsters lost to Scotland on Friday, but are determined to bounce back with an impressive performance tomorrow.
Lewis said, “We always said every player would have a chance to start at least one game, or have a decent amount of game time, it’s a case of rotating the squad and giving everyone an opportunity. We have looked at the footage of the Scotland game and have tried to highlight weaknesses in attack, while Shaun Edwards has had more of a chance to work on our defence ahead of tomorrow’s game, which has been a positive experience for the boys.
“We were bitterly disappointed to lose on Friday especially after being 14 points ahead early in the second half. But we have a chance to put things right tomorrow and if we win we will play the winners of Georgia v Italy. Training has been going well and the players are gaining a lot from the experience of being together as a squad for an intense period.”
Wales U18 (v Portugal): Dafydd Howells (capt, Ospreys); Josh Adams (Scarlets), Garyn Smith (Blues), Tyler Morgan (Dragons), Rhys Williams (Exiles); Daniel Jones (Scarlets), Tom Williams (Blues); Keagan Bale (Dragons), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Dillon Lewis (Blues), Gareth Allen (Dragons), Rory Thornton (Ospreys), Tom Phillips (Scarlets), Matthew Marley (Blues), Jonathon Fox (Ospreys)
Replacements: Robert Lewis (Blues), Torin Myhill (Scarlets), Alex Jeffries (Dragons), Adam Williams (Ospreys), Michael Snook (Blues), Oliver Griffiths (Dragons), Daniel Brooks (Ospreys), Luke Price (Ospreys), Joe Thomas (Ospreys), Ben Calder (Exiles), James Whittingham (Blues)
With the Cardiff Blues v Ospreys fast approaching the Blues are gearing up for another visit to the National Stadium
The Blues first played at the Millennium Stadium during the 2005/06 season where they recorded a victory in a high scoring match against Leinster in the Magners League.
The following season didn’t go so well for the Capital region recording losses to Leicester in the Heineken Cup and Ospreys in the EDF Anglo Welsh Cup semi final.
However, the 2008/09 season was arguably the most memorable one, with the Blues recording a win over Gloucester in the pool stage of the Heineken Cup in front of over 27,000 supporters.
They then recorded a hard fought win over Toulouse in the quarter-final in front of 36,000 supporters before facing Leicester in the semi final.
In front of a record 44,000 supporter the Blues fought back through tries from Jamie Roberts and Tom James and two touchline conversions from Ben Blair, to record a 26 all draw, before missing out in a historic penalty shoot out.
For this weekend’s match season ticket holders are reminded that their tickets need to be collected from the Cardiff Arms Park Ticket Office before 4pm on Friday 29th March.
Season ticket holders wishing to renew their season ticket on the day of the double header can do so in the Martyn Williams Pack Bar situated behind the Family Stand.
The Gareth Edwards Lounge upstairs in the clubhouse will be open to the general public from 12 midday, with the downstairs Members Bar also opening at 12.
It’s the ideal venue to meet ahead of the matches on Easter Saturday (March 30) with the Newport Gwent Dragons kicking off against the Scarlets 2.30pm
Following the final whistle of the Cardiff Blues v Ospreys match the ever popular 4th Street Traffic will be performing in the Arms Park courtyard at 7.00pm.
Speaking ahead of the match Cardiff Blues flanker Sam Warburton said,
“I’m looking ahead to Judgment Day in the Stadium.
“Hopefully people will turn up who have the bug from the Six Nations and want to watch two great clashes.
“There was some good banter flying around when we were in the national squad.
“We had photo shoots for it while in the Welsh camp, head to head shoots with me and Justin, so we had a bit of a laugh with it.
“We are all looking forward to it and hopefully the fans will feel the same way too.
“I guess now with the hype of the Six Nations this is when kids get inspired to play and I think it’s great for the players to get out in the community and meet the kids, which is what we are doing with the Blues at the start of April.
“Hopefully it will inspire them to pick up a ball and keep playing.
“I think it is important for us to capitalise on events like the Six Nations and success to increase participation.
“The players going out to clubs is a great way for kids to get access to professional players and ask them any question they want and they can hopefully get a feel for what it takes to be a professional player.”
Tickets for the matches are available priced at Adults £25, U18s £10, Family ticket £50 (two adults, two children) Tickets available from wru.co.uk/tickets
Cardiff Blues in the Millennium Stadium
2005/06 Season
Cardiff Blues 40 – 31 Leinster Rugby Sunday 14th May 2006, KO 18:10
Att: 15,327 Magners League
2006/07 Season
Cardiff Blues 17 – 21 Leicester Tigers Sunday 29th October 2006, KO 15:00
Att: 26,645 Heineken Cup Pool Match
Cardiff Blues 10 – 27 Ospreys Saturday 24th March 2007, KO 17:15
Att: 40,057 EDF Energy Cup Semi Final
2008/09 Season
Cardiff Blues 37 – 24 Gloucester Rugby Sunday 19th October 2008, KO 15:00
Att 27,114 Heineken Cup Pool Match
Cardiff Blues 9 – 6 Toulouse Saturday 11 April 2009, KO 15:30
Att: 36,728 Heineken Cup Quarter Final
Cardiff Blues 26 – 26 Leicester Tigers Sunday 3 May KO 15:00
Att 44,212 Heineken Cup Semi Final
A ‘buoyant’ Wales Sevens side landed in Tokyo this morning braced for a tough draw in round seven of the HSBC Sevens World Series, the Tokyo Sevens at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Ground.
Paul John’s men put up a heroic performance in the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens in the weekend, losing a nail-biting final against defending champions Fiji in front of a packed Hong Kong Stadium.
It was the first time Wales had ever reached a Cup final in the IRB Sevens series. Leading 19-0 at halftime, Wales were just 10 minutes away from glory but super-sub Osea Kolinisau entered the fray and scored a second half hat-trick to deny Wales glory.
“It was an amazing atmosphere as there was a lot of Welsh support there,” said Wales Sevens head coach Paul John. “I’m really proud of the effort the boys put in.
“The boys played some cracking rugby and entered the competition with a great attitude. They really accounted themselves well throughout the tournament. To go 19-0 up against a very good Fiji side in the first half of the final was an exceptional effort. Unfortunately we couldn’t get our hands on the ball in the second half and Fiji came away with the title.
“There is no time rest on our laurels though as we’ve got Kenya, USA and Scotland this week in the Japan Sevens. Some might say it is an easy group but as last weekend proved, there are no longer any easy groups on the circuit.
“We’re carrying a few bumps and bruises but just have to re-charge our batteries and maintain the momentum into this weekend.
“Kenya will be looking for revenge after we beat them in Hong Kong in the semi-finals and are looking for a top three finish while USA and Scotland will be desperate to get away from the bottom of the series standings as they won’t want to be relegated.”
Wales’ haul of 19 points for reaching the final has seen them jump to sixth place in the overall standings with 63 points with New Zealand leading the way with 113 with three rounds to play.
The Ospreys have confirmed that Richard Fussell has become the eighth player to commit to the region in recent months.
28-year old Fussell has followed on from Tom Grabham, Tom Isaacs, Duncan Jones, Rhys Webb, Joe Bearman, Lloyd Peers and James King to re-sign for the Ospreys, putting pen to paper on a contract that will keep him at the Liberty Stadium until the end of the 2015/16 season.
“This is great news for the Ospreys”Andy Lloyd, Rugby Operations Manager, said.
“If I’m honest, I believe that Richard is someone who goes under the radar outside of our environment but he is a model of consistency for us and has been outstanding ever since he arrived at the Ospreys.
“This season in particular he’s been sensational, the way he’s coped with being the old head and the only constant in an ever changing, regularly patched up back three. He’s dealt magnificently with having to work with so many different combinations and his attitude in helping through so many youngsters has been admirable. It’s summed up perfectly what he brings to this squad.
“He’s a great professional who makes a huge contribution on and off the field, and has grown year on year. He has a massive impact on our game, he scores tries, and the likes of Eli and Hanno owe him so much for the tries he sets up for them.
“It gives us a real boost knowing that someone like Richard, who is totally committed to the cause, is going to be a part of what we are looking to build here over the next three seasons.”
Fussell signed for the Ospreys in the summer of 2010, arriving at the Liberty Stadium with a reputation as a try-scoring winger having touched down 23 times in 78 appearances for Newport Gwent Dragons. He scored a try on his Ospreys debut, a defeat to Ulster on the opening day of the 2010/11 season and finished the season as the region’s top try scorer with nine.
Since then he has successfully been converted to full back, growing ever more influential in the Ospreys shirt, and made his 77th appearance for the region in Friday night’s PRO12 clash against the Dragons at the Liberty.
Speaking after signing his new three-year deal, Fussell said:
“It’s huge for me, knowing that the Ospreys want to keep me here for the long term. It’s great to know that management see me as part of the future of the region.
“I really enjoy being part of the squad. There’s been a bit of a change for me over the last couple of seasons, I’ve played wing since I was a youngster playing age-grade rugby but moving to the Ospreys and then switching to full back has given me a new lease of life, a new direction. It’s opened my eyes a little bit and I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity here.
“The first goal over the three years of the new contract is to keep that jersey. We want to push on as a team over the rest of the season, try and get into the play-offs and retain the PRO12 trophy, while on a personal level I want to keep pushing myself and continue improving.”
Pontypridd captain and lock Chris Dicomidis has won the Principality Player of the Month award for February. He guided the Sardis Road side to home wins over Llandovery and Newport and an away victory over Bridgend during the month, helping the champions to consolidate their position at the top of the Principality Premiership table.
An ever present member of the Ponty side for the majority of the past decade, Dicomidis has caught the attentions of watching opposition coaches and knowledgeable observers alike in earning the sponsor’s accolade.
“I’m pleased with how I’ve been playing, since Christmas in particular and scored a couple of tries in February to boot which is always nice. I have a great team and group of boys around me. On the field there are 14 other leaders and the coaching team has been consistently superb with Chief (Dale McIntosh), Johnsey (Paul John) and now Gareth Wyatt having stepped into a management role. All three have great experience within the game and the whole club really is like a close family unit,” he said.
Pontypridd beat Llanelli to win the Principality Premiership Play-Off final last year after losing in the final the previous year. Dicomidis says the club is desperate to hold onto the title.
“We took a while to get to the top of the table but now that we’re there we want to stay there – each game is like a cup final now.
“The Cup is massive for us too – we were disappointed with our performance against Cross Keys in the final last year and we feel we owe our supporters a good run in the cup this year, we would love to do the double,” he added.
While the Principality Premiership is often a stepping stone to regional and international rugby for Welsh rugby’s best young players, the likes of Dicomidis have a vital role to play in Premiership clubs.
“My focus is now firmly on Ponty and helping the club achieve as much as we can. We have a number of old heads at the club and those players, like Dan Godfrey and Wayne O’Connor help make Ponty a great learning environment for young players coming through. The youngsters often turn to us for advice, and however much gym and skill work they’ve done, it’s only on the pitch that they can put it into practice,” he said
Chris Dicomidis Factfile
Born: 14.9.85, Bridgend
Position: Lock
Club: Pontypridd
Honours: Wales U19, U21 Universities, Cyprus
Most admired player: Jonah Lomu
Most admired sportsperson: Joe Calzaghe
School: Pencoed Comprehensive
Occupation: Essential skills tutor, MPCT, Bridgend
Nickname: Dico
Former clubs: Pencoed Minis and Juniors, UWIC
Biggest influence on career: Family
When Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies and veteran Dragons lock Rob Sidoli clash at the Millennium Stadium next Saturday they will complete a circle of success which has brought FOUR Six Nations Championship titles to Wales in the last nine years.
The pair, who are set to feature in opposition in the opening match of the inaugural Rabo Direct Pro12 double-header at the Millennium Stadium, are at different stages of their rugby careers, but are inextricably linked by a unique piece of silverware.
The first title of the new Millennium, in 2005, saw then Blues second row Sidoli play every minute of the campaign which brought the international holy grail of a Grand Slam to Wales for the first time in 27 years.
Three Slams later, the latter of which gave Davies his first Six Nations winners medal in 2012, and the Scarlets centre is an integral part of the squad which, last weekend, ensured Wales retained their European title in back to back seasons for the first time in 34 yrs.
If it all started with Sidoli and company eight seasons ago, the class of 2013 have more than taken on the mantle and arguably eclipsed the much heralded achievements of Wales’ sides of the 70s.
But both players remain hungry for even more silverware and they agree that success at international level only enhances their Regional ambitions.
Davies is set to make his 100th appearance for the Scarlets at the home of Welsh international rugby this weekend and feels he has unfinished business with the side he supported as a child.
“I’ve grown up supporting the Scarlets and the players there are the ones you train with week in week out, so to get a taste of success with them would be particularly sweet,” said the 36-times capped Whitland product.
“I’ve spoken to the Ospreys players when we’ve been in camp with Wales, they’ve won this league more times than anyone and they say that winning silverware with your Region is pretty special.
“Success with the Scarlets is definitely something that is important for me, we have a great squad and winning with Wales just makes you all the more determined to reproduce that with your Region.
“We are all determined to put that right with a good run at the business end of the season to get us into the those play-offs and that means putting a performance together against the Dragons on Saturday.
“It will be strange to come back to the Millennium Stadium so soon after the incredible highs of winning the Championship here, but this is a special place.
“The atmosphere is always amazing and if the fans are anything like they were for the England game we should all be in for a real treat.”
Sidoli has himself made 96 appearances for the Dragons, he played 42-times for Wales and, after the career highlight in 05 which a 17-year-old Davies watched from the Millennium Stadium stands, last featured at international level in the 62-5 loss to England at Twickenham in 2007.
At 33 he has the edge in experience on the 26-year-old Davies, he knows all about how success at international level can inspire a region and he is looking forward to taking to the Millennium Stadium pitch again for the double-header this weekend.
“The Millennium Stadium is a special place for both the players and the fans and it’s a great concept to have these two derby matches here on the same day, the atmosphere will be amazing,” said Sidoli.
“We’ve seen how well this Welsh side has done and enjoyed watching them. It lifts everyone mentally to see Wales do well and the players who have returned to train with the Region have really boosted us and I think we have a role to play in energising them as well.
“It can be draining to achieve success like they have done, certainly in 2005 it was the first time anyone had experienced that kind of success for a long time so we were on the ceiling for a good while afterwards.
“This squad has managed to sustain their success now so the next step is to reflect that in the regional game.
“This will be a big weekend for all four sides, just as we have been a bit of a thorn in the side for the Ospreys in recent times the Scarlets have probably been that for us.
“We know we can be a dangerous side but we have been inconsistent. The challenge for us is to be consistently dangerous and put some performances together to be proud of during the season run in.
“The Millennium Stadium is a great stage to play on and it should inspire some great rugby this weekend, with us all hopefully picking up where the national team has left off.”
A second half hat-trick by unstoppable super-sub Osea Kolinisau denied Wales a famous victory as Fiji came back from a 19-0 halftime deficit to successfully defend their Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens crown.
In an emotionally charged Hong Kong Stadium, the Welsh squad played in honour of their team mate Ifan Evans whose career has been dramatically cut short with a serious neck injury. Paul John’s men marched to the final with a rousing 28-14 win over Canada in the quarter-final before brushing aside Kenya 19-0 in the semi-final.
In an outstanding final, Wales took the game to the South Sea Islanders from the outset where Cardiff Blues centre Cory Allen proved the chief tormentor with two first half tries where he used his speed, guile, bulk and trickery to perfection. Ystrad Rhondda wing Alex Webber scored in the corner and with Rhys Jones adding two conversions, Wales were in control at the break.
But the introduction of Kolinisau turned the match on its head. His speed and inventiveness turned the course of the game with two quick-fire tries. He added a third late on to seal a comeback that had looked highly unlikely after a first half in which Wales had made all the running and Fiji a raft of unforced errors.
Wales’ ability to reach the final is being seen as evidence of the importance of the abbreviated game in the WRU’s elite player pathway structure. WRU Head of Rugby, Joe Lydon, congratulated the team on their supreme effort and praised them for showcasing the Welsh international sevens game at its best.
‘’I must congratulate all the coaching staff and the players for a series of excellent performances at one of the most high profile competitions in the world sevens game,” he said. “The series of victories they achieved displays the value of the sevens game within our performance structures and shows how potential Welsh senior international players are nurtured and improved by taking part at this level.
“They refine valuable rugby skills and also experience playing the game in front of huge crowds with all the added atmosphere and tension that provides. The number of sevens players who have gone on to represent Wales at senior level is a credit to our structure and the level of coaching skill the players experience.
“In the RBS 6 Nations Championship decider at the Millennium Stadium we all saw Justin Tipuric display skills which would have been a credit to any centre and I am certain that as a back row forward he learnt much of that within his Wales sevens background.
“Now we have youngsters such as Cory Allen benefitting from the experience and it all bodes well for Welsh rugby in the future.I’m delighted with the performances I have seen being delivered in Hong Kong and the overall standard of play has been excellent. To reach the final and perform so well was an outstanding achievement the whole country can be proud of.”
Fresh from witnessing Wales retain the RBS 6 Nations title, forwards coach Robin McBryde believes the success will breed new confidence in his side.
Wales lifted the RBS 6 Nations trophy for the fourth time in nine years on Saturday as they beat England 30-3 in a thrilling encounter at the Millennium Stadium. The victory meant Wales retained the title, winning it in back-to-back years, for the first time since 1979.
As he did back in 2009, McBryde will step up to lead Wales on their summer tour later this year and he will be in the stands at the Millennium Stadium on March 30 to run the rule over contenders for tour places as the Judgement Day encounters pit all four Welsh regions against each other. He believes the squad that heads to Japan will be brimming with confidence.
“The squad we take to Japan will head over there full of confidence and belief,” he said. “Players who played in the Championship will have the belief behind them but also players who maybe didn’t feature will be boosted as success breeds success. It was a very accomplished performance on Saturday.
“We spoke during the week that it was just another test match that we had to go out and win and that’s exactly what we did. We didn’t focus on the points difference or the advantage they went into the match with, we were focused on the 80 minutes in front of us.
“The side went out and started well, controlled the early exchanges and took us into the break with a small cushion. In the second half we stepped it up and showed the sort of performance we all knew we were capable of and it was a fantastic way to win the Championship.
“In was a huge day. The city and the stadium were packed and the crowd were at their best and it was great to put that sort of performance together to reward them. It was a very physical and I thought our defence and physically was fantastic. We were always on the front foot and the pack did really well at set piece and around the park and really gave us a really good platform.
“The squad worked extremely hard to retain the title. After the disappointment of the Ireland game to put themselves back in contention and to then go out and win the Championship was impressive and they deserved that reward.”
Wales head to Osaka and Tokyo on their two-test tour of Japan this summer and McBryde will announce his squad following the British and Irish Lions squad selection later this spring. The former Wales hooker is looking to blend experience and youth in his squad and believes it will be a valuable trip for less experienced Test players.
“For North America in 2009 we took a good mix of experience and youth and I’m sure that will be the case again this summer,” he added. “It’s a good chance to reward players with more international game time and give players the opportunity to play at this level.
“Back in ’09 we took boys like Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies, Dan Biggar and Craig Mitchell with us and look at where they are now. It’s great to see how far they have come and what they have achieved since that tour.
“The Lions will obviously impact on selection but it will be taking experience out to Japan with us. We will also be looking to reward players who have performed for their regions week in and week out and who put their hand up towards the end of the season.
“There are some big games coming up and some very big head-to-heads on Judgement Day and it’s a chance for players to show us what they can do and to fight for their chance to play for Wales this summer.”
Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Steve Diamond has named his side for tomorrow evenings Aviva Premiership Round 18 game against Bath Rugby at the Salford City Stadium.
Sharks are keen to get back to winning ways in the Premiership having lost their last two Premiership games to Harlequins and Leicester.
Bath have lost only one of their last four Premiership games (Northampton away 23-25) but have not won on the road since round one when they won at Worcester.
In the game at the Rec in September Sharks lost 10-31.
Team: Cameron Shepherd, Charlie Amesbury, Jonny Leota, Sammy Tuitupou, Mark Cueto, Nick Macleod, Dwayne Peel, Alasdair Dickinson, Marc Jones, Henry Thomas, James Gaskell, Andrei Ostrikov, Dan Braid, David Seymour Captain, Andy Powell
Replacements: Tommy Taylor, Ross Harrison, Tony Buckley, Fraser McKenzie, Kearnan Myall, Nathan Fowles, Danny Cipriani, Richie Vernon
