Llanelli Scarlets Vs Cardiff Blues

[Bluemoon]

16-15 half time. Been a very open game so far. As usual with this fixture, plenty of passion.

I found it interesting reading all the predictions on here that think the Blues will win even though I don't think they've never won up there in a domestic fixture as the 'Cardiff Blues'.

 

[Bluemoon]

Now 16-29. Great running from the blues putting Filise in for try one and Jamie Roberts in for try numero 2. Scarlets haven't brought the same intensity to the second half. I havent written them off yet though.

 

[dullonien]

The Blues are in great form. Laulala has intorduced another demension to this Blues backline, and is really bringing the best out of Roberts.

29-16 now to the Blues. Gonna be tough to stop in this form. Teams in the Amlin should watch out, as they really are motoring at the moment.

Edit. Wonder how the Scarlets fans will be feeling. On the one hand, it's not nice loosing by such a big margin, as they are now trailing 36-16. However seeing the Blues in this kinda form bodes well for the Amlin, which in all honesty was always the Scarlets best chance of getting into the HC next season considering their position in the Magners table.

 

[Bluemoon]

Scarlets trying to hard now and making mistakes. Silly offload results in another Blues try. 16-36. Inexperience is showing, but Im now questioning the tactics from Nigel Davies which are clearly just 'Hail Mary'.

 

[Bluemoon]

Massive amount of changes now, probably going to disrupt the flow of the game. Right decision though. Cardiff want to keep injuries to a minimum for the next few games.

As for the change in form, Cardiff really suffered from the lions tour, completely lost our go forward. Then Wales came along. When the full team was together though we have beaten the likes of Toulouse. If we can win the Amlin, or get to the final at least that will put the Blues in good stead for next season.

 

[Bluemoon]

Full time 16-39.

As the boos ring around the Scarlets ground I have to wonder what game plan the Scarlets had. They were panicking, everything was forced and Id like to see how many tries the Blues scored off turnovers. Taking nothing away from Cardiff as that was a great performance and not many people have back to back wins like that at the Scarlets home ground.

I hope for the Scarlets sake the Blues win the Amlin now, becuase things are looking very sorry over in the West.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Experience in the pack told in the end. Blues have an outside chance of the play offs.

Worryingly Scarlets are going backwards and with the squad they have its a bit worrying their downward spiral. I think its time for Nigel Davies to go, his coaching has made the Scarlets worse.

 

[dullonien]

It's tough to know what's wrong at the Scarlets. They are getting plenty of ball in the majority of games, and creating half chances, but ultimately not scoring as much as they should. What's worrying is that they tend to concede tries off coughed up ball after breaking themselves. Their scramble defense is rubbish.

Their obviously very low on confidence which isn't helping matters atall. Agree with Cymro, I don't think Nigel Davies is helping matters atall. He was poor with Wales, and is still poor at the Scarlets!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

The Scarlets have more money than the Dragons and they are now playing the no money card. I still stand by my point above that Nigel Davies and to an extent Gareth Jenkins have not improved the region at all. I look at Andrew Fenby and Joe Ajuwa who Davies picked and they are / were terrible. Then I look at Ifan Evans, now for those who don't know who he is, this guy has gas and plays for Wales 7's. He plays for Llandovery the same club as Joe Ajuwa and is considerably better. I still can't understand why he has not been selected and neither can many who know and have played with Ifan Evans. Good to see Emyr Phillips breaking into the side, this boy is good but is a tad small for a Hooker but is strong in loose and tight play. Scarlets has a lot of good young players which they are not using and Davies needs to pull his finger from his arse and starting looking at them more.

 

[Sir Speedy]

I didn't bother watching this game, but that is a terrible result; though a year in the Challenge Cup is probably the best thing for them.

As for us 'going backwards', I disagree. We've at least been competitive in the games we've played in, and have had countless opportunities to turn them in our favour; not taken of course, but at we have proven that we can compete. There have been a few games (notably in Europe) where we have been annihilated completely, but for the most part we're there or thereabouts.

 

[dullonien]

+ 1 on Ifan Ifans (although we would big him up, being an Aber lad from Penweddig). But he is a great player imo, loads of pace and a great sidestep. Important thing is though, is he's a natural player unlike Fanby and Ajuwa. Really nice lad aswell. Was in the Acadamy one Sat night, and some idiot started a fight with Ifan, just stood there taking all the abuse going his way. Very sensible.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I didn't bother watching this game, but that is a terrible result; though a year in the Challenge Cup is probably the best thing for them.

As for us 'going backwards', I disagree. We've at least been competitive in the games we've played in, and have had countless opportunities to turn them in our favour; not taken of course, but at we have proven that we can compete. There have been a few games (notably in Europe) where we have been annihilated completely, but for the most part we're there or thereabouts.

You say that but look at the table and look at the crowds. The coaching is not up to much and its safe to say it well may be a dark future ahead for the Scarlets unless the Blues win the Amlin Cup to save their blushes.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Yes because the table tells the full story 100% of the time.

The Scarlets were crap over the past two seasons to the extent that I didn't bother watching them for a lot of the time. Despite the innumerable instances of them coming up short this year, nearly all of their games have been exciting to watch in that they have been there for the taking.

 

[Bluemoon]

Are you saying that Nigel Davies is the man to turn things around then Speedy? As an outside perpective, Ill agree the Scarlets have a young team and a few injuries but I dont think Davies is up for it. They need a change of pace and a fresh face. Not that theres a million affordable coaches avalible, but still.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Said it before and ill say it again Nigel Davies and Jenkins did what with Wales? ....

Ah yes make them worse.

 

[dullonien]

It's not quite as simple as that. I think the Scarlets were alot better this year than they were last year and the one before. As Speedy said, the table certainly doesn't tell us the full story. They have been competative in many of the games I've seen, but have ultimately fallen short. The reason for this? Inexperience 100%! To be fair on Davies and the rest of the coaching team, they have got very limited recources, probably similar to the Dragons now in terms of players. A couple of quality players in Steve Jones, Mat Rees and Lyons, but otherwise a bunch of talented youngsters. Injuries certainly hasn't helped. King has only just returned and is starting to show some form again. They lost Dafydd Jones and mark Jones early on in the season. Stephen Jones and Mathew Rees haven't played much Magners League games this season either due to injury and tough schedules with the Lions and Wales.

I think Nigel Davies deserves some more time. He's given a heap of yougsters their opportunities. The fact that I con only think of one player in Ifan Ivans wh's been unlucky shows alot. The likes of Turnball and McCustker look like future stars, as do the two Second rows imo.

So overall, I think with a clean slate next year + the eatra year of experience for many youngsters like Jonathan Davies etc. I can see the Scarlets having a decent year next year. Although the lost income by not being in the HC may be important, playing in the Amlin is exactly what they need imo. They could really target that as a tournament to reach the semis/final/win next year. It's really helped other teams gain confidence in the past. Look at Northampton and what a year in Devision 1 did for them!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

You can say 10 years down the line they played well in the season but at the end of the day where they are in the league is where they are in the league. When you look back on the table in 10 years + time you won't be able to say oh Scarlets were close so and so. No one is debating that Scarlets have not improved but to say they have not had a bad season you cannot say.

I don't buy inexperience at all.

Names - Games played:

Jon Davies - 50
Dan Evans - 39
Phil John - 169
Rob Higgitt - Exp in GP
Sean Lamont - Scotland International
Deacon Manu - 99
Ken Owens - 82
Rhys Priestland - 58
Martin Roberts - 53
Richie Pugh - 23 / Welsh International / 7s
Iestyn Thomas - 166 / Welsh International
Josh Turnbull - 34
Morgan Stoddart - 58

To name a few, could include Easterby, Rees, Jonses, Lyons, Rhys Thomas, King etc

Squad has exp just the management is not looking after it well.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Are you saying that Nigel Davies is the man to turn things around then Speedy? As an outside perpective, Ill agree the Scarlets have a young team and a few injuries but I dont think Davies is up for it. They need a change of pace and a fresh face. Not that theres a million affordable coaches avalible, but still.

No, but I think the claim that we haven't improved is a load of crap. A few exceptions aside we have been painfully close to turning a game in our favour. I don't know where all this negativity is stemming from. We were pounded in this game, no question about it. We are out of our depth in Europe, yes. Over the course of the season though the team has shown itself to be at the best of times virtually unstoppable, so a year in the Amlin Cup to help them develop further in a lightweight tourny (instead of having the players come out of 30-point annihilations against reigning European champions, back into the domestic league to face further wallopings, as a result of battered confidence) could see them become a stronger side in the following seasons.

 

[dullonien]

The fact that those players you mentioned have played those number of games doesn't change the fact that they are still inexperienced. Most of the other teams in the Magners have experienced international players all over the park. Even if Jon Davies has played 50 times for the Scarlets, he's not exactly as experienced as the likes of Shanklin etc, and more importantly he doesn't regularily have experienced players around him. For the majority of games played this season in the Magners league the Scarlets backline has consisted of: Martyn Roberts, Rhys Priestland, Jon Davies, Lamont, Fenby, an other winger, Dan Evans. There isn't one properly experienced player there (not playing in position).

The pack is a little more experienced with Iestyn Thomas and Lyons. But Pugh is little more than a discarded player from the other regions (would have been better to keen Gavin Thomas), and isn't a top quality player imo. Dafydd Jones was a big player for them at the beggining of the season, and they've missed him hugely. Easterby is well over the hill. Owens is a great player, but not exactly experienced!

It's taken a few years for the youngsters at the Dragons to gain the experience necessary to compete with the bigger teams. Same will happen at the Scarlets. It takes time unfortunately when a team looses so many players to retirement and injury. The Scarlets mistake was not bringing through the youngsters when they were performing a few years ago, instead relying on the likes of Dafydd James etc.

Saying all that..........

I do agree that Nigel Davies and the rest at the Scarlets aren't really the quality they need. However, there is no money there at the moment to draw a top quality coach in. Next season is important though, another failure of a season and Davies should go, as by then the inexperience card is really wearing thin.