Right, now I'm very hungover I'll put my analysis on the game:
- Cardiff clearly were more interested in having a scrap then playing rugby - Martin Williams being held at arms length by a laughing Tom Wood & Lawes holding ***o in the same fashion was tantamount to this.
- Does Paul ***o ever get pinged? Horrible gobshite was stamping last week, swinging forearms left, right and centre this week and generally acting the arse. The idea of winding up Hartley backfired as he clearly wound himself and his team up instead.
- Rush can feel very unlucky for what has clearly a dangerous, but completely accidental high shot on Lawes. Was a red card no matter what bullshit the Western Mail try to claim otherwise.
- Ref wasn't brilliant, but purely because he never stamped his authority on the game early enough. If he'd set his stable out early, I doubt nearly as many of the high tempers would have risen if he'd done so.
- The scoreline flattered Cardiff somewhat. A lot of silly penalties given away by Saints made Cardiff keep interest, much the same as last week.
- Tonga'uiha must be considered one of, if not THE, best LHs in the world by now?
- I have no idea why the Saints try was awarded. Clark was well short of the line & Hartley was millimetres away. There would have been a score coming from the move, but it hadn't been scored yet. 2 more phases were required IMO.
- Cardiff should do DGs more often. They'd win a lot more if they took the points whenever they could - Too many times they've got just about up to the 22 then been turned over from what I've seen.
- Dan Parks is utter garbage. Sorry, he really is terrible.
- Anybody see what Downey did to get binned? I thought it was Hartley & ***o who were going to be given their marching orders when Downey left.
- Jamie Roberts clearly improved Cardiffs backline (despite Parks), but he's still a long way off his brilliant best.
- Saints never got out of 3rd gear. I wonder what they can do to improve the gameplan before the KO stages.
- A 5 pointer against Edinburgh should be good enough to see Saints play a 1/4 final in Milton Keynes. Castres should end the Scots interest in the competition completely this afternoon.
