Cardiff – Cambridge – Jason Harries Post Match thoughts

“It’s great for them to get to play at the Arms Park against decent opposition,” Harries on Cardiff’s 14-12 win

Alun Rees’s first-half try accompanied by the boot of Harri Wilde gave The Blue and Blacks an early lead at the break. Kodie Stone’s impressive run from distance at the start of the second-half to crossover proved to be enough as The Blue and Blacks recorded their first pre-season win at the Cardiff Arms Park against Cambridge Rugby.

Speaking after the result captain Jason Harries said: “We reviewed a lot from last week’s game against Pontypridd on things we can get better at, things that don’t require any talent, speed into position, both sides of ball in attack and defence, escorting when the ball is in the air. 

“Little things like that and I’ve seen a big improvement from last week, it was end-to-end at some stages of the game, but I was glad we came out on the right side of the scoreboard.”

All through pre-season there has been a lot of the future talent on show, Harries said: “I think that’s kinda the route now for those players to get exposure in the Super Rygbi Cymru which starts in two weeks. The more opportunities that they get especially against English opposition like today who are in the English Championship, it’s great exposure for them to take their next step to that kind of level. 

Jason Harries has stepped in as Captain for pre-season as Sean Moore has been away on his honeymoon, on being Captain Harries said: “It’s been good, pulling my hair out at times but it’s all part and parcel of the game isn’t it.

“The more that I can contribute to those youngsters around me hopefully they can lean on me for experience or any questions I’m happy to help them out. 

“I was looking around today in the backline and there were a lot of young ones out there but it’s great for them to get to play at the (Cardiff) Arms Park against decent opposition,” he added.

The Blue and Blacks will now turn their full attention to RGC on September 14 when they kickoff the new Super Rygbi Cymru season, On the new Super Rygbi Cymru League, Harris added: “After a long, tough pre-season Dan and Craig have made sure that the game plan that we want to play is being implemented in pre-season and you know there has been a lot of fitness to achieve this in the way we want to play. We gotta put the graft in and we’ve done alot of that which is going to be a huge benefit for us.

“We’ve got two weeks now to knuckle down and go over the past two games where we can get better and really take it into RGC in two weeks.

“The way they have structured it this season in terms of ten being in there, everygame is going to be a real challenge. When we get local derbies down here Newport, Pontypool is always a tasty fixture, Ebbw Vale those fixtures really stand out but across the board they’ve narrowed it down to ten teams and its going to be a real fight all season,” Harries concluded.