Cardiff Blues have already secured their position as top placed Welsh team in the Magners League this season, and with a four point cushion ahead of Munster, a win against Ulster will cement their place as runners-up on the final league table.
The Blues line up shows wholesale changes to the team that earned a bonus point win against Connacht in Galway last Friday with Nick Robinson, Xavier Rush, Scott Morgan, Maama Molitika and Taufa’ao Filise the only players to keep their starting berths. Halfpenny, who scoring helped Wales U20 to a second place finish in tis season’s U20 Six Nations and James Down are both listed as nominations in the shortlist for Cardiff Blues Academy Player of the Year Awards 2007-2008.
This award winner along with the prestigious Player of the Year Award and others will be announced at the Celebration Dinner to be held next week at the Vale Hotel. Supporters can still book their place at the dinner and awards ceremony and be the first to find out who wins the awards by calling 029 2030 2060.
Roger Davies and Leigh Halfpenny were both on the scoresheet in last night’s Principality Premiership regional derby win for Cardiff against Pontypridd. In addition Bradley Davies, Ben White and Dafydd Hewitt all return to the starting fifteen.
Speaking of the selection Cardiff Blues Director of Rugby, David Young said: “The margin of the win was pleasing last week, and the boys were disappointed to let in a last minute try.
“Overall this season has been a big step forward for us. We won two out of three in the EDF, reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and are the best are the best placed Welsh region in the Magners League. We’ve already stared to look at areas where we can improve.
“We are all hands to the pump at the minute with the Wales call ups and also with injuries, so we are down to what we have got left. We haven’t trained much this week either because of our lack of numbers. However it’s nice to see two youngsters coming in on the wing. They have both played well for Cardiff this season and deserve their chance.”
Ulster v Cardiff Blues
Friday 9th May 2008 7.30pm
Cardiff Blues: Nick Macleod, Roger Davies, Marc Stcherbina, Dafydd Hewitt, Leigh Halfpenny, Nicky Robinson, Richie Rees, Xavier Rush (c), Ben White, Maama Molitika, Scott Morgan, Bradley Davies, Gary Powell, Gareth Williams, Taufa’ao Filise
Replacements: John Yapp, T Rhys Thomas, James Down, Mark Lewis, Rhys Shellard, Jason Spice, Dai Flanagan
