HEAD coach Dai Young has warned Cardiff that their European exploits will not have any bearing on today's EDF Energy Cup final against Gloucester. The Blues head to Twickenham for their first cup final appearance as a region in buoyant mood after beating French giants Toulouse to reach the Heineken Cup semi-finals.
Cardiff's impressive run also included home and away victories over Gloucester – 37-24 at the Millennium Stadium and 16-12 at Kingsholm – that wrecked the Cherry and Whites' European campaign.
But Young dismissed Cardiff's favourites tag as irrel
evant and warned that Gloucester, beaten in three Twickenham finals since 2003, will be bent on revenge. "They are going to be hugely motivated to come and spoil our party," said Young.
"I felt they were a better team than actually performed against us – and judging by the admissions they made afterwards they would agree with that because they were quite damning.
"We realise they are going to bring more to the game on Saturday so we have to be better and focused on the job. We won't be over-confident because we know this is going to be another tough challenge.
"I am confident but I'm mindful, that if we don't play anywhere near our best, we will struggle to win."
Young is likely to field an unchanged side following last weekend's gutsy 9-6 victory over Toulouse which teed up a Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with Leicester.
"It would be either a brave or stupid man, whatever you call it, who would change that 22. The challenge is to get up again for another big game," said Young.
Cardiff fly-half Nicky Robinson will face the club he is joining next season, but he insists there will be no divided loyalties. The Wales cap is determined to sign off an eight-year Cardiff career by leading his home-town club to a first trophy since the Welsh-Scottish league title in 2000.
"Leaving Cardiff when things are going well was always going to be difficult but I think with Gloucester I am moving to a side that is looking for silverware and to win things," said Robinson. "Hopefully they will still be looking for that silverware next year. I owe all the boys here and just want to pick something up."
Young has named an unchanged side from last weekend's 9-6 victory over Toulouse that secured the Blues a first appearance in the last four of the Heineken Cup.
Cardiff Blues: B Blair; L Halfpenny, T Shanklin, J Roberts, T James; N Robinson, J Spice; G Jenkins, G Williams, T Filise, B Davies, P Tito (capt), M Molitika, M Williams, X Rush. Subs: J Yapp, T R Thomas, D Jones, A Powell, R Rees, C Sweeney, G Thomas.
The full article contains 474 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
