One-point win brings rhapsody for Blues
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Your support makes all the difference.All is not quite so blue for Cardiff as they broke their 10-match losing streak in the Heineken Cup with a one-point victory over Biarritz Olympique at the Arms Park. It needed a missed conversion in the last minute by French international, Dimitri Yachvili however, although that will not bother both Sale and Leinster who play today at Edgeley Park.
Whoever wins will go top of Pool Three and the Irish club, stunned by last week's home defeat to a late drop-goal by Charlie Hodgson have made three changes.
Gordon D'Arcy has moved from the wing to replace the injured Brian O'Driscoll at outside centre and Brendan Burke comes in as winger. Christian Warner returns at fly-half after injury in place of Matt Leek.
Pool One is the most open with all four sides possible winners after Leicester's comprehensive, bonus-point defeat of Ulster, but Stade Français must win at home today against Gwent Dragons. and have made five channges to last week's team.
Christophe Dominici returns for the Italian full-back Mirco Bergamasco and the injured Agustin Pichot is replaced as scrum-half by Gregory Mahe. The front five have three changes, Mathieu Blin and Sylvain Marconnet start in the front row with the French international, Patrick Tabacco in as lock. A win with a bonus point would put them level at the top of the pool with the Tigers.
Similar calculations and tension dominate Pool Six. Perpignan, Wasps and Celtic Warriors all have realistic chances of winning the group, especially with the Warriors hosting the French club next week and then Wasps finishing the Pool with a daunting trip to the Pyrenees the week after in what could be a winner takes all finale.
A win today at Headingley for Edinburgh would put them back on top of Pool Two ahead of Toulouse but they are without captain Todd Blackadder. The former All Black had an operation on his left shoulder on Wednesday, although he is hopeful of returning to action this season.
In the Parker Pen Challenge Cup Harlequins reached the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the trophy in extra-time in 2001. Their 36-17 defeat of Montauban, with Matt Moore scoring twice, gave them an aggregate win of 79-25 and a tie against either Castres-Olympique or Brive who play today. Castres, the home side, have to overcome a 30-17 deficit.
Bath, last year's losing finalists, also qualified with a 26-17 win over Colomiers, although it needed a try by Scott Gray in the 80th minute and Olly Barkley's conversion to stop a spirited Colomiers who were only defeated 58-42 over both legs by the Zurich Premiership leaders.
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