Rugby / Six Nations

Six Nations Blog

Moving on up - Cardiff and the Magners Cup

Hey! Hey! Great news, my friends! I've finally managed to find a flat in Cardiff and I'll be moving in over the weekend. No more of Mum's cooking, so I'm going to struggle. I can see the headline in the Western Mail now: 'Greggs make record profits as fatty Evans moves back to the city'. A word of warning to Greggs - I'm back and I'm hungry!

Don't panic!!! Yes, the Six Nations Championship is having a break this weekend but there's a weekend full of rugby in store. The Magners Cup returns, and with it the chance to see some members of the Welsh squad playing. All the Welsh regions are playing, so players like Jonathan Thomas and Robin Sowden Taylor, who haven't played during Wales' opening matches, will have the chance to show their skills. I'm sure their performances will be carefully watched with both of them fighting for a place on the bench against France.

All the regions will be playing at home over the weekend, with Cardiff Blues challenging Glasgow first on Friday night. To be fair, the Blues are the team to beat in the Heineken Cup this season, winning all their group games. It's easy to see why, with Gethin Jenkins, Jamie Roberts and Martyn Williams starring in the Welsh team. It's a different story in the Magners Cup, with the Blues dragging their heels at the bottom of the table. The emphasis is obviously on the Heineken Cup this season. It's a shame that Rhys Williams is injured again. He's a good player, and of course was in the Welsh team that won the Grand Slam in 2005, but he's suffered serious injuries to his knee since then. I hope we see him back playing for Wales again soon.

We'll see the Scarlets playing Leinster on Saturday afternoon, playing once again at their new home, Parc y Scarlets. It's an important game for them, with their opponents only a few points above them in the table. The question is: should Mark Jones have been released for that game. A game at the weekend could have improved his fitness a bit after the lack of matchplay he's had recently. With an injury to Mark Jones, an injury for Shane or Halfpenny in Paris could create problems. Resting Jones might therefore have been a wise decision.

Jonathan Thomas will be the one to watch as the Ospreys welcome Connacht on Sunday; a player who can play in any position, so potentially a very useful player for Wales. It's encouraging to see the Dragons playing well too - only too often we see the team playing brilliantly but losing in the final minutes. Ulster visit Rodney Parade on Sunday, with Kevin Morgan, almost a forgotten man due to a series of injuries, returning to the side. This is a game the Dragons will have targeted to win, I'm sure.

So it's an exciting time for rugby in Wales. Oh yes, and it looks as if I've managed to get a ticket for the Wales game in Paris next Friday!!! I'll explain all next week. I'd better be off - down the local for a final pint before moving back to the big bad city. Laters!!!

Rhys

This blog has been translated from Welsh.

• Magners League

• Friday 20 February
• Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors
• Saturday 21 February
• Scarlets v Leinster - 17:10 on S4C
• Sunday 22 February
• Ospreys v Connacht Rugby - 14:00 on S4C
• Sunday 22 February
• Newport Gwent Drangons v Ulster Rugby - 16:00 on S4C