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.
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
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.”
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.”
With the Ospreys returning to RaboDirect PRO12 action in a Welsh derby against Newport Gwent Dragons at the Liberty Stadium on Friday night, Head Physio Chris Towers has issued the following update on some of the players who are unavailable for selection this weekend:
Ian Gough – Suffered a back spasm in training but is expected to be available for selection next weekend.
Joe Rees – Is being reintegrated back into the group as he continues his rehabilitation following neck surgery. He is building up his scrum work in training and is on course for potential selection in early April.
Ryan Jones – Further investigation has confirmed that a fracture to the shoulder blade is stable and it is just a case of waiting for it to heal. Providing there are no problems, he has a realistic chance of being back playing before the end of the season.
Eli Walker – Is suffering from a back injury picked up while away during the Six Nations period. A decision will be made on the best course of treatment for the problem over the next week or so following consultation with specialists.
Andrew Bishop – Is recovering well following surgery on a disc problem in his back. If he continues with his current rate of progress, the medical team are not ruling out the prospect of him returning before the end of the season.
Tom Smith – Remains sidelined with an ongoing chronic groin issue
