Match Preview: Cardiff Blues

A stirring late
fightback eventually came up just short against the Scarlets, with tries from
Stafford McDowall’s try and 16 points from Brandon Thomson ultimately in vain.

Dave Rennie’s
men will now be focusing on securing the victory against their counterparts
from the Welsh capital, who also slipped to a home defeat – against Edinburgh –
last weekend.

Yet the
Warriors are all too aware of the threats posed by the Blues, having squared
off against John Mulvihill’s side on four occasions last season.

Here’s what
to expect ahead of Saturday night’s encounter.

Cardiff
Blues form guide

It’s been a
mixed start to the season for the Blues, who sit fifth in Conference B with one
win and one loss from their two matches so far this campaign.

A bonus-point
31-27 win over the Isuzu Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth saw them return from
South Africa in the best possible form, with Harri Millard’s late try securing
the result for the Blues.

However,
they were left empty-handed upon their return to Cardiff Arms Park, as a Mark
Bennett try and the boot of Jaco van der Walt saw Edinburgh emerge with a 19-11
victory over their hosts last weekend.

Off-season
farewells

There were a
few notable departures from the Arms Park upon the conclusion of the 2018/19
Guinness PRO14 season, including a quartet of Welsh internationals.

The
recognisable figure of Matthew Rees hung up his boots for the final time as he
retired from professional rugby, whilst Welsh fly-half Gareth Anscombe made the
switch to regional rivals the Ospreys.

Experienced
winger Tom James also switched to a cross-country foe by agreeing a deal with
the Scarlets, with young prop Rhys Carre departing for Gallagher Premiership
champions Saracens.

USA captain
Blaine Scully was amongst a handful of further squad players to bid farewell to
the Blues, along with second-row George Earle and scrum-half Dane Blacker.

New
arrivals

The Blues certainly
won’t be lacking in firepower this season, following the arrivals of two of
Wales’ most potent finishers.

Josh Adams will
arrive in Cardiff following the Rugby World Cup after agreeing a deal to join
the club from Worcester Warriors, with Hallam Amos also winging his way to the
club from Dragons.

Up front,
added ball-carrying nous will be provided by Rory Thornton and Will Boyde, who
made the switch from Ospreys and Scarlets respectively.

Ones to
watch

One of the
most exciting runners in the Guinness PRO14, Matthew Morgan is capable of
springing an attack from anywhere on the pitch. Despite his diminutive stature,
the full-back – who can also play at fly-half – has the pace and footwork to
trouble the best defences in Europe.

Morgan’s
back-three counterpart Owen Lane is fast developing into one of the most
capable finishers in the competition. Averaging just under a try every other
game in Blues colours, the winger made his senior Wales debut in the 2019 Rugby
World Cup warm-up match against Ireland in August.

He might be
one of the elder statesmen of a youthful Blues squad, but the ball-carrying
prowess of Nick Williams shows no signs of abating with age. The 36-year-old,
who has also enjoyed spells with Munster, Ulster and Aironi during his career,
offers a major impact in both attack and defence.

Previous
Meetings

The Warriors
and the Blues got to know each other extremely well during the 2018/19 season, with
four matches between the two sides in both domestic and European competition.

It was
Rennie’s men that did the double over the Blues in the Guinness PRO14,
including a Niko Matawalu-inspired 40-15 win at Scotstoun in round nine last
season.

A ten-try
thriller in the reverse fixture eventually saw Glasgow come out on top at the
Arms Park in round 15, as Aled Summerhill’s hat-trick for the hosts came in
vain thanks to Tevita Tameilau’s memorable score.

It was a
similar story in the Heineken Champions Cup, as the Warriors emerged victorious
from both meetings between the sides.

A lightning
start from Glasgow laid the foundations for a 29-12 win in Cardiff, with Adam Hastings
and DTH van der Merwe scoring within the first four minutes to set up a
bonus-point win.

A sold-out
Scotstoun then roared their side to victory in a pulsating match back in
January, as George Horne’s late try secured a 33-24 victory for the home side.