News in Brief
Blues duo accept responsibility for attendance drop
Scrum.com
December 26, 2009
Cardiff Blues' Ben Blair in action during the Heineken Cup match with Biarritz Olympique at Parc des Sports Aguilera in Biarritz, France on December 13, 2008.
Ben Blair hopes that Cardiff Blues can soon turn a corner © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Ben Blair | Sam Norton-Knight | Marco Wentzel
Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership | Magners League

  • Cardiff Blues duo Ben Blair and Sam Norton-Knight have laid the blame for poor attendances at the newly-minted Cardiff City Stadium firmly at the feet of the misfiring Magners League franchise after a run of poor on-field performances.

    The Blues are currently stuck in eighth place in the league and face a huge uphill struggle to progress in Europe, having slipped to a heavy defeat in Toulouse after attracting just over 10,000 fans for the home leg a week earlier.

    "You would have to look at our results this season," Blair told The Western Mail. "We have not played as well this year and that's part of the reason. People get in behind winning teams so we need to do that."

    Fly-half Norton-Knight has edured a difficult introduction to life with Cardiff after a switch from the Waratahs and concedes that their performance in attack leaves a lot to be desired.

    "I guess you can't point your finger at the crowds because we have not been seeing the game a lot with our attack," he said. "I think it's important we get our side of things right first and I'm sure the support will come."

  • Leeds skipper Marco Wentzel has called on his side to keep the pressure on Bath ahead of their forthcoming Guinness Premiership encounter at Headingley next weekend. Leeds take on Newcastle at Kingston Park on Sunday with the struggling west country side in their sights.

    Bath are currently three points ahead of bottom-placed Leeds and face Gloucester at the Rec in their next fixture.

    "In the grand scheme of things, these two matches are massive for us," he said."We've been close in recent matches but not close enough. We need to start winning."

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