Chiefs v Blues pre-season Preview
TAKODA
By Takoda
August 15 2010
Takoda kicks off this seasons match Previews as he looks foward to Cardiff Blues visit to Sandy Park.
Match Preview
Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff Blues 
21st August 2010
With the new Aviva Premiership season looming, Exeter Chiefs open the pre season with a more than adequate test against 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup winners the Cardiff Blues. Both clubs will still be riding high from last seasons achievements, so this promises to be a perfect way to warm up for the tough encounters ahead. The game should provide a suitable challenge for Exeter, as the Blues had no less than eight of their players named in the Wales national squad for their game against the Springboks back in June.
This will be the first opportunity for Chiefs fans to see some of the new players in action (John Vickers, Chris Whitehead, James Phillips, Garrick Cowley, Ryan Davis, Andrew Higgins, Luke Arscott, Eoghan Grace and Ignacio Elosu ) that were acquired through the summer. They will however have to wait a little longer to see new signing Jason Shoemark, who arrives from New Zealand later in the campaign . The Sandy Park faithful will no doubt want to see more of the attacking rugby displayed in the final game of last season, which saw Exeter lift the championship play-off trophy, and gain the long awaited promotion to the top flight.
Cardiff have also strengthened their cup winning squad with five new signings (Michael Paterson, Tom Brown, Bryn Griffiths, Tom Davies and Dan Parks), so we could see these players getting a run out at Sandy Park. The Blues will however be without centre Jamie Roberts, who required surgery on a long term injury to his wrist and will miss the start of the new season.
One contest that should prove exciting to watch, will be the Gareth Steenson and Ben Blair battle of the kickers. Chiefs fans will already know what Steenson is capable of, but Blair has a similar golden boot, scoring almost one thousand points in a little over a hundred games for the Blues. Cardiff's new signing Dan Parks is also likely to be a threat, his impressive statistics make him the leading point scorer in the Magners League.
The Chiefs and Blues will meet again during November in the LV= Cup, after the two clubs were drawn together in round two.
This Saturday fixture is first game of a double header weekend, which also sees the Chiefs play against the Cornish Pirates, in their second pre season friendly the following day.
The march toward their first Premiership Campaign for the Chiefs starts here!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:08:15:18:27:34 by Moorsman.
)15 - Dolman 8 - Phillips
14 - Higgins 7 - Scaysbrook
13 - Rennie 6 - Johnson
12 - Davis 5 - Hanks
11 - Jess 4 - Hayes
10 - Steenson 3 - Elosu
9 - Thomas 2 - Clark
1 - Tui
Reps;
Foster, Sestaret, Cowley, Grace, Slade, Sturgess
Team for Pirates game - Foster, Charlie Thingy from Taunton, Stupple, Sestaret, Coote, Davis, Cowley, Johnson, Grace, Slade, Gannon, Hanks, Budgeon, Vickers, Sturgess. Reps - Dolman, McKenzie, Steenson, Thomas, Scaysbrook, Hayes, Alcott, Elosu.
Probably got these 2 squads totally wrong, but there are some interesting combinations.
Also Herbie is primarily a back row (6) rather than a centre