RaboDirect Pro 12 - Cardiff Blues vs Edinburgh - 22/04/2012

[Feicarsinn]

Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff - (22/04/2012, 14:05)

TV: BBCW​

 

[dullonien]

Looks like a miserable crowd at the CCS. And considering how many Blues start are playing at home for the least time, you'd have hoped for a bigger turnout, even if it was just to give a good send-off to those players.

Scrum V also announced that the Blues are trying to move back to CAP next season, which is probably good, but just shows what a mess moving to CCS was. They now go back to a crumbling stadium, having gained nothing and lost half their fans. All those reasons they spouted for why they moved from CAP are still relevant, and amongst those reasons given was the condition and safety of CAP. Redeveloping CAP would have been the best option, just as the Dragons are doing with Rodney parade.

Edit: Much better from the Blues so far....

Further edit: lol at Shanks, " there's plenty of people here, they're all just disguised as seats."

 

[psychic duck]

looks like Andrews may have finally found in a scrum crap enough to be at his level

 

[dullonien]

looks like Andrews may have finally found in a scrum crap enough to be at his level

Not sure, It's Gethin that's on top on the near side of the scrum. Not sure Andrews is going anywhere, hence why the scrum's wheeling all the time.

 

[TVH11]

I honestly can't believe the crowd at this match. So many players leaving and no crowd to show their appreciation. I know form is obviously poor, but still (then again I have no idea what the price of the tickets were and the weather is pretty crappy).

Think Scrum V need to go back to Shanks and Phil Steele for a few more jokes, seems the only way to get life in this game.

Also i know Cuthbert has just scored, but I think his post 6 nations performances have shown that he's not the finished article. He's still extremely raw, and i do wonder whether its a gamble for the french sides to throw big money at him. Guess anyone can look good in a well performing side, and Vice versa. Time will tell i guess.

Hopefully the second half will be much better

 

[Robert Prosser]

Nice move and running from Dacey for the Navidi try lovely stuff hope we see more of this in the near future as they should be getting more game time.

Great to see the young Hamilton scoring a try surely has to be the future number 8 for us

Cuthbert with three tries nice to see him playing more like the Cuthbert of the six nations, shame we not gonna be able to keep him by the looks of it hopefully he stays as he says we will prob find out next week I think he wants to stay!!!.

You have to be happy with a 35 point win.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Edinburgh must be the worst Heineken Cup semi finalists of all time.

 

[cyRil]

Colomiers?

 

[Draggs]

From what Dickie and the Blues have said, there is no get out clause at CCS.
Hope they do leave though.

38-13??? I would have expected the other way.

 

[Robert Prosser]

From what Dickie and the Blues have said, there is no get out clause at CCS.
Hope they do leave though.

38-13??? I would have expected the other way.

It would cost them a fortune to get out of CCS the only way is to pay up their tenure they have agreed which lasts untill 2029 it costs them roughly £350,000 a year for the lease so to buy it out with what 17 years left its going to cost around £6m they dont have that available to release them from that contract, so as you state they pretty much have no choice but to stay

 

[cyRil]

They could always start winning and playing good, attractive rugby as an alternative...?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Who's idea was it to enter into a 20 year(ish) deal without a few trial runs anyway?

 

[Draggs]

Why would any company sign a massive lease without some sort of release?
Then again, looking at the Blues, it is evident that their board isn't the brightest.

 

[Robert Prosser]

[h=1]Cardiff Blues ponder permanent home venue[/h]

The Blues are tied to a 20-year contract to play a maximum of 18 games per season for a set fee rather than per match at Cardiff City Stadium, where attendances have dropped this season.

The Blues abandoned the traditional Arms Park home of Cardiff rugby in 2009 when they signed a 20-year agreement to play their home games at Cardiff City Stadium.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17807290

 

[Saintjay]

The Blues won't last twenty years the way things are.

 

[welshglory]

They could always start winning and playing good, attractive rugby as an alternative...?

That still won't do anything if they're playing at the CCS

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I have a feeling that the Blues have a get out clause ... or rather Cardiff City FC do.

 

[Jayatron]

I hear that there was a boycott of the game tonight by the few hardcore Blues fans that are left. Though the CAP is a little run down, I've been to all the regions home grounds and the CAP was by far the best ground I've been to in terms of atmosphere. Cracking little ground in the heart of the city.

Not to be nasty but the Blues, or Blues management deserve what they get. They proposed the move, there was an outcry. Then they put it to a vote, they lost - but still moved. Then they charge £22 a ticket!! ARE THEY MAD?? Watching normally a second string side play sub standard rugby in an empty stadium... what did they expect? Hopefully tonight will break the horses back and they'll get back to CAP. Maybe throw a little money at it and get her fixed up a little.

I also here that both Cardiff and Swansea are looking rid of the Blues and Ospreys. So perhaps the Blues leaving will not be a major problem.

And I will not be taking Edinburgh lightly next week. That was a second string so we'll what happens. They did beat Toulouse to get there but saying that I've got my room booked for London.

 

[dullonien]

I also here that both Cardiff and Swansea are looking rid of the Blues and Ospreys. So perhaps the Blues leaving will not be a major problem.

I've also heard that Cardiff City want rid of the Blues. They probably feel that they're getting good enough crowds without them there, and not having rugby played at the same venue will considerably reduce the wear on the pitch, and free up the playing schedule a little. That could make any agreed deals a little meaningless if both agree.

Not heard the Swansea, Ospreys thing before. The situation is a little different there though. If I remember correctly, the Liberty stadium is jointly owned by the Swans, the Ospreys and Swasea council, all in pretty equal measure. So if the Ospreys want to stay, they'll stay. I don't think the Ospreys poor crowds has anything to do with the Liberty (even if it's not the nicest of stadia), the poor crowds here is more to do with the dire style of play over recent years. The last few games have been an improvement, and the crowd on Friday night reflected that (although the Shane factor played a big part too). Over 14,000 is a healthy crowd for a league fixture, let's see what they get for the semi's.

 

[psychic duck]

I've also heard that Cardiff City want rid of the Blues. They probably feel that they're getting good enough crowds without them there, and not having rugby played at the same venue will considerably reduce the wear on the pitch, and free up the playing schedule a little. That could make any agreed deals a little meaningless if both agree.

Not heard the Swansea, Ospreys thing before. The situation is a little different there though. If I remember correctly, the Liberty stadium is jointly owned by the Swans, the Ospreys and Swasea council, all in pretty equal measure. So if the Ospreys want to stay, they'll stay. I don't think the Ospreys poor crowds has anything to do with the Liberty (even if it's not the nicest of stadia), the poor crowds here is more to do with the dire style of play over recent years. The last few games have been an improvement, and the crowd on Friday night reflected that (although the Shane factor played a big part too). Over 14,000 is a healthy crowd for a league fixture, let's see what they get for the semi's.

Yes, 14,000 is good, but unfortunately that is just one of three matches which have over 10,000 all season (Scarlets 12,000, Cardiff Blues 11,000)

out of interest, the highest attendance league match for the Ospreys outside the derbies was 7,500 in the recent match against Treviso, not the team you would think would be the highest outside the Welsh derbies

pretty much every match this season at the Ospreys has been 5,000, every Heineken Cup match 7,000 (with the exception of the Treviso match which was 5,000)

as for the Cardiff Blues, their crowd numbers have been more inconsistent than the Ospreys, their highest attendance was also against the Dragons with 10,700, and also got over 10,000 for the London Irish Heineken Cup match

today's match was the worst attended of the season (with the exception of an LV Cup game), with a measly 3,500 turning up to see Jenkins, Williams, Molitika, Laulala etc for the last time at home