Blues Next In Stade's Sights

The Blues, who did not win a home match in the 2002 / 2003 tournament, losing to Biarritz Olympique, Northampton Saints and Ulster, lost their 12^th successive away game last Friday when the boot of David Humphreys kicked Ulster to a 21-16 victory.

Sylvain Marconnet, the Stade Français Paris prop and Man of the Match against Gloucester, declared: "It was an epic match.

"We won because everyone played at 100%. Players who don't normally get out on the park were hungry for the ball and show they had earned this opportunity.

"The forwards scored, the backs scored, everyone is happy!"

But head coach Fabien Galthie was quick to make sure that his players do not get carried away and travel to Wales focused on the job ahead.

"Now we have to go to Cardiff and win," he said. "Qualification for the quarter-finals is still a long, long way away and our next hurdle will be our trip to Cardiff on Friday.

"However, this was a great victory - the bonus point, the solidarity and the serious application. It was all good.

"I don't want to pick out any player in particular but I want to underline the contribution of Mirco Bergamasco, who played in the centre for the first time since his arrival in Paris.

"He did very well - in fact, amazingly well since his he was pitched in against such awesome opposition in Fanolua and Paul.

"As far as it went as a team, after playing an old style game in the rain against Montferrand, the Heineken Cup has given us an opportunity to play cleaner, more attractive rugby."

And hooker Mathieu Blin added that a home defeat in Round 1 could as good as ended their quarter-final hopes.

"Our qualification is not assured but a defeat at home to Gloucester would surely have finished our European adventure," said Blin.

"And we won without any new injuries - we have finally had a match without any injuries! We won the match and got the bonus point. What more could we ask for?

"Now we are going to Cardiff to get a result. "