John Mulvihill’s true impact on Cardiff Blues this season will be put to the test at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday when his side looks to beat the Ospreys in Swansea for the first time since 22 December, 2005.
Thanks to their back-to-back regional derby triumphs over the Dragons and Scarlets, the European Challenge Cup holders will head west once again at the weekend chasing an impressive hat-trick of derby wins in the space of 16 days.
Mulvihill’s men will be brimful of confidence after their commanding 34-5 win at Parc Y Scarlets last weekend, where they ended the home side’s 26 match unbeaten run in the Guinness PRO14. Now the challenge is to keep on winning to reach the PRO14 play-offs for the first time.
“I don’t think we’ve won down there for more than 10 years, so that’s something that will be in the back of our minds,” said Mulvihill ahead of the Ospreys clash.
“We went to Llanelli, stuck to the script and did the job. If we back that up this week, then we will have an opportunity to come away from all three regions with a win.
“We are building really nicely at this stage of the season and we have rotated our squad quite well. The players are in good health and in good form and I think we have managed the group pretty well.
“We know the Ospreys’ attacking style because Matt Sherratt was with the Blues last season. Matt has a certain style of play and I’m sure he won’t have changed that much.
“The Ospreys have played a similar style of rugby throughout the season and they have targeted their home games. This one will be no different.”
Welsh cap Jarrod Evans and international hopeful Owen Lane are back in contention for the game after recovering from shoulder and hamstring injuries respectively. But the real bonus for Mulvihill, the Blues and Wales head coach Warren Gatland has been the return to action of back row man Josh Navidi.
He has put together three successive 80 minute performances following a two month lay-off and looks set to reclaim the Wales No 7 jersey in the upcoming NatWest 6 Nations campaign.
The only team to have beaten the Ospreys, who are currently sitting in third place in Conference A, at the Liberty Stadium in the PRO14 since October, 2017, has been Glasgow Warriors. They did it twice, in November 2017 and November 2018.
With the Blues in fifth place, just one point behind their hosts, it is a vital fixture for both teams as they seek to reach the knock-out stages. Ospreys lost ground with their defeat at the Dragons, but Glasgow’s recent slip means Allen Clarke’s team trail the leaders by eight points and third-placed Connacht by just three.
“The win against Scarlets is definitely up there among pour best wins this season along with the Lyon and Munster games. It was a complete 80-minute performance from us and that’s something we can take out of it going forward,” added Mulvihill.
A second half surge took the Blues to within a couple of points of victory at the Liberty Stadium last season, when they were beaten 29-28, and you have to go back to December, 2005, for their last win at the venue.
The Ospreys have lost just once to the Blues in the Championship since 2010, 35-17 at Principality Stadium on Judgement Day 2017, and they lead the 30 match series 21-8, with one game drawn.
Here are the teams that played the last time the Blues won at the Liberty Stadium on 22 December, 2005:
Ospreys: Adrian Cashmore; Richard Mustoe, Sonny Parker, Gavin Henson, Shane Williams; Shaun Connor, Jason Spice; Duncan Jones, Barry Williams, Adam Jones, Andy Newman, Ian Evans, James Bater, Steve Tandy, Jonathan Thomas
Reps: Huw Bennett, Andrew Millward, Lyndon Bateman, Des Dillon, Matt Jones, Andrew Bishop, Stefan Terblanche
Scorers: Pens: S Connor 2, A Cashmore
Cardiff Blues: Rhys Williams; Chris Czekaj, Jamie Robinson, Marc Stcherbina, Craig Morgan; Nicky Robinson, Mike Phillips; Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas, Martin Jones, Deiniol Jones, Robert Sidoli, Andy Powell, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush
Reps: Ben Evans, Duane Goodfield, Craig Quinnell, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Ryan Powell, Roger Warren, Tristan Davies
YC: M Phillips
Scorers: Tries: C Czekaj, C Morgan, D Jones; Cons: N Robinson 2; Pens: N Robinson 3
Referee: Phil Fear (WRU)
