Rugby Union: Cardiff in mood to answer the call to Arms

CORPORATE hospitality boxes, an unfortunate fact of modern rugby life, have reduced the capacity of the club ground at Cardiff Arms Park to 14,000, and you may be sure that will be the number there this afternoon to see one of the decisive confrontations of the Heineken League, writes Steve Bale.

After a record 11 straight wins, Swansea lead the First Division by two points from Cardiff (10 wins, one defeat), whose own revival from last season's nadir parallels that of the All Whites when they were proceeding to the title a year ago. Two of the giants of Welsh rugby are once again bestriding it like colossi.

This is why public interest in their meeting is at such fever-pitch. Welsh rugby is at last abounding with new ideas and inspiration and these two leading clubs best express both. Swansea under Mike Ruddock and Cardiff under the Australian, Alex Evans, exemplify a new and growing optimism.

Hence their mutual respect - and Cardiff's knowledge that if they lose this one, it could well be enough to make their championship pretensions a pretence. 'If we are to have any chance of taking the Heineken title, then we must beat Swansea,' Evans said.

Cardiff's coaching director is not one for analysing opponents; it could hardly be otherwise after only three months' experience in the Welsh league. As Ruddock, who has elevated Swansea from mediocrity to consistent high quality, knows more about it, he is inevitably different.

For instance, his analysis of Australian front-row play identified a weakness which Keith Colclough, an unsung prop, exploited so well that Swansea beat the tourists. Having now done a critique of Cardiff, Ruddock knows today's will be his side's hardest game since they won at Llanelli in September.

Particularly as Swansea have been well below their best since tweaking the Wallabies' tail. 'We have been impressed with Cardiff every time we have watched them and we're prepared for a really big game,' he said. 'Swansea are going through an Australia syndrome in that we are only really raising our game in the big matches.'

At this level, they do not come any bigger. Neath, who are four points off the pace in third, play Llanelli, a further point behind in fourth but with a game in hand.