One Change For The Blues
7th December 2006 By Munster Rugby
Cardiff Blues coach David Young has made just one change, from the side that defeated London Irish last weekend, for the sell-out meeting with Munster at The Arms Park on Sunday (1pm).
The Cardiff Blues Heineken Cup match against Munster is a sell out with a capacity crowd of 12,120 expected for Sunday’s match.
Blues coach David Young has made one change from the team that defeated London Irish last weekend, with Tom Shanklin starting on the wing in place of Mosese Luveitasau who is suffering from a minor knee injury. Tom James returns from the IRB Sevens duty and takes his place on the bench.
It will be the first time the sides have met in this competition since Cardiff became a regional side but prior to being the Cardiff Blues they played Munster three times.
In 1996 they first met at the Arms Park and Cardiff, beaten finalists the previous year, won 48-18. That season Cardiff went on to reach the semi-final only to lose 26-13 to Brive in the Parc Municipal, Brive’s home ground.
The following season, 1997/98, Munster and Cardiff were once more paired together in Pool 4 and home and away ties had been introduced.
Munster lost the first leg 43-23 and were beaten 37-32 in the return at Musgrave Park. Once again that season, Cardiff advanced to the knock-out phases of the competition. They accounted for Llanelli in the quarter-final play-offs (24-20) before losing out to eventual winners Bath, 32-21 at the Recreation Ground.
Cardiff Blues: Ben Blair; Tom Shanklin, Jamie Robinson, Marc Stcherbina, Chris Czekaj; Nick Robinson, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, T Rhys Thomas, Taufaao Filise; Deiniol Jones, James Goode; Scott Morgan, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush capt.
Replacements: John Yapp, Duane Goodfield, Bradley Davies, Mark Lewis, Ed Fairhurst, Nick Macleod, Tom James.