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Young challenges Cardiff to show consistency on the road

First Team News | 21st September 2022


Dai Young has challenged Cardiff to bring consistency to their game as they travel to Glasgow on Friday (KO 7.35pm).

Tries from Max Llewellyn, Kristian Dacey and Aled Summerhill ensure the Blue and Blacks kicked off the season with an opening day home win over Munster on Saturday.

The Warriors head into the clash following a defeat away to Benetton - but Young expects the Scottish outfit to step up at Scotstoun and wants to see his side carry their home form on the road this season.

“We’re all better at home, although I don’t think anyone can put their finger on why because the pitch is still the same size. But certainly last season we were a better team at home than we were away,” explained the Director of Rugby.

“So what we’ve spoken about is having consistency in performances no matter where we play. We haven’t done well away and I don’t think we actually won a game away from home last year, which is something we have to put right quickly.

“There were a lot of good things on the weekend, and if we can build on them then there’s no reason why we can’t be in with a chance of getting a result here.

“It’s Glasgow’s first home game in a while, under a new coach as well, but last week didn’t go to plan. So they’ll be desperate to get a performance in and get their season up-and-running.

“We know they’re a quality team, and listening to some of the talk after the game, they were more pleased with the second half than they were with the first.

“In the second half they demonstrated that they’re a team who want to play rugby from all areas of the pitch, and that’s what you’re expecting.

“We’re going to have to be on our toes defensively right across the pitch because they’ll look to attack from anywhere and really take us on.”

Reflecting on the win over Munster, Young admits there were plenty of work-ons from the performance but was pleased with how the team’s discipline and the work of the forward pack laid the platform to ensure a winning start to the BKT URC season.

“It wasn’t a perfect performance but things that we’d spoken about before the game, like controlling the pitch, was important and the only way we’d be able to control the pitch is if our discipline was good,” said the former Wales prop.

“We only gave away seven penalties so our discipline was good.

“We also needed to stand up as a pack of forwards and we won 10 out of 11 line-outs, had 100 per cent at the scrums and won the driving game as well, which was a big shot in the arm for us.

“That allowed us to control the pitch and when we had opportunities we took a few. However, we still had periods in both halves where we were deep in their 22 and came away with nothing.

“So there’s still lots to work on but we’ll certainly take the win.”