Blues v Connacht

:00:18. > :00:26.Last Christmas Cardiff Arms Park was reduced to a swamp. The pitch was

:00:26. > :00:35.unplayable, the players unrecognisable, the commentators

:00:35. > :00:39.unimpressed. A lot of mud coloured jerseys out

:00:39. > :00:49.there. Eight months on, I knew pitch, new

:00:49. > :00:52.season. And this man is back. Can this new generation of young

:00:52. > :00:59.internationals bring real success to this artificial arena?

:00:59. > :01:07.Connacht are the first PRO12 opponents to try out the new paging

:01:07. > :01:11.Cardross. -- this new pitch in Cardiff. Last season, the Blues

:01:11. > :01:19.scored fewer tries than anybody else. The first competitive PRO12

:01:19. > :01:29.game has been officially opened tonight. Welcome to Scrum V from a

:01:29. > :01:36.rainy and windswept Cardiff Arms Park. We have come indoors. Martyn

:01:36. > :01:41.Williams has joined me. This Blues side, I guess in seasons gone by

:01:41. > :01:44.they have considered a soft touch, but they have recruited most of

:01:44. > :01:51.their pack. Can they bully opposition packs? Ella McGrady is

:01:51. > :01:57.the key to their success this year. -- I think it is the key to their

:01:57. > :02:02.success this year. This summer they have recruited Gethin Jenkins, who

:02:02. > :02:08.is injured tonight, Matthew Rees, Filo Paulo. It is a big year for

:02:08. > :02:16.Matthew. He has come in as captain. Filo Paulo, people remember him

:02:16. > :02:21.playing against Scotland for Western Samoa last year. There is no point

:02:21. > :02:26.in having these guys if the guys up front are not doing their jobs.

:02:26. > :02:32.Hopefully the Blues can stand their authority tonight. He cannot fail to

:02:32. > :02:41.have noticed the new artificial pitch, put down in the summer.

:02:41. > :02:45.I have been canvassing some of the Blues players. This is anecdotal.

:02:45. > :02:51.They all like the surface. They say it plays better in the wet than in

:02:51. > :02:56.the dry. These are perfect conditions, ironically. They were

:02:56. > :03:00.normal studs. We should get increased ball in play time because

:03:00. > :03:04.the surface is more of a top of the ground surface. The bounce of the

:03:04. > :03:11.ball is different. The service takes energy over the ball. The grubber

:03:11. > :03:17.kick might be slightly difficult. Tom, you have played on it. What do

:03:17. > :03:22.you think? Takes energy out of the ball and takes out your legs. That

:03:22. > :03:27.will show in the second half. Dan Parks may have to put extra on his

:03:27. > :03:33.kicks to get them into the torch. Alex Cuthbert is back tonight. Are

:03:33. > :03:38.you looking forward to seeing him? He finished the season on fire. He

:03:38. > :03:45.can run around people, he can run over them. I'd spent big things.

:03:45. > :03:52.Lets see your example of the grubber kick that we were talking about.

:03:52. > :03:59.Exactly. Just as I said. Skill is forever. Well done, Tom Shanklin.

:03:59. > :04:04.Yes, he has still got it. Martyn was looking at the forward 's

:04:04. > :04:05.earlier. Sean is in the truck. You have been casting your eye over the

:04:05. > :04:11.halfbacks? If the Blues are to have been casting your eye over the

:04:11. > :04:16.challenge this year, they need the spine of their team from Matthew

:04:16. > :04:25.Rees Julie Halfpenny, to function effectively. A lot rests on this

:04:25. > :04:31.young Welsh pairing tonight. -- Matthew Rees and Leigh Halfpenny. I

:04:31. > :04:36.feel a bit further Matt Williams. He has had a lack of game time. He is a

:04:36. > :04:40.good rugby player with a good rugby brain. He is quick and strong around

:04:40. > :04:50.the fringes. I just really needs to start imposing himself on PRO12

:04:50. > :04:56.games. Alongside him he is joined by reach -- Rhys Patchell. He oozes

:04:56. > :05:00.confidence. He really has all the attributes to make it to the highest

:05:01. > :05:08.level. He is certainly one to watch for the Connacht back row. Take a

:05:08. > :05:15.look at this. Forgive the footage. We talk about Dan Parks. Rhys

:05:15. > :05:23.Patchell has a huge impact moment in games. Lookout frame tonight. Dan

:05:23. > :05:31.Parks is the record points scorer in the Celtic league.

:05:31. > :05:35.Exciting matchup. We talked a lot about Rhys Patchell last season. The

:05:35. > :05:39.Blues hierarchy have pleaded with us not to begin mob too much. He is the

:05:39. > :05:45.number-1 choice now and destined for big things, he? Yes, difficult when

:05:45. > :05:51.you are played as well as he has, to stay out of the spotlight. He is an

:05:51. > :05:56.immense talent. He has come through the academy system. He has got the

:05:56. > :06:00.lot. Hopefully, with Dan Biggar and Rhys Priestland back fit as well,

:06:00. > :06:03.there is no immediate rush to get him in the Welsh team. Thanks,

:06:03. > :06:23.Martin. Nearly time for a kick-off. Rick O'Shea is on BBC radio Wales.

:06:23. > :06:30.There is commentary on the red button for you tonight. Gareth

:06:30. > :06:35.Charles and Jonathan Davies are in the commentary box.

:06:35. > :06:41.John Muldoon has the honour of leading a team out on his 200th

:06:41. > :06:51.game. Even though there may not be too many familiar names, there is a

:06:51. > :06:56.lot of experience. Captain Michael Swift has played more games than any

:06:56. > :07:03.the player in this league. Familiar faces behind them, none more so than

:07:04. > :07:09.Dan Parks. Robbie Henshaw picked up a couple of Irish caps in the

:07:09. > :07:12.summer. Dan Parks spent two years here with the Blues. More points

:07:12. > :07:21.than anybody else in the history of the league. Tom Williams will have

:07:21. > :07:22.watched him play a lot. He will know what to expect. Deep kicks to the

:07:22. > :07:38.corner. Back in their old colours. It is an

:07:38. > :07:44.historic moment as, for the first time in a competitive match, Matthew

:07:44. > :07:55.Rees leads the Blues out onto the green, green plastic of home. That

:07:55. > :08:02.is the pack that have to try to assert themselves. Bradley Davies

:08:02. > :08:13.and Feeley -- Filo Paulo in the boiler house. The Williams brothers,

:08:13. > :08:24.Lloyd at nine and Tom at 15. Alex Cuthbert back after the Lions tour.

:08:24. > :08:35.As we saw last week, and of course as a former Cardiff player, and

:08:35. > :08:44.after today on the Isle of Wight, a commemorative service for a true

:08:44. > :09:49.blue and black, Wales and Lions legend, Cliff Morgan.

:09:49. > :10:00.Good to see some of the old guard. Their memories of Cliff will be as

:10:00. > :10:07.vivid as anybody is. Claudio Blessano of Italy in just his fourth

:10:07. > :10:14.competitive game in charge. Let's see what this pitch is all about.

:10:14. > :10:22.Certainly not the mud bath we saw last year. No, it looks absolutely

:10:22. > :10:29.magnificent. Let's see what it is like underfoot. Dan Parks does not

:10:29. > :10:33.even test the new pitch with his first kick. One thing that will

:10:33. > :10:38.benefit the kicker, when you drop the ball, the ball with them bounce

:10:38. > :10:44.up. I don't know if he did not realise that. He got such a clean

:10:44. > :10:49.strike. He put it into touch. He did not put it into touch by Agard. He

:10:49. > :10:58.absolutely cleared it. Very unlike Dan Parks. There was a look of

:10:59. > :11:01.incredulity on his face. Connacht did train on the ground this

:11:01. > :11:09.morning. They will have had some time to adjust.

:11:09. > :11:23.The free kick goes the way of the visitors. Early engagement. Connacht

:11:23. > :11:54.go for the reset. That has gone against Scott Andrews.

:11:54. > :12:04.They had the early engagement and then the bind went. It is not going

:12:04. > :12:11.to be a problem with footing. You're standing leg, kicking this. Sam

:12:11. > :12:17.Warburton hoping to be back sometime next month. Hamstring problem he

:12:17. > :12:37.picked up on the Lions tour. From slap bang in the middle of the

:12:37. > :12:53.park. It should be 50 metres spot on. Just under. Not quite having the

:12:53. > :12:59.legs. And again, Dan Parks looks around rather quizzically. Quite

:12:59. > :13:08.surprised he didn't have the legs from there. Clocked up 236 points in

:13:08. > :13:19.his three years -- two years with Cardiff Blues. Gavin Duffy in his

:13:19. > :13:35.11th season. Rhys Patchell safely underneath the ball.

:13:35. > :13:43.Connacht had an overlap on the right-hand side. They have got a

:13:43. > :14:20.second row in midfield and a flanker on the wing. They cut back inside.

:14:20. > :14:38.You can hear the water squelching. That was a good chase on Patchell by

:14:38. > :14:59.the Connacht players. O'Halloran did well there.

:14:59. > :15:17.That was a very well-placed kick by Patchell. just about near enough to

:15:17. > :15:34.the 22. The referee wasn't really sure about the call there.

:15:34. > :15:38.The service has given him that confidence, because it is a horrible

:15:38. > :15:51.night. -- surface. I think it was knocked on there,

:15:51. > :16:27.they got away with it, the Blues. The water sprays up. And brought

:16:27. > :16:30.back to an earlier offside. Very fortunate to get the penalty here,

:16:30. > :16:35.because it was a knock on in the tackle. It was a very good run but

:16:35. > :16:39.as he goes to ground, just watch, he loses control of the ball. Definite

:16:39. > :17:11.knock-on. That is before the penalty was given.

:17:11. > :17:33.Backout off the post. It looked as though it was curling in but hit the

:17:33. > :17:39.inside and out again. He will be disappointed with that.

:17:39. > :17:51.I think he will be disappointed with that. Here is the hit, Bradley

:17:51. > :18:00.Davies comes in. Ooh. I think he mistimed it.

:18:00. > :18:07.I wonder if there will be any more lucks at that one. -- any more

:18:07. > :18:20.looks. I think just one point on that

:18:20. > :18:24.kick, you would have expected him to nail it, but you didn't see many

:18:24. > :18:33.people chasing the ball. You have to chase it. Joining us now is Martyn

:18:33. > :18:41.Williams. What you think of the page? It looks good, doesn't it? --

:18:41. > :18:43.of the pitch. But top-level rugby, you couldn't ask for much, could

:18:43. > :19:09.you? Robinson was steaming up the inside,

:19:10. > :19:13.maybe just overran it slightly. Add the timing and the awareness be in

:19:13. > :19:22.harmony, that would have been interesting. Great off-load, big man

:19:22. > :19:41.to little man. Good cover in the defence, I have to say.

:19:41. > :19:57.Again, O Halloran is the chaser of the high ball.

:19:57. > :20:05.I think they have got to do more than that, the Blues... A good bit

:20:05. > :20:11.of opportunism from Matt Healy but it didn't bounce for him. It looks

:20:11. > :20:14.like a bit of a dead bounce, I'm sure that is because of the rain as

:20:14. > :20:47.well, and the nature of the pitch. Good pressure by Matt Healy on Tom

:20:47. > :20:55.Williams. Managed to keep it in play. You can see, it definitely

:20:55. > :21:00.does kill the ball. You have to be aware as a chasing player, it is not

:21:00. > :21:07.going to run dead. He was very casual, Williams. When you look at

:21:07. > :21:09.the back, that is the only kicking option, he needs a bit of help, Owen

:21:09. > :21:26.Williams. You need another option. It is dead and it is also not going

:21:26. > :21:27.to bounce up into your hand, you need to get down and pick it up on

:21:27. > :21:43.this surface. Matt Healy slides in. The conditions

:21:43. > :21:49.are perfect for doing that, and that is the way to use the ball, simply

:21:49. > :21:51.and effectively, and Matt Healy gets the first try at the new Arms Park

:21:51. > :22:04.surface. A big gap between the centres, gets

:22:04. > :22:16.over the gain line and the gap is too big. Nothing there at all.

:22:16. > :22:30.The conversion is simplicity itself for Dan Parks and Connacht get off

:22:30. > :22:43.to a 7-point lead. Buries the ball, over the gain line,

:22:43. > :22:45.recycled, and then they didn't communicate on this side of the

:22:45. > :22:57.ruck. Lovely off-load and a try. I must say, I do like the look of

:22:57. > :23:00.this scrum half, Kieran Marmion. He has started every league game in the

:23:00. > :23:08.last year, educated at Brecon, and he's very good. He is a big talent.

:23:08. > :23:25.They put the ball to hands, Pat Lam's influence.

:23:25. > :23:48.It has gone back, the referee said. But it went forward blue advantage.

:23:48. > :24:08.They are running from deep, the Blues, but they lost the ball again.

:24:08. > :24:20.Jonathan? As the guy goes to ground, there is nothing actually on. What

:24:20. > :24:22.should happen is he feels that hole there and he stays there.

:24:22. > :24:29.Unfortunately, he goes on the outside.

:24:29. > :24:45.Will pick that up again when there is a chance.

:24:45. > :24:53.The Blues are going to go for another shot at goal. Jonathan. We

:24:53. > :25:01.will put it on again, what should have happened is he goes into there,

:25:01. > :25:06.there is no gap. Unfortunately, there is no communication. And look

:25:06. > :25:10.at the gap that opens up. The scrum half sponsored, good support, and

:25:10. > :25:16.that is it. -- the scrum half sponsored. If you see that again at

:25:16. > :25:20.half-time, you will see Michael Swift, the skipper has done a great

:25:20. > :25:27.job, he takes two men out and create the gap. A little bit too much

:25:27. > :25:37.effort on that one from Rhys Patchell it and he pulls it to the

:25:37. > :25:43.left of the goal. -- Rhys Patchell. It is important that they don't

:25:43. > :25:51.panic, 15 minutes gone. Yes, I just think they have... They seem very

:25:52. > :26:30.well organised defensively, Connacht.

:26:30. > :26:43.This is your last game now, Martyn, tell everyone where you are going. I

:26:43. > :26:51.have signed off for Kilimanjaro. Have you done much training? I have

:26:52. > :27:00.done loads. Five days of golf! On the hilly courses! If Warren Gatland

:27:00. > :27:02.can get up there, hopefully I can. I am surprised you are not going,

:27:02. > :27:25.Jonathan. I am on a bike. There is no one really taking this

:27:25. > :27:30.game by the scruff of the neck. A lot of kicking, no one is winning

:27:30. > :27:40.the aerial battle. One opportunity, and that is the difference so far.

:27:40. > :27:47.No pattern at all to it. Apart from the effort by Copland, the Blues

:27:48. > :27:53.haven't had any territory. It is a kicking game at the moment. Connacht

:27:53. > :28:00.will be happy at the moment, they are camped in the Blues' half. That

:28:00. > :28:06.is what they are looking for, to bring Dafydd Heyward into the hole.

:28:06. > :28:16.Little things will make a difference. A good field position

:28:16. > :28:21.now, try and get over the gain line, and if it is a slow first play, just

:28:21. > :28:25.put it behind them and play the waiting game. You can see what the

:28:25. > :28:31.Blues are going to try and do, run it then that channel. I expect the

:28:31. > :28:40.Connacht bat group will try and close it down. -- back group.

:28:40. > :28:45.Henshaw and Duffy have come over to the right hand side. It wasn't a

:28:45. > :28:51.great scrum, they couldn't do anything with it.

:28:51. > :28:59.That is the other thing, I wonder what scrummaging is life on this

:28:59. > :29:05.surface. Apparently on the Saracens surface, there are a lot less

:29:05. > :29:09.collapsed scrums. It should be better than last season.

:29:09. > :29:21.This is a big cage for Rhys Patchell, -- a big kick. He has

:29:21. > :29:23.missed two early on. The first kick he would have been disappointed

:29:23. > :29:29.with. The others have been difficult.

:29:29. > :29:38.He has nailed that. That one is the one that Rhys Patchell has been

:29:38. > :29:49.looking for. The Blues get their first points at home in the new

:29:49. > :30:13.season. Almost a quarter of a way -- the way through the game.

:30:13. > :30:24.Owen Williams played in both tests in Japan in the summer. Navidi

:30:24. > :30:33.played in the second. Pressure on Patchell very quick. He still got

:30:33. > :31:01.some distance on the cake, didn't he? -- kick.

:31:01. > :31:15.Patchell did very -- really well there.

:31:15. > :31:32.Superbly done by Rhys Patchell. Kieran Marmion got deposited over

:31:32. > :31:39.the sideline. They got the better of that. They were a bit loose. Lovely

:31:39. > :31:54.break by Patchell. Deceptively strong.

:31:54. > :32:00.Zebre are 18-9 ahead against Munster at half-time. That is a bit of a

:32:00. > :32:24.turnip. Two tries in that 18 points. Ulster lead by 6-3. Newport Gwent

:32:24. > :32:26.Dragons in action in Edinburgh. They just need to keep possession now. It

:32:26. > :32:41.is still a horrible night. They would be disappointed with

:32:41. > :32:44.that. They had a good drive setup. There is nothing worse than when it

:32:44. > :32:56.stops. There is the past. No communication.

:32:56. > :33:30.-- there is the past. That was well protected. Matthew

:33:30. > :33:48.Rees working it up the blank -- blindside. They will gain a few

:33:48. > :33:58.extra metres. That vital bit of possession last. We saw it happen

:33:58. > :34:06.the Scarlets last week. To not gone is. It kills the momentum. -- two

:34:06. > :34:15.not guns. Phil Davies, the Blues coaches here.

:34:15. > :34:19.We have had plenty of possession. We have to be patient and control the

:34:19. > :34:25.ball. We missed a couple of kicks at goal. We have to be patient and

:34:25. > :34:29.controlled. If we can, we will score points. And turning that the

:34:29. > :34:41.territory into points, I suppose? Yell that -- That's right. Added

:34:41. > :34:45.smart kicking. It is a wet evening. Both sides are making errors.

:34:45. > :35:02.We need a good spectacle. It is a horrible night. I think it

:35:02. > :35:08.is important. People may think that just because you have an artificial

:35:08. > :35:12.pitch, it is good to be easy. But it is going to be difficult for them.

:35:12. > :35:17.It will be belittled not guns, the little spills. -- it will be the

:35:17. > :36:04.little knock on is. Interesting call. What is he calling

:36:04. > :36:14.the captain for a? Your team-mate pushed a player. No

:36:14. > :36:30.more, please. Very dangerous, that pushing lark! Don't pushing again!

:36:31. > :36:38.-- don't push him again! That is the referee trying to assert his

:36:38. > :36:49.authority. Patchell takes no time at all in taking his kicks.

:36:49. > :36:55.Straight down the middle from Rhys Patchell. And the Blues are back

:36:55. > :37:02.within a point. That is the key Martyn. I think they are dominating

:37:02. > :37:09.possession and territory. But because of the little mistakes...

:37:09. > :37:13.The scrum is going well, the line-out is going well. They have

:37:13. > :37:26.struggled with the kicking game. They have got themselves back in it.

:37:26. > :37:45.It is a big year for Rhys Patchell. That was bad communication. Normally

:37:45. > :37:59.the guy behind takes charge. That is the last thing you want

:37:59. > :38:11.after getting back to within a point. Give away the scrum five

:38:11. > :38:14.metres out. Let's see what they do. It is too close for an up and under.

:38:14. > :38:46.Drop goal? ! Blues trying not to give it to many

:38:46. > :39:05.to the breakdown. -- Blues trying not to commit to many to the back.

:39:05. > :39:18.Great tackle. The drop goal position is gone now. They should have gone

:39:18. > :39:23.for the drop goal. That last scrum should give the Blues a lot of

:39:23. > :39:35.confidence. Use the territory and get penalties from the dominant

:39:35. > :39:40.scrum. That was a great tackle. That is a big lift for a site when you're

:39:40. > :39:46.outside centre is doing that. Owen Williams has a big, big future. With

:39:46. > :39:55.Jamie Roberts going, hopefully you can fill that void. Corey Allen as

:39:55. > :40:03.well, expecting big things of him. Yes. Two big centres. The future is

:40:03. > :40:20.bright, particularly in the backline.

:40:20. > :40:33.Let's see how this scrum shapes up on the Blues ball. They will apply

:40:33. > :41:00.the pressure -- they applied the pressure on the Connacht put in.

:41:00. > :41:26.That was an important tackle. Navidi did the work.

:41:26. > :42:16.I was expecting a whistle for a knock on.

:42:16. > :42:30.Cuthbert was screaming for the ball. It was hacked downfield instead.

:42:30. > :42:34.Great pass by O'Halloran. Give it to Cuthbert on your right. Yes,

:42:34. > :42:55.Cuthbert was screaming for the ball. They are struggling to break down

:42:55. > :43:00.Connacht. Too many penalties for your team. No

:43:00. > :43:09.more. Next time, pay the consequences. Speak with your mates.

:43:09. > :43:14.The referee says the penalty are flowing in the Blues direction. The

:43:14. > :43:30.point is flowing in Connacht's direction. -- the point is flowing

:43:30. > :43:39.in Munster's direction. They have come back from 18-9 behind.

:43:39. > :43:46.In the final ten minutes of the first half. A first-half which has

:43:46. > :44:15.not fully developed any patter on. No, not at all really. -- pattern.

:44:15. > :44:28.Rhys Patchell is on the ten metre line at the moment. That will do

:44:28. > :44:35.very nicely indeed. He is becoming Mr drop goal, Rhys Patchell. The

:44:35. > :44:39.ball was slow but I do feel he went back in the pocket a little bit too

:44:39. > :44:45.rarely. There were a couple of options early on. It's just cuts the

:44:45. > :44:51.options down a little bit. A good psychological edge. A try by

:44:51. > :44:57.Connacht against the run of play but now the Blues are back in front. He

:44:57. > :45:18.got a drop goal against Glasgow last week. And that puts the Blues ahead

:45:18. > :45:20.for the first time. They have just got to carry it a bit more now,

:45:20. > :45:41.Cardiff. Get over the gain line. Henshaw was looking for the inside

:45:41. > :45:45.delivery, thought he was taken out early and he may have a case that

:45:46. > :45:51.the defence. I think he was taken out early but a great tackle by

:45:51. > :45:55.Cuthbert. That wasn't forward, his hands were going back. Great tackle

:45:55. > :46:09.by Cuthbert. The past wasn't going to come

:46:09. > :46:17.anyway. -- the past. Andries Pretorius made the line-out

:46:18. > :46:25.kick. And again, they are looking to get

:46:25. > :46:46.it out wide. There is a bit of wit to its now,

:46:46. > :46:54.there has been a turnover and defence has been tied, you would

:46:54. > :47:08.think there would be a bit of wit. -- width.

:47:08. > :47:16.The counter attack is on here. Tom Williams puts it up into the night

:47:16. > :47:46.air. He drags Dan Parks out of 22. Again, width... And lost at the

:47:46. > :48:02.crucial moment. Connacht have come to play a bit of

:48:02. > :48:19.rugby. Any loose kicks... It is on again. He is a prop

:48:19. > :48:22.forward, Dan Parks. There is an opportunity there. The percentage

:48:22. > :48:42.ball. Cuthbert has stayed down. While Cuthbert gets a bit of

:48:42. > :48:45.treatment, we will go back to fill. This is the Cardiff Arms Park

:48:46. > :48:49.groundsman, Brian Walker. It is not all pipe and slippers view, there

:48:49. > :48:54.are still maintenance to do. Yes, there is. We don't do as much as we

:48:54. > :48:59.used to do with the grass, obviously, I am not looking as

:48:59. > :49:02.forward to Monday mornings as I used it. But there is rubbish on the

:49:02. > :49:07.field, bits and pieces, so we have some new kit from our sponsor Ted

:49:07. > :49:14.Hopkins that picks of the rubbish of the field, and then we put a brush

:49:14. > :49:19.on it to stripe it. That is how you get the stripes on? Just by brushing

:49:19. > :49:23.up and down, but you don't do it on a regular basis. You try and get the

:49:23. > :49:30.fibres to stand up on the turf to keep its level, you mustn't let it

:49:30. > :49:37.get flat, so we keep brushing it. We are hoping to use it all the time.

:49:37. > :49:39.You are fascinating, you should be on Tomorrow's World. Thank you very

:49:39. > :50:23.much! I think there is a lack of

:50:23. > :50:31.concentration and communication for the Connacht try, they are slightly

:50:31. > :50:36.edging it, but as I say, Connacht are looking to play an expansive

:50:36. > :50:40.game, the counterattack, is the chase has to be good. On a couple of

:50:40. > :50:45.occasions, it hasn't and that could be the difference between winning

:50:45. > :50:53.and losing this game. Cardiff need a little bit more in the second half.

:50:53. > :51:15.Get people carrying the ball. That is where it is going to be one.

:51:16. > :51:20.It is not really struck back. It hits his foot and goes nowhere,

:51:20. > :51:43.really. So the final play of the first half,

:51:43. > :51:53.in all probability. A crooked feed. Is that a free kick? Is a default

:51:53. > :52:00.penalty? It wasn't a bent arm, was it? Third time, he says. It is a

:52:01. > :52:07.penalty. I can't remember him calling the two other crooked

:52:07. > :52:16.feeds. Normally. Definitely crooked, so we have to applaud the officials.

:52:16. > :52:23.-- nor me. But I can't even remember the Connacht scrum-half being done

:52:23. > :52:28.for the feed in. In his mind, he may have seen them, but he hasn't called

:52:28. > :52:32.them. So maybe it should be a free kick instead of a penalty.

:52:32. > :52:38.Dan Parks with the very last kick of the first half and he restores

:52:38. > :52:42.Connacht's lead. It has been nip and tuck all the way through this first

:52:42. > :52:49.top. The visitors have the only try of the game, thanks Tim Matt Healy.

:52:49. > :52:53.I just feel that they have to play at the territorial game. They don't

:52:53. > :52:56.look like scoring a try but they have played well and played

:52:56. > :53:00.cleverly. Rhys Patchell is just walking past

:53:00. > :53:12.us, looking quite pleased. The page is very wet on top, almost like a

:53:13. > :53:16.dewy offence. Leinster are leading. All-star leading in Glasgow and the

:53:16. > :53:23.Dragons are 3-0 up in Edinburgh, and that would be a fantastic story.

:53:23. > :53:31.Here is the story of the heart from this one. Proceedings began with one

:53:31. > :53:39.minute's silence for the legend of the Welsh game, Cliff Morgan.

:53:39. > :53:42.It was Connacht who struck first, Matt Healy crossing after some

:53:42. > :53:45.defensive miscommunication that the Blues. But Rhys Patchell kept the

:53:45. > :53:50.Blues within touch with his metronomic boot, after missing his

:53:50. > :53:53.first two attempts. A couple of penalties and a drop goal. But on

:53:53. > :54:03.the stroke of half-time, the former Cardiff Blues fly-half mad at that

:54:03. > :54:07.late Dan Parks nudging his team into the lead. So the Blues are way down

:54:07. > :54:12.on the territory. Just ahead in terms of possession. Plenty of

:54:12. > :54:19.handling errors, as we would expect in these conditions. And look at

:54:19. > :54:23.those missed tackles. Connacht missed seven altogether, that is

:54:23. > :54:29.pretty high at this standard. So, boys, it is very nip and tuck, first

:54:29. > :54:33.half, and I guess a lot of it is being dictated by the conditions.

:54:33. > :54:38.The rain has been here since around three o'clock this afternoon. It is

:54:38. > :54:41.awful out there. It is difficult to make excuses the players because the

:54:41. > :54:45.pitches more or less perfect, but the ball is so greasy and the

:54:45. > :54:51.contact is a bit of a mess. The interpretation of the referee, a

:54:51. > :54:55.both teams are struggling it. Hopefully second half it will pick

:54:55. > :55:00.up a bit. Although we have kissed goodbye to the mud buffs of

:55:00. > :55:06.yesteryear, we knew it wouldn't be a free running spectacle -- Matt

:55:06. > :55:11.Baggots. You just cannot catch or pass the ball, but it is pouring

:55:11. > :55:14.down, we have all played in these conditions and it will be the team

:55:14. > :55:22.that makes the least mistakes who will inevitably win it. Only the one

:55:22. > :55:27.try in that first half, Sean. Unsurprising, given the conditions.

:55:27. > :55:32.Connacht struck first. It is difficult to see a pattern in the

:55:32. > :55:36.Blues' defensive way but you can see something in their policy,

:55:37. > :55:44.particularly the try. If you look at the channel, they chose to have the

:55:44. > :55:48.scrum-half here and Josh Navidi in the scrum-half position. They come

:55:48. > :55:52.across the line to try and disrupt the scrum-half. The effect, if they

:55:52. > :55:56.don't close him down, is a disconnect between Josh Navidi and

:55:56. > :55:59.the rest of the forwards. They can see the gain line, a strong running

:55:59. > :56:06.centre. And then lots of blues on this side marking nobody. The rest

:56:06. > :56:11.of the defenders for the Blues are worried about the Connacht forwards.

:56:11. > :56:15.Some systems would have William sweeping up but the Blues choose not

:56:15. > :56:22.to and it is easy for Connacht to go through. So a defensive system at

:56:22. > :56:25.fault or individual errors? It looks like individual areas. It looks like

:56:25. > :56:30.Andris Pretorius should have coming. Alex Cuthbert is not in the

:56:30. > :56:36.right position. Michael Swift as well, he took two guys out to stop

:56:36. > :56:42.them covering. So good and bad play in that sense. Tom Queally were

:56:42. > :56:47.screaming, you almost saw it before it happened. What was the problem?

:56:47. > :56:54.It was good play by Connacht, they had good dummy runners, but Alex

:56:54. > :56:58.Cuthbert is there, a position he is not going to be in, guard, and you

:56:58. > :57:03.have to be talking and if he had slipped into the guard, it wouldn't

:57:03. > :57:10.be a try. Sean has been looking at Rhys Patchell. We talked about him

:57:10. > :57:16.before the game, a bit of a mixed bag but we have seen some Patchell

:57:16. > :57:24.magic. Yes, the best moments are the Blues, Copeland and Patchell are

:57:24. > :57:31.involved. What I like about Copeland is -- Patchell is he can defend, he

:57:31. > :57:34.has an all-round game and he has the real confidence to have a go, and

:57:34. > :57:39.even though he doesn't get bullied through, he off-loads. And we saw in

:57:40. > :57:44.the pre-season game, he is quite cool and he is keeping the Blues in

:57:44. > :57:52.the game. We have mentioned, it is pasta versus future, the former

:57:53. > :57:56.blues player Dan Parks against Patchell -- it is the pasta versus

:57:56. > :58:01.the future. Who is coming out on top? What has impressed me about

:58:01. > :58:06.Rhys Patchell, he had a shaky start, a couple of kicks came off

:58:06. > :58:10.his shin, but he has gathered himself and in the last 20 minutes

:58:10. > :58:19.about half, he was outstanding. Like Tom said, it will be up battle

:58:19. > :58:23.between the Number tens. Dan Parks, a slice at the start, but then he

:58:23. > :58:28.steadied the ship, as you would expect. Yes, nothing fancy, he is

:58:28. > :58:35.governing in the right positions, not attacking from anywhere. But I

:58:35. > :58:42.think Patchell look more -- the Blues look more attacking when he

:58:42. > :58:46.has before there opportunities to counterattack on his game but the

:58:46. > :58:50.conditions are quite dangerous and I don't think they want to play

:58:50. > :58:57.high-risk rugby. Plenty more sport coming your way this weekend on

:58:58. > :59:01.BBC. Sport Wales follows us at 9:30pm on BBC Two, with a feature on

:59:01. > :59:10.the Tenby Ironman and an interview with Joe Allen. The scarlet welcome

:59:10. > :59:14.Treviso tomorrow, hoping to banish memories of last week. -- the

:59:14. > :59:20.Scarletts. And we will look back at the action in the PRO12 on Sunday at

:59:20. > :59:25.5:30pm, discussing the new scrummaging laws with Brian Moore.

:59:25. > :59:29.If you have this, the reason why, if the ball is straight, in order to me

:59:29. > :59:34.to hook it back, I have to take all of my weight on one leg and go out

:59:34. > :59:36.and around, like that. Now, that means I have to have a stable

:59:36. > :59:40.position and I have to be still. means I have to have a stable

:59:40. > :59:44.position and If I am allowed, because the ball is that, just to do

:59:44. > :59:52.that, I can stay square and just walk over the ball. Brian Moore,

:59:52. > :59:57.probably the simultaneously most entertaining and terrifying

:59:57. > :00:20.interviewee I have ever met. Some other scores from tonight.

:00:20. > :00:26.We can go back into the stand where Phil Steele has a special guest. I

:00:26. > :00:34.am with the twin brother of the Cardiff Blues physio, Ben Warburton.

:00:34. > :00:38.Also known as Sam Warburton. Do you have to join the queue like

:00:38. > :00:42.everybody else? I have to join the queue like everybody else. No

:00:42. > :00:47.special treatment. The recovery has gone really smoothly. The hamstring

:00:47. > :00:54.can be quite temperamental but it has gone very well. I am looking to

:00:54. > :00:59.get back for the Heineken cup. It is quite nasty, wasn't it? Yes, you get

:00:59. > :01:05.a hamstring injury when you're running. It was an unfortunate

:01:05. > :01:10.contact injury. The first few weeks, we did nothing. After that we have

:01:10. > :01:15.been quite aggressive in rehab. The medics at the Blues have been great.

:01:15. > :01:24.What else does the Lions captain get up to after a tour? I went away for

:01:24. > :01:30.the five weeks after I came home. I spent time with my fiance. Anything

:01:30. > :01:33.but rugby. It is nice to get some quality time with family and

:01:33. > :01:46.friends. What do you think of tonight? Wet. We played... Whoever

:01:46. > :01:55.dominates territory in the second half will take the spoils. Well done

:01:55. > :01:58.from everyone on Scrum V free Alliance -- Alliance exploits. I

:01:58. > :02:07.told you I wouldn't mention Gareth Bale. You nearly got there!There is

:02:07. > :02:11.Warren Gatland. We heard this week that contract talks are being opened

:02:11. > :02:19.with him to keep him as the boss of Wales. The Blues have been indulging

:02:19. > :02:27.in some innovative marketing campaigns in recent months. Not

:02:27. > :02:31.least the Harlem shake, where they had their very own version of the

:02:31. > :02:42.craze. This particular one has got 250,000 views on YouTube. Getting

:02:42. > :02:48.down with the kids. And a flash mob. Robin Copeland, not shy of

:02:48. > :02:53.publicity, revealing the new Cardiff kit in Cardiff City centre. The next

:02:53. > :02:59.one we are about to see is one of the most intriguing or disturbing.

:02:59. > :03:04.Josh Navidi with the naked torso, advertising the new Blues away kit.

:03:04. > :03:12.If you guys were still playing, which one of you guys would have

:03:12. > :03:19.been picked to do this? This guy would have loved it! Not now. It is

:03:19. > :03:25.brilliant they are doing this. They need to freshen it up on and off the

:03:25. > :03:29.field. At the end of the day it does not matter how good your marketing

:03:29. > :03:34.team is your commercial team, it is on the page. That is your breast

:03:34. > :03:38.marketing opportunity. If you have a successful side, the rest will come.

:03:38. > :03:43.With the fact there is a Premier League side in the City no, it is a

:03:43. > :03:51.crowded market and they have to be a bit more imaginative? Yes, there is

:03:51. > :03:54.big politician. Football or rugby. -- yes there is big competition.

:03:54. > :03:59.People will come and see the rugby if they are playing well. I

:03:59. > :04:04.certainly enjoyed those clips. I hadn't seen the Josh Navidi one. He

:04:04. > :04:08.is not in bad neck. It is all about what happens on the pitch. What do

:04:08. > :04:16.you think is good to happen in the second half? Can the Blues pull

:04:16. > :04:21.back? Yes, I think so. Some things haven't quite come off. The scrum is

:04:21. > :04:24.pretty solid. I would like to see Owen Williams and Alex Cuthbert get

:04:24. > :04:28.their hands on the ball a little bit more. They have a bit more cutting

:04:28. > :04:36.edge. Cut the errors out and I think they will come home. We will see.

:04:36. > :04:41.The new page has had its debut on the -- in the PRO12. The rain makes

:04:41. > :04:45.perfect conditions, apparently. I am mature the players would agree

:04:45. > :04:50.entirely at this stage. The second half is nearly upon us. If Blues can

:04:50. > :04:55.cut out some of the mistakes, hopefully there will get a victory.

:04:55. > :05:04.We can return to Jonathan Davies and Gareth Charles.

:05:04. > :05:12.A promotional opportunity with the chuckle Brothers there in the

:05:12. > :05:19.studio, and Shanks! He would have loved that video in the shower.

:05:19. > :05:26.Going back to the game, I was quite surprised with the territory that

:05:26. > :05:33.Connacht had. I do feel, as the boys have said, they have won the kicking

:05:33. > :05:37.battle. The possession Cardiff have had has been in their own territory.

:05:38. > :05:41.They have to carry ball now. With conditions as they are, you need to

:05:41. > :05:48.be playing in the right areas. They will not be a lot of tries scored

:05:48. > :05:58.tonight. I think territory is going to be key. No change to either

:05:58. > :06:19.line-up during the interval. It is a one point game.

:06:19. > :06:41.That is what they want. All carriers. -- the ball carriers.

:06:41. > :07:09.The chasing from Connacht has been excellent. Good rush defence.

:07:09. > :07:25.Nobody anywhere near Tiernan O'Halloran. They were lucky there

:07:25. > :07:29.because there was a next man on the outside. He saw the forward and took

:07:29. > :07:36.him on. If he had straightened up, the opportunity was there. He did

:07:36. > :07:41.not need to bring the man on the inside. The ball goes White. He

:07:42. > :07:42.straightened up. It was a chance. Unfortunately it went on the

:07:43. > :07:59.outside. A word of apology from Eoin Griffin.

:07:59. > :08:08.The chances in this game have been few and far between. Just the one

:08:08. > :08:19.try scored by Matt Healy. That was way back after ten minutes.

:08:19. > :08:27.Brett Wilkinson claimed it was Scott Andrews who was dropping the

:08:27. > :08:38.shoulder. The referee was on the far side. Communication came from the

:08:38. > :08:43.nearside touch judge. All this guy has got to do is straighten up and

:08:43. > :08:50.hold him. He holds him and there is an extra man. Unfortunately, he has

:08:50. > :08:55.run it out. That is what happens. You have to be aware of what is in

:08:55. > :09:21.front of you. Look to see if you can take it on the outside.

:09:21. > :09:43.That was well played by Matt Healy. He has looked a handful.

:09:43. > :09:58.I think they are taking far too much now. , had the better of the kicking

:09:58. > :10:02.game in the first-half. -- Connacht. Yes, I think they are kicking and

:10:03. > :10:09.they are kicking poorly. There is no need to kick. Plenty of time for Dan

:10:09. > :10:27.Parks. Build through the phases. Do not

:10:27. > :10:40.kick. Have confidence in your ball carrying. Get quick ball next one.

:10:40. > :11:09.They are slowly and steadily building, the Blues. The ball is

:11:09. > :11:16.loose and it has been read claimed by Harris-Wright, the Hawker. It has

:11:16. > :11:23.been turned over. It was a good build up initially by the Blues.

:11:23. > :11:27.Then they lasted. And Gavin Duffy is the one who clears the decks, just

:11:27. > :11:36.as far as his opposite number, Tom Williams. The first one was a very

:11:36. > :11:41.good kick, and the chase. Every time Tom Williams has the ball, he looks

:11:41. > :11:45.up and there is a wall of green. They are really winning the kicking

:11:45. > :11:55.game. The Blues have got to be patient.

:11:55. > :12:08.There will not be much in this game at the end. They need to scrap a

:12:08. > :12:15.win. Conditions are certainly a leveller. The rain, which started in

:12:15. > :12:44.the middle of the afternoon, has not drawn breath since.

:12:44. > :12:49.They are going through the phases but they are not making any headway

:12:50. > :13:00.at the moment. They are being driven back by the Blues.

:13:00. > :14:21.It is still on. Matthew Rees is on the outside. Very effective running

:14:21. > :14:26.by Muldoon. Straight through again. That is where the first try, the

:14:26. > :14:37.only try, came from. Good gathering by John Muldoon. Connacht are far

:14:37. > :14:41.more patient than the Blues, Martyn. Yes, they have been really

:14:41. > :14:49.impressive. They have looked comparable with the ball in the

:14:49. > :14:56.hand. Dan Parks has not had a drop goal yet. That is a first. We have

:14:56. > :15:13.got to see more of Bradley Davies, Filo Paulo, Pistorius. I think they

:15:13. > :15:21.should take a leaf out of Connacht's book, pick it up and go

:15:21. > :15:28.through the middle. People like Filo Paulo, Copeland. That is their game.

:15:28. > :15:29.When Connacht come, they are going far too deep, they are not getting

:15:29. > :15:43.over the gain line. Filo Paulo, half a dozen caps for

:15:43. > :16:10.Samoa. The touch judge has called a

:16:10. > :16:15.knock-on. It is poor execution of the passing. And again, when she

:16:15. > :16:26.getting into an attacking position, knock-on. -- once you get into an

:16:26. > :16:34.attacking position am not on. The Blues are going to be ringing the

:16:34. > :16:40.changes. Scott Andrews, Robin Copeland and Dafydd Hewitt are the

:16:40. > :16:46.ones who are exciting. Benoit Bourrust, Gavin Evans and Macauley

:16:46. > :16:55.Cook are the three who are coming on.

:16:55. > :17:01.I believe Benoit Bourrust is a lot better this year. Yes, I think he

:17:01. > :17:06.struggled a bit last year, by his own admission. I think the scrum has

:17:06. > :17:11.gone pretty well for the Blues denied. It is interesting, they have

:17:11. > :17:15.taken of two of their big carriers in Copeland and Hewitt. Maybe they

:17:15. > :17:26.are looking for a bit more width. They have shifted Andrews Pistorius

:17:26. > :17:29.to number eight. Maybe they will be looking for him to lead things --

:17:29. > :18:03.Andries Pistorius. Congratulations to Benoit Bourrust,

:18:03. > :18:12.as well as the two who have been there before.

:18:12. > :18:20.Brett Wilkinson, South African born, like any other prop, he has

:18:20. > :18:36.never given away a penalty in his life!

:18:36. > :18:44.Patchell draws it in and the Blues are back ahead with just under half

:18:44. > :18:49.an hour to go. You feel now they have got to take the restart and get

:18:49. > :18:52.back down there. Apart from the first try, there hasn't been

:18:52. > :18:57.anything in this game. They have just got to keep their noses in

:18:57. > :19:21.front now. Play the game in the right areas.

:19:21. > :19:34.Munster have turned the game around after trailing against Zebre.

:19:34. > :19:39.That is good play by the Blues. Lovely inter-passing. Those are not

:19:39. > :19:57.freckles on his face, Lovely inter-passing. Those are not

:19:57. > :19:59.you got some technical stuff? Small rubber balls, isn't it? Millions and

:19:59. > :20:32.millions of them. That was the dummy jump. Lovely

:20:32. > :20:37.heartbreak. Goes to ground, doesn't panic. One more Panis, maybe and

:20:37. > :20:41.they are on the outside. -- one more pass. Matthew Rees loves

:20:41. > :21:02.to be in that position, behind that kerb but gets away from the

:21:02. > :21:10.attacker. Get it to Lloyd Williams. Tom Williams! Brought down by Gavin

:21:10. > :21:15.Duffy just a metre or two short. Have the Blues bombed the overlap?

:21:15. > :21:22.Yes, they have. They almost got there, but they should have, really.

:21:22. > :21:30.Well, well, well. I thought they were in here. They worked the ploy.

:21:30. > :21:39.Again, Cuthbert goes, there is the half tackle. Still two onto. It is

:21:39. > :21:40.fantastic defence by Connacht. But you do feel the opportunity was

:21:40. > :22:12.missed. Harry Robinson drops it. Connacht

:22:12. > :22:19.had an opportunity, but happy to put the ball out of play. A great

:22:19. > :22:22.defensive line by Connacht. We saw the scarlet last week, they didn't

:22:22. > :22:30.do a job. They did a fantastic job there. -- the scarlets. We stop it

:22:30. > :22:36.there, he has got to hit this man there. That was the chance, just run

:22:36. > :22:43.it on. Cuthbert comes on a late, late run, but the first option was

:22:43. > :22:48.to give it. Lloyd Williams should have straightened up a bit and put

:22:48. > :22:49.his brother in. But again, a missed opportunity for the Blues, they

:22:49. > :23:03.should have scored. The Blues are certainly not short on

:23:03. > :23:05.possession in this period. But still only two points ahead. Navidi makes

:23:05. > :23:33.headway. This is an excellent build-up from

:23:33. > :23:36.the Blues. Patients, just keep it going. Excellent work by the

:23:36. > :23:57.skipper. The Connacht defence trying to

:23:57. > :24:08.oppress -- apply pressure. Good pressure from the Blues. They

:24:08. > :24:44.need some end result. And all of that pressure in the end

:24:44. > :25:03.comes to nothing. They have got to keep their wits about them.

:25:03. > :25:34.Macauley Cook lays it on the ten metre line.

:25:34. > :25:42.That is that bit of game awareness. There has been a long passage of

:25:42. > :25:49.play, don't put yourself under pressure and just put it back into

:25:49. > :25:55.the Connacht 22. You need a few old heads. That can be a game changer.

:25:55. > :25:59.You spent a long time in the 22, you have phase after phase, come away

:25:59. > :26:05.empty-handed and have Dan Parks lining up in front of the post.

:26:05. > :26:08.Instead of shifting it out to Patchell a bit early, as a defender,

:26:08. > :26:13.you are quite happy when it goes out to the Number ten. And now Dan Parks

:26:13. > :26:38.has an opportunity to put Connacht back in front.

:26:39. > :26:53.And goes wide. You don't see him missing them very often. That is a

:26:53. > :27:03.surprise, for him to miss that. This is interesting. Harry Robinson has

:27:04. > :27:05.just run off for a bit of attention to cut. So Gareth Davies has come on

:27:05. > :28:16.in place him. -- in place of him. A sloppy period of play. The kicking

:28:16. > :28:27.is not very good. It is like the old ping-pong.

:28:27. > :28:35.That was a poor passage of play by both teams. You do question

:28:35. > :28:40.sometimes the counterattack, but the chase is so good now, it is an easy

:28:40. > :28:46.thing to coach, the kick and chase. They are so organised, aren't they?

:28:46. > :28:50.Yes, it is so difficult. In a tight game like this, everyone shouts on

:28:50. > :28:53.the counterattack. If you are isolated, holding the ball on the

:28:53. > :28:57.floor, you get the penalty and lose the game, so... Safety first on a

:28:57. > :29:14.night like tonight. There you go, son. Get back on the

:29:14. > :29:33.wing! Lou Reed comes on to replace Bradley

:29:33. > :29:44.Davies. Lou Reed, picked up a couple of caps

:29:44. > :30:32.on the summer tour to Japan. Alex Cuthbert is eager to get the

:30:32. > :30:37.ball in his hands. He is there as first receiver at the moment. We

:30:37. > :30:51.will see if the scrum stands its ground. Changes in each row of that

:30:51. > :31:03.Blues scrum by now. It went down again. Patient position, scrum.

:31:03. > :31:16.That's it. He has gone down twice. The new prop has come on. Rodney Ah

:31:16. > :31:25.You. Are you binding correctly? No! Left hand clearly on the floor. The

:31:25. > :31:47.man from just outside Wellington in New Zealand.

:31:47. > :32:02.He did not really get a good contact at all on that one. This is where

:32:02. > :32:05.they want to play. Stay down here. Neither Dan Parks nor Rhys Patchell

:32:05. > :32:16.has had a particularly good night with the boot. Danie Poolman, South

:32:17. > :32:41.African centre, comes on on the wing for Connacht.

:32:41. > :32:50.Knocked back by O'Halloran. He was aware of what was happening in that

:32:50. > :32:56.situation. The ball was bobbling around and Rhys Patchell almost rode

:32:56. > :33:05.his luck to put the Blues in. A very good open and under. A lovely open

:33:05. > :33:12.-- off-load. They have had the opportunities, Martyn. They have.

:33:12. > :33:28.And that was another big one. They have not quite finished it off. This

:33:28. > :33:36.is a good drive. It is right on the try line. Hands, bodies, anything in

:33:36. > :33:41.for it. Where is it? Connacht have smuggled it back and now they will

:33:41. > :33:52.get a chance to clear. That was another missed opportunity. Did they

:33:52. > :34:09.panic? Initial drive was superb. -- the initial drive. Knight who stays

:34:09. > :34:12.infield. -- Naoupu. They have got to go for a goal. They have got to take

:34:12. > :34:39.the three points. That is a bit of a let off for the

:34:39. > :34:49.Blues really. Yes. It is difficult for Matthew. He was left in two

:34:49. > :34:56.minds. Even then, it was that little bit of control, that little bit of

:34:56. > :35:04.patience. He pulled the first one. He needs something from this

:35:04. > :35:10.momentum they are getting. This time, and no mistake. That is just

:35:10. > :35:14.what the Blues wanted. In the final quarter it has given them a little

:35:14. > :35:29.bit of breathing space. And a 5-point cushion. He has done well

:35:29. > :35:38.all night. He made a decision. That was a sloppy placement. Last week it

:35:38. > :35:46.was four penalties and a drop goal that the Blues had in Glasgow, all

:35:46. > :35:49.from the boot of Rhys Patchell. It is the same again this week. At the

:35:49. > :35:57.moment they are in a winning position. They were losers in

:35:57. > :36:04.Glasgow. They have got another option as a kicker now. I was just

:36:04. > :36:34.going to say that. Poolman put his fellow players under

:36:34. > :36:44.pressure there. I would like to see the penalty count tonight. Yes. Was

:36:44. > :36:55.he offside? 14-4, that is a big difference. That is ridiculous.

:36:55. > :36:59.Harry Robinson is back on. Tom Williams makes way. That is down to

:36:59. > :37:16.the kicking options. He was only about 20 yards offside

:37:16. > :38:06.there! Josh Navidi got away with that.

:38:06. > :38:09.Confusion in the end. The good thing about tonight, we have not had any

:38:09. > :38:32.controversy. Shanks has got some good stories. It

:38:32. > :38:44.is after nine o'clock as well, so he will be able to tell them. Sport

:38:44. > :38:49.Wales follows at half past nine. Scarlets, after losing last week,

:38:49. > :38:56.have a second home game. Treviso coming up tomorrow night. The

:38:56. > :39:04.highlights from the weekend at half past five on Sunday. And it is

:39:04. > :39:12.YouTube guys again. -- it is you two guys again. We have already seen a

:39:12. > :39:35.preview of Brian Moore are looking at the scrummage.

:39:35. > :39:51.That was the old Mowry sidestepped! A little bit of confidence just to

:39:51. > :39:59.shift the ball on a little bit more. The chase has got to be good. They

:39:59. > :39:59.are going to counterattack. They are calling for more defenders out

:40:00. > :40:22.right. Blues have kept their shape

:40:22. > :40:31.defensively. Muldowney lost it. Off the hook. The rain may have stopped

:40:32. > :40:49.by now but it is still very wet out there. Was this a knock-on? Let's

:40:49. > :40:53.have a look. Very unfortunate. Lets go pitch side.

:40:53. > :40:59.I am with the Cardiff Blues team manager. How are you going to close

:40:59. > :41:02.this out? We are going to be doing what we have been doing in the

:41:02. > :41:09.second half and hopefully cross that line. We have made a few less errors

:41:09. > :41:14.then we made in the first half. When Harry Robinson came back on, you

:41:14. > :41:25.kept Gareth Davies bag -- on. What was the thinking? Harry was filling

:41:25. > :41:32.his hamstring. That is it. -- feeling. Territory is important

:41:32. > :41:38.now. With at all like to see a running game of rugby. But I think

:41:38. > :41:45.the Blues fans would like to see the game played in the opposition 22.

:41:45. > :41:50.Connacht sneaked that try in the first half. They know they have to

:41:50. > :42:14.score another try to get back into this game. That was a good scrum.

:42:14. > :42:19.Untidy. Illegal. I think both teams are a little bit frustrated by some

:42:19. > :42:24.of the referee's interpretation. Connacht especially, the weather

:42:24. > :42:25.penalty count has gone. The penalty count has absolutely slaughtered

:42:25. > :42:40.them. I think it will be an interesting

:42:40. > :42:42.interview with Pat Lam after this game on the penalties and the free

:42:42. > :42:54.kicks. Ronan Loughney, the replacement

:42:54. > :43:27.prop. A very good drive. Excellent work by

:43:27. > :43:32.the Blues. A penalty is coming. Gareth Davies lined up the drop goal

:43:32. > :43:39.but it was a shot to nothing. The referee was just waiting to bring

:43:39. > :43:54.them back for a penalty. If they put this over, they are home and dry,

:43:54. > :44:00.and two scores here. -- clear. Muldoon saying, if the hands on the

:44:00. > :44:13.ball, is it out? A very clever of putting it. Rhys Patchell may have

:44:13. > :44:19.missed three this evening. He has put over the important ones. And

:44:19. > :44:24.that one is as important as any. That should see the Blues home. It

:44:24. > :44:45.has been tight. But now they should register their first home win.

:44:45. > :44:53.Not safely gathered. Connacht have a chance at the very least to get a

:44:53. > :44:56.losing bonus point. They need any chance at the very least to get a

:44:56. > :45:45.kind of points. Wait, wait. Move away, ten metres. This is your

:45:45. > :45:56.third penalty, no binding. It is the same offence by Rodney Ah You.

:45:56. > :46:13.Interesting, because I saw in a previous groom that Benoit Paire who

:46:13. > :46:22.roost was actually pulling -- Bourrust was pulling and other prop

:46:22. > :46:33.away. Does he pull his hand off? It didn't have a chance to, surely.

:46:34. > :46:37.That is very harsh, isn't it? Yes, I think Pat Lam could be the highlight

:46:37. > :46:39.of this, the post match interview. I think it will be worth watching, I

:46:39. > :47:24.think he will be furious. Let's have a TMO, Gareth Simmonds.

:47:24. > :47:28.Lets see if there was a full play. That is a high tackle. He was so

:47:28. > :47:30.near the ground, his lips down that far that I'm not sure it was a high

:47:30. > :47:36.tackle. -- he slipped down. He has got him, got him. That is a

:47:36. > :47:48.high tackle, but he was going down. His hands were up, so that has got

:47:48. > :48:08.to be a high tackle. It is by no means patients, he was

:48:08. > :48:16.just flapping at him. -- it was by no means vicious. Yes, it was a high

:48:16. > :48:22.tackle by 21 green. Your recommendation? Just the penalty. ,

:48:22. > :48:30.he was itching, wasn't he, to get that yellow carded? Number 21 did a

:48:30. > :48:36.high tackle, OK? Please, no more. Just a penalty now. It is the

:48:36. > :49:09.correct decision by Gareth Simmonds. The Blues have certainly picked

:49:09. > :49:14.their game up in the second half. They haven't conceded any points and

:49:14. > :49:23.they have turned around a 1-point deficit. Rhys Patchell has all 21

:49:23. > :49:32.points this week the Blues, as they register their first win. I have got

:49:32. > :49:37.to pick my man of the match. It has been a scrappy game, but to me, his

:49:37. > :49:46.goal-kicking and general play, a few bad kicks, but the man of the match

:49:46. > :49:47.is Rhys Patchell. He's the only want to score any points for the Blues so

:49:47. > :50:19.far this season. -- the only one. There he is, Rhys Patchell, my

:50:19. > :50:45.RaboDirect PRO12 man of the match. Now all the replacements come on

:50:45. > :50:50.just for the final minute and a half or so. The job has been done, so

:50:50. > :51:12.everybody now gets an outing. Connacht, of course, have two bring

:51:12. > :51:28.on a prop with a player in the sin bin.

:51:28. > :52:02.Not the straightest feed you will ever see on a rugby field.

:52:03. > :52:17.That was a high shot. Definitely a TMO. And Gareth Simmonds eventually

:52:17. > :52:29.gets in on the action. Yes, cloudy, high tackle again. -- yes Claudio.

:52:29. > :52:45.My first reaction was a high tackle, a swinging arm.

:52:45. > :52:53.Well, the impact is on his jaw. His jaw shakes, to be honest. That is a

:52:53. > :53:01.high tackle. This will be the best angle. Again, I would go penalty

:53:01. > :53:19.against. Penalty and that's it, yes. Claudio, yes, it was a high tackle

:53:19. > :53:26.by blue, six. Your recommendation? Just the penalty. Exactly as

:53:26. > :53:31.happened then the opposite end. -- down the opposite end. Number six,

:53:31. > :53:46.high tackle. So Connacht need more than three to

:53:46. > :53:53.get within seven. We haven't seen one of those for a while, a wall.

:53:53. > :54:00.They just give it to the biggest bloke in the field. Build a wall,

:54:00. > :54:22.then give it to the biggest bloke on the field!

:54:22. > :54:29.Hacked over the dead ball line, and that will bring an end to

:54:29. > :54:33.proceedings. It wasn't the classic opener running rugby we were hoping

:54:33. > :54:36.for on the new fast pitch, but it was never going to be, given the

:54:37. > :54:41.conditions. But the Blues won't mind, because at their new home,

:54:41. > :54:48.with a new pigeon plays, the Blues have got off to a winning start. --

:54:48. > :54:51.with a new pitch in place. It was about playing the ball in the right

:54:51. > :54:58.areas. Both sides didn't look like scoring. But ultimately, the

:54:58. > :55:01.pressure told and Connacht gave a lot of penalties away, and that was

:55:01. > :55:06.the difference this evening. The penalty and free kicks was the

:55:06. > :55:15.difference, and it will be interesting to see what Pat Lam has

:55:15. > :55:20.this say about the penalties that his side conceded. The penalty count

:55:20. > :55:25.was monstrously against Connacht but at the end of the day, they had the

:55:25. > :55:30.only try, Matt Healy, wave, way back after ten minutes, but the Blues

:55:30. > :55:38.kept a clean sheet in the second half and turned a 10-9 deficit into

:55:38. > :55:42.a victory, thanks to 21 points from the boot of Rhys Patchell. For the

:55:42. > :55:46.second week running, he got all of his team's point and the Blues have

:55:46. > :55:53.a win on the board as they dispose of Connacht to the tune of 21-10.

:55:53. > :55:59.So a welcome victory for the Blues but it was Connacht who struck

:55:59. > :56:04.first. Confusion in defence leading to a Matt Healy try. Rhys Patchell,

:56:04. > :56:09.as Gareth alluded to, kept the Blues in touch with a drop goal just

:56:09. > :56:15.before half-time. And it was his boot that pretty much saved the

:56:15. > :56:18.day, 21 points in total. That kick denied Connacht a losing bonus

:56:18. > :56:22.point, so they will go away with nothing, and if there was any danger

:56:22. > :56:33.of a comeback, it was snuffed out after Ronnie are -- their prop was

:56:33. > :56:38.sent to the sin bin. It is a victory for the Blues. A bit old school,

:56:38. > :56:41.seeing all of the fans on the page, because it has been encouraged,

:56:41. > :56:45.because the more fans that are padding down the pitch, the better

:56:45. > :56:50.the pitch will become. The Blues shading it in terms of possession.

:56:50. > :56:56.More forays into the opposition 22 and the boys made a point of this

:56:56. > :57:00.just now, five penalties conceded to a monstrous 18 from Connacht. It

:57:00. > :57:05.will be interesting to see what Pat Lam says about that. Indiscipline

:57:05. > :57:12.costing his team victory and if Rhys Patchell had kicked them all, it

:57:12. > :57:17.could have been a heavier spore -- scoreline. It wasn't pretty, but it

:57:17. > :57:23.was an important victory. That is right. People write, of, but they

:57:23. > :57:28.are not in the losing pool -- they write Connacht off. The Blues are

:57:28. > :57:35.still a young side, just getting that first win, getting that

:57:35. > :57:38.confidence and Zebre next week, it should be another win. Connacht did

:57:39. > :57:42.come to play and in the first, perhaps they did have more of the

:57:42. > :57:46.play, and there was a bit of concern here that perhaps they would sneak

:57:46. > :57:51.an away win. But ultimately, the Blues, maybe a few substitutions

:57:51. > :57:54.contributed to this, but had better shape in the second half and didn't

:57:54. > :58:01.look like losing. Connacht looked pretty good in the first, they were

:58:01. > :58:08.camped in blue's -- in the Blues' 22, but when Gareth Davies came on

:58:08. > :58:12.and Patchell moved to 15, there was a better shape. They had two

:58:12. > :58:17.different kicking options, it relieves a lot of pressure from ten

:58:17. > :58:21.and when Patchell moved to 15, ten is his best position, but he looks

:58:21. > :58:24.attacking from 15. I know it is thinking ahead, but if he was

:58:24. > :58:28.selected in that Welsh squad, that is good for Wales, because he's

:58:28. > :58:32.versatile and it shows he can play two positions and if he doesn't get

:58:32. > :58:38.a starting position, he can cover two and he will be in the mix if he

:58:38. > :58:46.goes on like this. He showed us his versatility, he is with Phil Steele.

:58:46. > :58:51.Rees, congratulations, was it a frustrating game to play in? We were

:58:51. > :58:55.hoping it would be nice and dry and we could throw the ball around but

:58:55. > :59:00.it hasn't panned out that way two weeks in a row. Thrilled with the

:59:00. > :59:04.result but a lot to work on. The whole idea of the pitch is that it

:59:04. > :59:07.is all weather, what you mean the conditions weren't great? In terms

:59:07. > :59:11.of the weather. Nobody wants to watch a game of rugby when it is

:59:11. > :59:17.raining and it is wet and it is horrible. The page itself is great.

:59:17. > :59:23.There is a lot of firm footing -- the page. Hopefully we will get some

:59:23. > :59:29.dry weather soon. Is just affected the handling, you thought? Yes, the

:59:29. > :59:33.ball was a bit slippy because of the weather and we saw a few knock-on is

:59:33. > :59:37.that maybe on a better they would have stuck and we would have seen

:59:37. > :59:45.more running rugby. That right book is lit -- that right boot is looking

:59:45. > :59:50.pretty handy this year. You get somewhere it works out, I missed a

:59:50. > :59:56.couple, which I was anticipating getting, but all in all, we got the

:59:56. > :00:00.win, which is important. Is there any difference in place kicking on

:00:00. > :00:05.the new pitch compare to a crass speech? Not massively. There is a

:00:05. > :00:09.little bit of give on the pitch, but it is nice to have a firm footing on

:00:10. > :00:14.the Arms Park for once in a while. Was that the type of game that the

:00:14. > :00:19.Blues might have lost last season? What does that say about the way the

:00:19. > :00:24.team have developed? A lot has been made about last season, we lost a

:00:24. > :00:28.lot of games by one score or less and we showed grit and determination

:00:29. > :00:31.to pull the result out of the bag. The forwards were magnificent, to a

:00:31. > :00:36.man they all deserved man of the match, it was a massive effort and

:00:36. > :00:40.when Gareth came on, it was just our job to keep the ball going forward.

:00:40. > :00:51.You are the man of the match, well done. That is very kind, but others

:00:51. > :00:55.deserved it more. A very modest Rhys Patchell. He was man of the match.

:00:55. > :01:02.We can speak to Jonathan Davies. Thoroughly deserved? Yes. I thought

:01:02. > :01:08.he did play well. The kicking was the difference. Nobody really stood

:01:08. > :01:13.out. I think the biggest factor was the penalties or the free kicks. 15

:01:13. > :01:17.was the difference. The one thing that had shall I like is commonly

:01:17. > :01:21.missed a few kicks early on, and then he stepped up and hit them

:01:21. > :01:29.over. He handles the pressure very well. He is still very young. The

:01:29. > :01:38.experience of another season as first choice will set up in good

:01:38. > :01:42.stead. -- set him in good stead. Went Gareth Davies came on at ten

:01:42. > :01:50.and Patchell shifted to 15, there was better shape, perhaps? Yes. They

:01:50. > :01:56.closed Rhys Patchell down in the first half. It is difficult kicking

:01:56. > :02:03.from the base when you're in midfield. The kicking wasn't going

:02:03. > :02:08.very well. It allowed Connacht to attack a little bit. It may be was a

:02:08. > :02:17.tactical decision by Phil Davies. It certainly helped the Blues. Gareth

:02:17. > :02:23.Davies was the second option. Happy scenes in the Blues changing room.

:02:23. > :02:27.It is an important victory. Rhys Patchell deflecting the praise,

:02:27. > :02:36.saying Josh Navidi perhaps deserved man of the match. He was impressive.

:02:36. > :02:41.And of course, he got the crucial kicks. He can play at full-back as

:02:42. > :02:48.well? He has got speed. He is a fit kid. He goes looking for attackers

:02:48. > :03:00.if anything. You cannot coach that. That is in you or it is not. I love

:03:00. > :03:06.his game management. Steps back, put three over. As a forward, that is

:03:06. > :03:11.invaluable. It gives you confidence. He was outstanding. Word is that

:03:11. > :03:13.composure, from? I think he has just got it.

:03:13. > :03:17.He was outstanding. Word is that composure, from? I think he He is

:03:17. > :03:21.not afraid to have a go either. You see some money players going for the

:03:21. > :03:27.safety option. He wants to attack. He backs his own ability. He has got

:03:27. > :03:36.loads of pace. I have seen him chasing down wingers. It is natural

:03:36. > :03:42.instinct. You cannot coach it. I hope he gets better. Bad luck on the

:03:42. > :03:47.defeat, Pat. Your thoughts on the penalty count? I would be surprised

:03:48. > :03:53.if you can find a game with a penalty count that much. I feel for

:03:53. > :03:58.the players. A lot of heart. That is what Connacht is about. Fighting for

:03:58. > :04:05.everything. To have a penalty count like that is astounding. At least it

:04:05. > :04:10.is live on TV. Obviously we have to look at ourselves. There are two

:04:10. > :04:15.teams out there. We move on. But I feel for the guys. They worked hard.

:04:15. > :04:19.They gave it everything. To be on the back end of that is very

:04:19. > :04:25.difficult. What particular decisions were you annoyed about? When you hit

:04:25. > :04:29.those conditions it does come down to what happens at the breakdown. It

:04:29. > :04:36.has to be two teams. For a penalty count of that much. There is an

:04:36. > :04:40.assistant here. He will look through that. We will look at our game. I'm

:04:40. > :04:47.sure feel will look at their game as well. We move on and get ready for

:04:47. > :04:53.the next game. Were you pleased with how the team adapted to the pitch?

:04:53. > :04:57.Yes, I think it is fantastic. To have a pitch like that here after

:04:57. > :05:04.all the rain, it's great. Cardiff did a good job. We adjusted. Where

:05:04. > :05:10.little bit disappointed. Good luck with next week. Here is Matthew

:05:10. > :05:15.Rees, the Blues skipper. Your first win as skipper. How was

:05:15. > :05:19.it? In the first half we give too much ball away going through the

:05:19. > :05:23.phases. The last pass was not going to hand. It cost us the first half.

:05:24. > :05:31.We tighten the game open the second half. What was the chat about at

:05:31. > :05:42.half-time? Doing the basics well. Going through the phases. Full. --.

:05:42. > :05:47.What about the breakdown play in the second half? That is one area we

:05:48. > :05:51.tightened up in in the second half. Connacht are a tough team to beat.

:05:51. > :05:57.We can take away a couple of positives and move onto Zebre next

:05:57. > :06:00.week. That might have been the type of game that Blues may have lost

:06:00. > :06:06.last season. How much comfort can you take from that? Stems from last

:06:06. > :06:11.week when we went to Glasgow and we came all a bonus point. I thought we

:06:11. > :06:16.played really well. To get a result in the first game at home, we take a

:06:16. > :06:19.lot of positives for that forced -- from that. Hopefully we can build on

:06:20. > :06:26.that and get another result. Chance to get a run going? Definitely. That

:06:26. > :06:31.is the biggest thing. The boys can take a lot of confidence from last

:06:31. > :06:37.week. We will take the result tonight. And move on to next week.

:06:37. > :06:44.Well done. First win as skipper. Thank you. Cheers. Matthew Rees. He

:06:44. > :06:48.is a good shrewd signing. Whether he will play for Wales again, we don't

:06:48. > :06:53.know. He is experienced, he will bring extra steel? I think the Blues

:06:53. > :06:59.would be happy if he did not play for Wales. He would be more involved

:06:59. > :07:03.here. He's an experienced player. He is a great leader. He gives them an

:07:03. > :07:07.extra bit of grunt up front. He is a class player. I think he has been a

:07:07. > :07:10.class signing. The Blues will definitely be happy if he does not

:07:10. > :07:16.get any international recognition this year but he has still got it.

:07:16. > :07:21.Yes. And he is still hungry, I'm sure. Pat Lam was diplomatic but the

:07:21. > :07:26.frustration was evident. As standing was the word he used. Has he got a

:07:26. > :07:34.right to feel aggrieved? Yes, I think so. When you get that penalty

:07:34. > :07:41.site -- count, a side is dominating another side. But it was a 50-50

:07:42. > :07:48.game. Been a gentleman he is, he was very diplomatic. I made a joke about

:07:48. > :07:52.it on Scrum V on Sunday about Italian touch judges. It is an issue

:07:52. > :07:57.sometimes. Some of the refereeing is poor. I think Blues deserved the

:07:57. > :08:02.win. But to win as comfortably as they did in the end is debatable.

:08:02. > :08:08.They did not get the run of the plastic either. There were some

:08:08. > :08:13.clear-cut penalties. There was some indiscipline by Connacht. I have not

:08:13. > :08:19.seen a penalty count like that for a while. Was pretty one-sided. Bradley

:08:19. > :08:22.Davies is with Phil. Bradley has got some ice in his

:08:22. > :08:31.shorts at the moment. Is that another niggle? Yes, I did the

:08:31. > :08:35.splits. A bit painful. I am fine. I think you got six points off the

:08:35. > :08:40.Russian judge! The forward performance was much better? Yes.

:08:40. > :08:45.Obviously difficult with the weather. The field is great. The

:08:45. > :08:49.ball is still slippery. In the first half we were a bit slack. It was

:08:49. > :08:54.great to get a win. A young team. We showed great character in the end to

:08:54. > :08:58.get a result. The type of game you might have come unstuck in last

:08:58. > :09:03.year? Yes, those were the games we lost last year. But today we were

:09:03. > :09:08.quite proud of the young halfbacks and got the result in the end. With

:09:08. > :09:17.that then, are you looking to be out for a week or so? No. A day or so.

:09:17. > :09:22.I'm fine. Zebre, you will be expected to win and gain some

:09:22. > :09:26.momentum for the season? Whoever we play next week is going to be a big

:09:26. > :09:30.game. Once you win a game this big, you have to back it up the week

:09:30. > :09:36.after. We had a solid point last week. We deserved more. Today, a

:09:36. > :09:42.win. Hopefully we can get some momentum. Watch the ice does not

:09:42. > :09:45.slip. No. It is all right. Sean Holley has been going through some

:09:45. > :09:52.analysis. He has done looking at some of the

:09:52. > :09:56.positive stop? Some honest appraisal there.

:09:56. > :10:01.Connacht were tricky customers. There are some good signs for the

:10:01. > :10:08.Blues. A big criticism of the Blues last season was the scrum. Some

:10:08. > :10:16.positive signs denied. They destructive the Connacht ball quite

:10:16. > :10:20.a few times. When you are on the front foot it allows big ball

:10:20. > :10:24.carriers like Copland to do their stuff. This was an early attack on

:10:24. > :10:33.the first half. I thought Copeland looked dangerous. Defensively they

:10:33. > :10:38.looked pretty sound, particularly after the try. Owen Williams was

:10:38. > :10:41.pretty strong. Lloyd Williams was strong around the fringes. This is

:10:41. > :10:47.one of the few times they put the ball through the hands. They have

:10:47. > :10:55.the ability to do this. They looked a bit shy and timid. Maybe the

:10:55. > :10:59.conditions at a part to play. A little bit of variation with Gareth

:11:00. > :11:04.Davies at ten. Rhys Patchell out wide. They should more creativity. I

:11:04. > :11:09.still think there is more to come next week.

:11:09. > :11:13.Listening intently to that was Phil Davies. Welcome. What is your

:11:13. > :11:21.overwhelming feeling after that, relieve? Yes, we were pretty

:11:21. > :11:28.frustrated at half-time. We didn't build anything. We did not control.

:11:28. > :11:32.We felt if we could control it a bit, get the forwards coming around

:11:32. > :11:37.the corner, they were giving penalties away. That is what we

:11:37. > :11:42.did. It was a great 23 man effort. As the boys have said, we are very

:11:42. > :11:46.pleased to get a result. We would not have won a game like that last

:11:46. > :11:51.year. We are very pleased with the effort and the commitment, and the

:11:51. > :11:59.tenacity. It was important, wasn't it, first game on the new pitch? It

:12:00. > :12:04.is very important. The fans were terrific. They made a lot of noise.

:12:05. > :12:10.It is up to the team to perform to get people to come and watch and get

:12:10. > :12:16.behind us, which they did. It was very important to get a win. It was

:12:16. > :12:21.pretty ugly mind. But it was four points. Pat Lam seemed unhappy with

:12:21. > :12:25.the penalty count. Do you think he has got a right to be aggrieved?

:12:25. > :12:31.There were certainly a lot of penalties in the game. Patchell, he

:12:31. > :12:35.has been putting in a lot of practice over the summer and it came

:12:35. > :12:39.to fruition. We were on the end of some frustration that times. It is

:12:39. > :12:44.part of the game. Pat is a top guy, an experienced coach. They will

:12:44. > :12:48.learn from the game. You may want to look away for this because John is

:12:48. > :12:58.picked out some examples of bad Blues play. You can see the team

:12:58. > :13:01.talk that took place at half-time. It is the effectiveness of the

:13:01. > :13:08.ball-carriers I want to look out for the second half. At times the Blues

:13:08. > :13:14.don't come with any depth or place. I don't think Filise wants to take

:13:14. > :13:19.that ball. It is very difficult. Now they don't have a scrum-half.

:13:19. > :13:23.Pistorius was in a standing position. He makes a break but the

:13:23. > :13:26.backline of the Blues do not support. What if Pretorious gets

:13:26. > :13:35.through? There is nobody on his shoulder. They spilled the ball.

:13:35. > :13:47.Another missed opportunity. A lack of execution on two against one.

:13:48. > :13:52.Selfishly he goes for it here. They had another opportunity with Lloyd

:13:52. > :13:56.Williams. Another two against one. He needs to go at this defender on

:13:56. > :14:00.his inside shoulder, outside the next defender so recreates the

:14:01. > :14:06.overlap. He doesn't. He passes too early. Connacht snuffed out the

:14:06. > :14:10.attack. That is no tries in two games. That is something they will

:14:10. > :14:20.be working on for next week. Fair comment is shone? Spot on. We talked

:14:20. > :14:25.about those situations at half-time. We are creating opportunities. We

:14:25. > :14:32.are rubbing harder on the corner. -- running. We need a little bit more

:14:32. > :14:37.depth. I agree with what shone said. We are creating. That is the key.

:14:37. > :14:42.How important is another home game against Zebre next week? Yes, as

:14:42. > :14:51.Bradley said, we have two back it up. It is about backing up next

:14:51. > :15:05.weekend against Zebre. Trying to put some positive momentum into the

:15:05. > :15:11.season. The very best for it, Phil. Phil Silvers caught up with Alex

:15:11. > :15:16.Cuthbert. How was it back for you? It was top, yes, you could tell from

:15:16. > :15:20.the game that it was a bit slow, it was a bit of a battle, but we knew

:15:20. > :15:24.if we kept sticking to the game plan and working the territory in the

:15:24. > :15:32.corner, they would make mistakes and we would pounce on that. The site

:15:32. > :15:37.certainly showed character to keep the momentum going and capitalise on

:15:37. > :15:40.the ball. In the first, we were trying more of the rugby and it

:15:40. > :15:47.wasn't coming of us and they were pouncing on the mistakes. In the

:15:47. > :15:50.second half, we sought to get into territory and get them making

:15:50. > :15:53.mistakes and we know with Rhys Patchell's kicking at the moment,

:15:53. > :15:56.he's getting everything, so we needed to keep the scoreboard

:15:56. > :16:02.ticking over. What about your general fitness? It is owing to be

:16:02. > :16:08.sore tomorrow but it is good to get to 80 minutes and ready for next

:16:08. > :16:13.week against Zebre. You have Zebre at home next Friday, the chance to

:16:13. > :16:17.get a run of form. Definitely, we have to make the most of these home

:16:17. > :16:20.games and try and get all of the bonus point. And if the weather

:16:20. > :16:27.helps us out of it, we should be all right. Enjoy the ice bath. Alex

:16:27. > :16:31.Cuthbert making his comeback this evening in a victorious performance

:16:31. > :16:33.from the Blues and we have swapped one Davies for another, Jonathan

:16:33. > :16:43.Davies has joined us. Good evening. I want to talk to you

:16:43. > :16:48.about that missed opportunity, Tom Williams out wide. Should the Blues

:16:48. > :16:53.have scored? I think they should. They had a couple of opportunities,

:16:53. > :16:56.they decided to go short and it was recycled back to Cuthbert. If he had

:16:56. > :17:01.given him the ball just before the contact, it would have been

:17:01. > :17:04.clearer. The first option was to go short and covered gets the ball, if

:17:04. > :17:09.he could have passed that ball just before that contact, it would have

:17:09. > :17:13.been pretty clear-cut. I think Tom Williams has to stay in field, he

:17:14. > :17:18.tries to go on the outside. He gets bundled into touch, when you are in

:17:18. > :17:23.that position, either bring them being on a switch or try and stay in

:17:23. > :17:26.field. I think it was just confidence. They are still young,

:17:26. > :17:29.they had opportunities, there is no real old head driving them and

:17:29. > :17:34.giving them a lot of praise and selling them where to be in certain

:17:34. > :17:38.parts of the game. A couple of wins under their belt, that will come.

:17:38. > :17:43.You are taught as a young kid to run the angles, hold people up, so I

:17:43. > :17:49.think they just get a little bit excited when they get opportunities.

:17:49. > :17:53.It is good to see them with more than just one of the runners. That

:17:53. > :17:56.is you create space. It would be worse if we said they weren't

:17:56. > :18:02.creating anything, they did. That is pleasing. We can go to another

:18:02. > :18:04.result tonight, a bit of a shock, Glasgow have beaten Ulster in

:18:04. > :18:12.Ravenhill. The final score was 14-12. James

:18:12. > :18:16.Eddie with the winning score. Ulster have now lost twice in a row. Last

:18:17. > :18:26.year's finalists have lost twice in a row. That try to exempt to 12-11,

:18:26. > :18:29.and 13-12 was the final score. So plenty of celebrations for the

:18:29. > :18:33.travelling Glasgow fans, if there were any, and Ulster are in a bit of

:18:33. > :18:39.trouble after reaching the PRO12 final. Martyn, your reaction? It

:18:39. > :18:43.just shows that the point the Blues got in Glasgow was a well earned

:18:43. > :18:48.point. Glasgow are a good side, they have a lot of their big guns back,

:18:48. > :18:53.but no one would have said Ulster would lose two from two. It shows

:18:53. > :18:57.how important somewhere like peanut is. He is a class player, he makes

:18:57. > :19:05.them tick and he is not there at the moment -- Li romping.

:19:05. > :19:17.I believe in the Edinburgh game, the current score is 13-10. Lets just

:19:17. > :19:21.run through a list of the results. -- let's just run through a list of

:19:21. > :19:25.the results. As we saw, Glasgow nicked their win in Ravenhill and

:19:26. > :19:34.Zebre where leading Munster early bird class told in the end -- where

:19:34. > :19:39.leading Munster early, but class told in the end. The game is still

:19:39. > :19:44.going on between the Dragons and Edinburgh, but as things stand,

:19:44. > :19:52.Glasgow are into second, Munster club of the table. The Blues are in

:19:52. > :19:56.fourth. -- top of the table. And a familiar feeling at the bottom,

:19:56. > :20:01.Zebre propping up the table. Plenty of sport coming your way on BBC

:20:01. > :20:02.Wales television this weekend. Let's have a little

:20:02. > :20:11.Wales television this weekend. Let's have a taste of what is coming up

:20:12. > :20:21.next at 9:30pm. Is this the camera I had to sing into? Swimming, cycling

:20:21. > :20:30.and now the small case of a marathon. Doing everything right,

:20:31. > :20:37.but on the pitch, it hasn't quite clicked.

:20:37. > :20:44.So that is in just a little over ten minutes on BBC Two Wales. Joe Allen

:20:44. > :20:48.interviewed, the Tenby Ironman and a Wales look back. And the PRO12

:20:49. > :21:04.continues throughout the weekend, Scarlet will be looking for

:21:04. > :21:10.revenge. And then of course, scrum V on Sunday. We will see Brian Moore

:21:10. > :21:14.talking enthusiastically about the new scrummaging laws. There are two

:21:14. > :21:20.big games involving the roles regions in the PRO12 tomorrow, the

:21:20. > :21:24.ospreys are in Dublin and the scholarss are at home for the second

:21:24. > :21:27.week running. They finished their regular season last year with a 40

:21:27. > :21:33.point thumping at the hands of tomorrow's opponents, Treviso. And

:21:33. > :21:37.this season has started as badly as the last one ended, another 40

:21:37. > :21:45.point, this time against the champions, Leinster. But there were

:21:45. > :21:52.some encouraging signs. Tomorrow, Treviso back in West Wells. -- West

:21:52. > :21:58.Wales. Simon Easterby and his men will be looking for revenge.

:21:58. > :22:07.We know how good Treviso. A lot of people are looking at it as we

:22:07. > :22:10.should automatically beat them, but the Ospreys did very well to get a

:22:11. > :22:16.victory last week and they really spoiled our season with the home

:22:16. > :22:20.defeat, we were saying goodbye to a lot of players. So it definitely owe

:22:20. > :22:26.them one at the same could happen again. We have to learn from last

:22:26. > :22:31.Friday's game, put those things right and have a little reversal of

:22:31. > :22:36.what the scoreline was last year. Rhys Priestland alluding to the fact

:22:36. > :22:41.that Treviso did give the Scholarss a bit of a thumping and ruined their

:22:41. > :22:44.season. Should they be worried after what

:22:44. > :22:48.happened against Leinster? I think so, the confidence will have taken a

:22:49. > :22:56.dent last week. It is difficult to know what the Scarlets performance

:22:56. > :22:59.was all about, they looked good for the first 40 minutes then fell

:22:59. > :23:04.apart. It is important to get a good start tomorrow, because of Treviso

:23:04. > :23:07.get on top, the Demons will come into the Scarlets. But there is

:23:07. > :23:12.talent right in the side and they were good enough to win. A certain

:23:12. > :23:15.Jonathan Davies is on the bench, recalled to the 23. Due think if

:23:15. > :23:21.they Scarlets had one last week, he would have an extra week off?

:23:21. > :23:24.Possibly, he may be back earlier than he expected. He played all of

:23:24. > :23:28.the minutes for the Lions. It is exciting with the centres, Jamie

:23:28. > :23:31.Roberts is injured and whether he makes the autumn internationals or

:23:31. > :23:37.not, is up in the air. That leaves us, spot open, so you have Williams,

:23:37. > :23:41.Ashley Beck is back, so it will be interesting to see how people

:23:41. > :23:46.perform, because there is an opening. I think it is a pressure

:23:46. > :23:50.game for the Scarlets, because as Martin said, they started so well

:23:50. > :23:54.last week and it is difficult to put your finger on it. Defensively, they

:23:54. > :24:00.lost their shape but got blown away. Looking at their first two

:24:00. > :24:06.games, you play at Leinster at home without their Lions, and then you

:24:06. > :24:11.have Treviso, who are a difficult side. Because of the second-half

:24:11. > :24:16.performance, they have put pressure on themselves and maybe Treviso are

:24:16. > :24:21.smarting a little bit from the defeat by the Ospreys, so we'll be

:24:21. > :24:24.up for it. It is a big game for the Scarlets. Ospreys are playing

:24:24. > :24:29.tomorrow as well, they are on the road in Dublin. For most people,

:24:29. > :24:32.that is a pretty intimidating place to go, but the Ospreys have some

:24:32. > :25:08.pretty happy memories. They will have one of their Lions in

:25:08. > :25:13.their team, in evidence coming in for Ryan Jones. Richard Rivard and

:25:13. > :25:19.Adam Jones are on the bench. Others have an extended break, but they

:25:19. > :25:23.showed last week that they could bring the bar last of the bench and

:25:23. > :25:29.close down a game that was perhaps in danger of escaping them --

:25:29. > :25:33.ballast. Yes, a difficult place to go, they don't get any 50-50 calls

:25:33. > :25:39.in for a young Ospreys side to go there and get the win, it is very

:25:39. > :25:43.good. And it doesn't get any easier against Leinster. It is a big ask,

:25:43. > :25:46.it is a stretch to ask them to win but if they can come away with a

:25:46. > :25:51.bonus point, they will be happy. You look at the Leinster side and last

:25:51. > :25:58.week, none of their Lions featured but they can still feel a formidable

:25:58. > :26:01.starting 15. And this guy they have signed from Newcastle has slotted

:26:01. > :26:05.straight in and already looks like a really good signing. He is a great

:26:05. > :26:09.signing, he was awesome in Newcastle, and he has just come in

:26:09. > :26:16.and fit straight in. They have Darcy back as well. Two strong teams going

:26:16. > :26:20.at it, it will be", but I would probably take Leinster because they

:26:20. > :26:29.are at home. -- it will be a close call. But Ospreys have a great team.

:26:29. > :26:32.Ospreys with two away games, you think it is a tough one, and a bad

:26:32. > :26:36.start last year, but they have the pack of four and if they are

:26:36. > :26:40.struggling, they bring the big guns on. Looking at Leinster last week, I

:26:40. > :26:45.don't think they will be defensively as porous as the Scarlets. I thought

:26:45. > :26:50.the pack for the Scarlets started well, the scrum was good and they

:26:50. > :26:53.might get the upper hand, so I actually fancy Ospreys tomorrow. It

:26:53. > :26:59.is funny you mention that, because the Scarlets pack did look good

:26:59. > :27:03.against Leinster in a first half, and like the Blues, not renowned as

:27:03. > :27:06.a powerful team up front and maybe the Ospreys have looked at that and

:27:06. > :27:11.maybe thought we have the most fearsome pack. They will always

:27:11. > :27:17.backed themselves up front. If Dan Biggar is playing like he did last

:27:17. > :27:21.week, they definitely have a chance. I think my cross is playing

:27:21. > :27:26.tomorrow. For me, Leinster look such a well drilled coached side, it

:27:26. > :27:29.doesn't matter who is playing, they all fit into the system and they are

:27:29. > :27:35.very difficult to beat in Dublin. But if any side can do it, it is

:27:35. > :27:39.Ospreys. You are saying Ospreys, you are sitting on the fence... I am

:27:39. > :27:47.saying Leinster with a bonus point for the Ospreys. The Dragons have

:27:47. > :27:51.levelled things against Edinburgh, 13-13. The other major talking

:27:51. > :27:55.points this week has been the future of the European cup, a very dramatic

:27:55. > :27:59.week with plenty of statements, plenty of conjecture. We will go

:27:59. > :28:02.into this in a lot of depth on Sunday, we don't have time to night,

:28:03. > :28:07.but from the Cardiff Arms Park, it looks as though the rain is still

:28:07. > :28:11.pouring down but the Blues have managed a first win on the plastic

:28:11. > :28:16.pitch in the PRO12 against Connacht. 21-10 the final score. They have

:28:16. > :28:18.Zebre here next week. From all of us on the programme, thanks for your

:28:18. > :28:20.company, and good night.