Rugby Union: Cardiff's bout of Scarlet fever ill-timed

THE Arms Park will ring to the sound of 15,000 voices this afternoon for one of the heavyweight confrontations of the sporting season, writes Steve Bale. No, not Lennox v Bruno. Next door, at the club ground, Cardiff touch gloves with Llanelli in a championship bout that could be critical in deciding the Heineken title's ultimate destination.

On the other hand, in the broader context of the development of the Welsh team this momentous fixture is singularly ill-timed, or else the Wales A game against Japan on Wednesday was since it involved a total of nine Cardiff and Llanelli players and was jammed in between two league Saturdays without great regard for those involved.

As long as the Welsh Rugby Union pours a quart into a pint-pot, the requirements of A-team rugby, which should be treated much the same as the national team, will not be satisfied. Wednesday's squad of 21 got together on Tuesday; in these laughable circumstances, a 61-5 win was a considerable achievement.

'We have to ask ourselves why the national side is not at the head of the pyramid and why we are continuing with 22 First Division fixtures a season when too many of the matches are not competitive,' Allan Lewis, the Llanelli and former Wales A coach, said. The answer is that the clubs, having been dragged kicking and screaming into the league, ended up wanting more of what they had originally not wanted at all.

'In between two league fixtures it's unfair to put players under that pressure,' Kevin Bowring, the A-team coach, said. 'A lot more dialogue needs to take place. It's a very congested season and as usual the players are in the middle.'

Llanelli, who lie third, would testify to the unfairness of it all. Injuries mean the absence of Ian Jones, Nigel Davies, Neil Boobyer, Colin Stephens and Andrew Lamerton among others and, given the way Cardiff have been going, this is hardly the one to miss. They lead the First Division with the only 100 per cent record, their match averages of 47 points and six tries

reminiscent of Llanelli's when they were champions last season.

'It will be more than just another game,' Alex Evans, the Cardiff coach, admitted. If the Scarlets prevailed, Neath would go top by winning at Aberavon.