Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt has stressed it will be business as usual for his side when they head into Judgement Day at Principality Stadium this weekend to face the Ospreys.
A week on from the region being plunged into administration, and then being taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union, Sherratt is adamant his players won’t be hindered by the off the field machinations as they attempt to stay in the hunt for a play-off place in the BKT United Rugby Championship
Cardiff are ninth in the league table, but level on points with Edinburgh Rugby who currently occupy the all-important eighth spot, while the Ospreys are just three points behind. The Scarlets, who take on the Dragons in the second game of the Judgement Day double header, are also three points behind Cardiff.
“Nothing has actually changed for the staff and players at Cardiff. Everyone who was in contract is still in contract,” said Sherratt, addressing the administration issue.
“We are probably more secure now than we ever have been as a club, with the WRU coming in, although it was a worrying 24-48 hours. There is a massive amount of history here and I think the Welsh game would lose a lot if it lost Cardiff.
“It’s an iconic club in the middle of the city and it’s essential that rugby stays. The WRU have been brilliant, and I can’t speak highly enough of how they have been and the speed with which they have done things has been impressive.
“Away from the business side of it, their first thought has always been about the people at the club. I got texts immediately asking if the players and staff were OK.
“It will be nice to get back to rugby because, from my perspective in particular, it wasn’t an easy week to concentrate on rugby. What’s brilliant for us is we have two games left in Wales – one is at the best stadium in the world and the other is our last home game at the Arms Park against Munster.
“Then we are on almost an old-fashioned tour to South Africa to see what we can get there in our final two matches.”
The Ospreys drew at the Arms Park when they came to the Welsh capital earlier in the season and will be hoping to get back on track for a second successive top eight spot after the heartache of losing in the quarter finals of the EPCR Challenge Cup last weekend.
But Sherratt has set his players an ambitious target over the final two games on home soil before heading to South Africa to face the Bull and Stormers.
“Our goal is going to be to try and get 10 points out of our next two games. The league is so tight and the reality of going to South Africa after is it’s a tough place to go and pick up points,” said Sherratt.
“So that’s going to be our aim – we need to pick up 10 points. We looked four or five weeks ago at what gets you in the play-offs and a guaranteed number is probably around 50 points.
“I think this year it may be one or two less because of the competitive nature of the league with everyone beating each other. It’s pretty tight, and to reach that target means these next two games are massive.”