Time For The Regions to Claw Back
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
With Wales having been mauled by the Pumas at the World Cup, it’s been a week for licking wounds in Welsh rugby.
This weekend, though, seven days on after losing to Argentina in the quarterfinals, there is a chance for the domestic game to show its claws have sharpened when the United Rugby Championship season begins.
Three of the Welsh regions – the Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff – play on Saturday, whilst the Scarlets have gone long haul to start in South Africa against the Bulls on Sunday.
The Ospreys are away in Ireland to face Connacht, where Justin Tipuric – who retired from international rugby last season – will captain the team on his 200th appearance for the region.
Head coach Toby Booth said: “We know that Connacht is a very difficult place to go.
“The conditions can be challenging and there’s an artificial pitch which can often impact preparation, as well as the game itself.”
You have to go back 51 weeks for the last time Dai Flanagan’s Dragons side won a URC match at Rodney Parade, but hopes are high for a significant change in fortunes this season.
Up first at Rodney Parade will be Edinburgh, who gave the Welsh region a bit of a spanking on the opening day of last season with a 44-6 home win.
That led to Flanagan taking over the coaching reins as Dean Ryan was moved aside following his comments on the performance.
But after pre-season triumphs over the Ospreys and Scarlets, the ‘Men of Gwent’ look to be in great shape for a strong start.
With four of their opening five fixtures being at home, Flanagan’s side have a great chance to make an impact.
After facing Edinburgh they will meet Cardiff, Leinster and Ospreys at Rodney Parade and reigning champions Munster on the road.
“It’s nice to be at home for the first game and everyone’s been looking forward to the start for a long time. We’re excited,” said Flanagan.
“We want to grow our game and it’s nice to do that at home with four of the first five at Rodney Parade. We’re aware of the opportunity we have with playing those games at home.
“This is a very tough league and you need to win your home games. That’s what we’re targeting, making sure Rodney Parade is a tough place for teams to come.”
The Welsh World Cup contingent from the Dragons – Rio Dyer, Elliot Dee, Dan Lydiate, Taine Basham and Aaron Wainwright – won’t be available, and tight head prop Chris Coleman is rated 50-50 to be fit in time.
Scrum half Lewis Jones is sidelined with a fractured cheekbone.
Cardiff also start at home on Saturday evening, where they will include centre Willis Halaholo for their game against Benetton.
The former Wales centre appeared to be a victim of the budget cuts when he left the Arms Park at the end of last season, having suffered an Achilles tendon injury.
But Halaholo has recovered and been given a short-term contract, meaning he starts against the Italians.
Head coach Matt Sherratt said: “It is great to have Willis available for selection, after signing a short-term contract with the club.
“He has completed his rehab with us, trained very well, turned out in pre-season for ourselves and Cardiff RFC and remains an important figure for us.
“There is no doubt around his quality, and we will see how he does in the weeks ahead.”
On Sunday, the Scarlets face the Bulls in Pretoria. On the same weekend, South Africa could be celebrating a place in the World Cup final if they can overcome England.
New signings Taine Plumtree, Ioan Lloyd, and Alex Craig, will all make their URC debuts in a team that includes 12 internationals even without their World Cup contingent.
Wales Women also play this weekend, down in New Zealand where they open their campaign in the new WXV1 tournament in Wellington.
Head coach Ioan Cunningham has selected the same starting line-up that recorded a first win over the USA in September.
That means a 50th cap for captain and centre Hannah Jones.
Cunningham said: “We all know this is a special occasion for Hannah, her family and for all the squad.
“She made her Wales debut as a 16-year-old and her leadership qualities, on and off the field, is why she is so respected throughout the game.”
QUICK LINKS
Price Lowered . . . Gerwyn Denied In World Grand Prix Final
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Gerwyn Price was unable to lift darts’ World Grand Prix title in Leicester as he lost out in the final to Luke Humpries.
Price admitted he had been wayward in the moments that matter after he was beaten 5-2.
“I’m absolutely gutted but it’s what happens. I wish we could play these games in Wales,” said a disconsolate Price.
“I think I played better than him tonight. I felt he played better at the right times, but I played better overall. Fair play to Luke, he did what he had to do, and he had a lot of support. I didn’t help myself early on, but Luke played fantastic and he’s a worthy winner.
ICE HOCKEY
Cardiff Devils were also left grounded as they suffered a second successive defeat to Belfast Giants in the Elite League.
Sean Norris put Giants ahead in the opening period and although Trevor Cox replied, Daniel Tedesco restored the lead.
Charlie Curti scored a third for Giants and although Riley Brandt pulled a goal back for Devils, Quinn Preston sealed victory for the visitors.
The Devils host Coventry Blaze in the Challenge Cup on Friday 13th October.
QUICK LINKS
Swansea City Are Surging Again But Cardiff Have Stalled
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Wales’ rugby players weren’t the only ones who made it four out of four at the weekend.
Swansea City looked far from a smooth-running machine just a month ago, but they have now won four matches on the bounce to rise to 12th in the Championship after their 3-1 win at Plymouth Argyle.
A second away success continues a sharp turnaround in form for Swansea, who failed to win in their first seven Championship games under Michael Duff.
Striker Liam Cullen says: “I think we are showing we are starting to turn the corner. You are starting to see the sort of side we are and with four wins on the bounce we can go into the international break on a real high. To be where we are now from a few weeks ago shows the mentality and togetherness of the group.”
For Duff, the turnaround has been impressive as his critics were lining up when his team were struggling to adapt to his new methods.
Since losing the derby match to Cardiff City on September 19th, the Swans have drawn with QPR and then beaten Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, Norwich City and Plymouth.
Duff said: “We played on Wednesday and have had two away games this week so to get a nine-point week was really pleasing. We stayed calm at half-time, there was no panic.
“Some of the blocks were brilliant, some of the defending was really good. We talked about being good in both boxes and that is where we win the game ultimately.
“We gave ourselves the opportunity to get back in the game and scored three good goals.
While the Swans surge, Cardiff City have stalled, with one point taken from their last two games – the point coming in a 1-1 draw at home to Watford.
Erol Bulut has suggested his players have believed too much in the hype and the Turkish manager said: “Perhaps after four wins in a row we thought we were great, but we have to work, and today we didn’t work as a group.
“I am satisfied with the start of the season, but not with today. The first 35 minutes was good, but I don’t know what happened afterwards. We totally changed. I don’t know why, whether it was pressure or they were stressed. In the end we have to be happy with one point.”
It was another statement weekend for Wrexham, though, who ended a three-match stretch without a win by claiming a 1-0 victory at Crawley Town.
The victory lifted Wrexham into the League Two play-off places and in a very tight division, leaves them just two points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Ollie Palmer scored the vital goal against his former club and the Dragons managed to hold on after Andy Cannon was shown a red card for a foul on Adam Campbell.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “It’s a huge win for us. They’re a decent side and have done well this season. There was a great togetherness about the group, and you could sense it.
“All I can say about the sending off is that the ref goes to pull a yellow card out of his pocket, and I’d like to ask him what changed his mind because the lad’s rolled on the floor, so theatrical.
“But in adversity the lads have dug really deep and that’s great for us.”
Newport County, however, have slipped down to 19th place in League Two after a 2-1 home defeat to Harrogate Town.
“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Newport manager Graham Coughlan who watched his team go two goals down before Will Evans pulled a goal back. “We’re showing a naivety, showing our inexperience and it’s hard to take.”
In the women’s Genero Adran Premier, Cardiff City moved two points clear at the top after a 3-0 win at Wrexham.
Swansea City beat Pontypridd United, 2-1, while the New Saints won 5-0 against Barry Town.
QUICK LINKS
Five-Star Warren Gatland Makes It Four Out Of Four With Wales
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Four games, four wins and now a chance to make the last four if they can beat Argentina.
Every four years, Warren Gatland seems to get it right with Wales and now he’s done it again at this Rugby World Cup.
The weekend victory over Georgia confirmed top place in Pool C and a quarter-final meeting with Argentina on Saturday, but the price paid was the end of the tournament for Taulupe Faletau with a broken arm.
Gatland has called up scrum-half Kieran Hardy to replace Faletau and explained: “We feel we have a number of options in the back row at the moment, so we’ve decided to call up Kieran to give us extra cover at scrum-half and to take some pressure off from a training perspective.”
Hardy was left out of Wales’ initial World Cup squad after Gatland opted to select only two scrum-halves in Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams.
Louis Rees-Zammit scored a hat-trick of tries against the Georgians in the 43-19 win and says he’s now fitter than ever, having been gently provoked by Gatland.
“I am definitely a quicker player now. I am a lot fitter as well, which means I can repeat these things,” said Rees-Zammit.
“I know Gats (Wales head coach Warren Gatland) has spoken about my training schedule.
“I haven’t missed training for a couple of months now, which is great. I am buzzing with the way I am playing at the minute – I am trying to do everything I can to help the team.”
It was another exhibition of the 22-year-old’s dazzling finishing skills and why he is among the biggest box-office attractions in world rugby.
“It (World Cup leading try-scorer) is something that is in the back of my head, but getting the wins is all that matters,” he said.
Wales assistant coach and attack specialist Alex King fully acknowledges Rees-Zammit’s value ahead of a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final appearance.
Rees-Zammit was the only Wales back to start all four group games and he scored tries in three of those against Fiji, Portugal and Georgia.
King said: “We are lucky to have a player like Louis. It’s great for rugby to have these kind of stars with finishing power like that.
“He is a fantastic athlete; he is quick and his game has really come on in the last 12 months.
“It’s his mindset, his attitude, his professionalism, everything you need to be a top player.
“He is still very young, he has got 30-odd caps for Wales, has been on a British and Irish Lions tour and just wants to get better and better.
“We want to get the ball to Louis, but it is not as simple as just giving him the ball. Defences are very good.
“His attitude has been first class. He wants to get better and better every day he turns up to work. He was great (against Georgia) and I am looking forward to Marseille next week.”
The quarter-finals have been confirmed with host nation France playing reigning and three-time champions South Africa and the world’s number-one-ranked side Ireland taking on three-time champions New Zealand at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
At Stade de Marseille, Wales will play Argentina after Los Pumas’ crucial victory against Japan in Nantes.
At the same venue, Pool D winners England will play Fiji, who are set to compete in the knock-out stages of the Rugby World Cup for the first time since 2007.
Saturday, 14 October
QF1: Wales v Argentina – Stade de Marseille
QF2: Ireland v New Zealand – Stade de France, Saint Denis
Sunday, 15 October
QF3: England v Fiji – Stade de Marseille
QF4: France v South Africa – Stade de France, Saint Denis
QUICK LINKS
Ruby Is The Jewel In The Crown For Welsh Gymnastics
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
GYMNASTICS
Those involved in Welsh gymnastics can spend this weekend reflecting on the prospect of having their first artistic gymnast at an Olympic Games since 1996.
Ruby Evans, a 16-year-old from Cardiff, looks well set to break that barren sequence by winning selection for the Great Britain squad for the Paris Olympics next year.
Earlier this summer, she was sitting her GCSEs as a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr in the capital.
On Wednesday, she was in Antwerp competing for GB on her senior debut and battling it out at the World Championships against legends of the sport such as the American Simone Biles.
“It definitely feels different in real life than watching it on telly!” said Evans after helping GB to a sixth-placed finish, which was a relative disappointment after their qualification in second place.
Evans and her Great Britain teammates – Jessica Gadirova, Ondine Achampong, Alice Kinsella and Georgia-Mae Fenton – ultimately failed to get among the medals after putting a total score of 161.864 on the board.
Biles inspired USA (167.729) to a record seventh consecutive title ahead of Brazil, who secured silver and France, who took bronze.
But the stylish and mature performance of Evans – who competed on vault and floor – was a major positive for Great Britain.
“It was an amazing experience to be out here with all these experienced gymnasts,” Evans told the BBC afterwards.
“Obviously things didn’t go exactly the way I wanted but I had fun.”
“It’s loud here, it’s the biggest competition I’ve ever done and, it’s a bit of a shock. It feels great being from Wales as not a lot of us from Wales get to experience this.”
It has already been quite some journey so far for Evans.
She’s gone from a talented emerging young gymnast with Cardiff Olympic Gymnastics Club, to an elite star taking on the world.
NETBALL
The Cardiff Dragons continue their preparations for the new season, having made an appointment on the coaching side.
They have confirmed Jen Barrett as their new assistant coach for the upcoming Super League season.
Barrett is also the current assistant coach for the Wales Netball national academy U21 squad and will work alongside Dragons head coach Jill McIntosh.
Barrett said “I’m extremely honoured to have been given this opportunity to be a part of the coaching team for the Cardiff Dragons this season.
“The group is incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve.”
QUICK LINKS
History Beckons For Warren Gatland And Wales
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Wales coach Warren Gatland, has been talking about Wales’ final Pool C opponents at the Rugby World Cup, the Georgians.
A year ago, Georgia beat Wales in Cardiff, but Gatland isn’t much fussed by that.
He is, though, an admirer of the Georgians’ renowned fighting spirit and determination, which in an impromptu history lesson he likened to that of Welsh people when attacked by invading forces from the other side of the Severn Bridge.
“When the Vikings came to England, they didn’t want to come across the border to fight the Welsh because of how mad they were, and how much they’d defend their own territory and space,” said Gatland.
“Georgia are very much like that if you look at their history. They will defend in a very similar way to Wales.”
A year ago, Levan Maisashvili’s side triumphed 13-12 in Cardiff to record one of their most famous victories, but that game hasn’t figured in Wales’ own build-up in Nantes.
“I only watched the first half of that game as I was at Twickenham for a match there,” added Gatland.
“At half-time, I was confident Wales would win that game and unfortunately everything came unstuck in the last 10 minutes.
“That can sometimes happen in games, but we don’t look back. We haven’t spoken about that at all, we’ve just been looking forward from our own perspective.
“We’re pleased to be in the position we are in at the moment, with the progress that has been made as a group, in the coaches and the support staff. We’re excited about where we are, and we are looking forward to going deep into this tournament.”
The game in Nantes will be Gatland’s 23rd in charge of Wales at the World Cup and his 27th when you add in four games with Ireland at the 1999 tournament.
Having taken Wales to two semi-finals and a quarter-final in the past, he has once again guaranteed a knock-out place in France.
A clean sweep of the four games in Pool C would see Wales once again top their pool and set up a quarter final clash with the winner of the game between Argentina and Japan.
They need one point from the game against Georgia to finish top.
“I don’t think there is any secret to our success at the World Cup, it is just down to hard work. We have spoken in the past about the opportunity in World Cup years – the time you get with the players, the time you can put into things, and these guys have worked incredibly hard,” he added.
“We’ve been excellent in the way we have managed the players. We pretty much have a clean bill of health, in terms of no injuries, and I know that is hugely important for a country like Wales with such a small playing base.
“In the past, when we have got to quarter and semi-finals, injuries have had quite a significant impact on us. It was all about using the warm-up games for rotation, seeing where the players were and for now it’s about getting better game to game.
“As you get to the business end of the tournament, it’s about being prepared and hopefully having improved performances week on week.
“I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of what this group has put in.”
Someone else making a bit of personal history this weekend will be the former Wales centre, Jonathan Davies.
“Fox” as he is known will play his 200th game for the Scarlets in a pre-season friendly against the Dragons at Parc y Scarlets, 17 years after he first pulled on their shirt.
QUICK LINKS
Jamie Paterson Says Swansea City Pain Has Driven Their Gain
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Swansea City fans may be wondering what has happened to their club to turn things around, but midfielder Jamie Paterson thinks he knows the answer.
The Swans visit Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, where they could earn their fourth successive victory in the Championship. That would be a massive turnaround from their first seven matches, where they failed to register a single victory as new head coach Michael Duff struggled to make his mark.
Paterson believes it was the pain of losing the south Wales derby that has been a major catalyst in taking 10 out of the last 12 points to move out of the relegation zone and up to 15th in the table.
“You can go seven games without a win in the middle of a season, but when it’s at the start with a new manager it can get blown into something bigger,” said Paterson.
“None of us were happy with the performances at the start. There was a big change of players, the way we trained, tactics – everything!
“I feel we’ve now landed on a way of playing and it suits everyone. It’s what people want to see.
“It’s tough to win three games in a row in the Championship against any teams. I can’t pinpoint what’s made the difference, but maybe the Cardiff defeat hurt more than we thought it did.
“It was a horrible day for all of us, but maybe it was the kick we needed. I feel we’ve turned a corner from that game.
“There are two ways you can go after something like that – not believe you are going to win another game or do what we’ve done. We’ve stuck together, worked hard, and ignored all the noise to try to turn things around.
“We haven’t cracked it yet, but we’ve won three in a row, and we should have beaten QPR in the game before that. The fact we’ve turned things around proves the strength in the group, we’ve found a way of coming together.”
Newly promoted Plymouth are only one point and one place behind Swansea, and Paterson says his side will be taking nothing for granted on the south coast.
“Plymouth have a lot of energy and we need to carry some confidence into the game. We now are starting to think we are a good side,” added Paterson.
Cardiff have confirmed Wales captain Aaron Ramsey will be missing for up to 10 weeks after suffering a knee injury – and it could be more if he needs surgery.
Strikers Yakou Meite and Kion Etete are also set for a month out with hamstring injuries. Meite picked up his against Rotherham United last weekend, while Etete hobbled off in the defeat at Middlesbrough midweek.
But Bulut hopes to welcome back Josh Bowler and Jamilu Collins from injury for Saturday’s visit of struggling Watford.
Watford have started poorly under their new manager Valérien Ismaël, but Bulut says: “He is a really good coach.
“I know him from Besiktas, where he started well. Sometimes, in football it can happen that you lose a few games in a row, but we don’t focus on Watford, we have to focus on ourselves.
“We have to be, on Saturday, 100% on the field to get our points back that we lost at Middlesbrough.”
Newport County are bidding to build on their midweek victory over Colchester United by making it back-to-back wins at home to Harrogate.
There is an upbeat, optimistic mood at the club following the takeover by former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins.
Manager Graham Coughlan said: “I have met Huw and have had a chat with him. He seems a very nice positive man and we are just waiting until the ink is dry and it’s all made official.
“Then I am sure I will be able to sit and get involved a little bit more and try to enjoy it. But until it’s official I am probably best-off concentrating on the grass.”
Wrexham – in ninth place in League Two – have not won in three games and visit fifth-placed Crawley Town.
Hollywood stardom has given the club a certain fame on their travels, and manager Phil Parkinson says: “When Wrexham are in town there is often a sell-out. We had it the last two years in the National League and this is no different.
“We have got to get used to it again, that it is a cup-tie type of atmosphere wherever we go. Every game is going to be like that, and we have got to be ready for it.”
QUICK LINKS
Principality Cardiff Half Marathon 2023 Elite Preview
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
A battle of former winners is expected at the 20th edition of the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday.
Shadrack Kimining (59:27) returns to Cardiff, looking to chase the course record at the event where he made his international debut with victory back in 2016. His last trip to Cardiff came in 2019 where he lost out to Leonard Langat in the closing metres to finish second in 59:32.
Last year’s winner Geofrey Koech (59:32) also returns, looking to better his winning time of 60:01 from 12 months ago. The Birrell Prague 10km Champion from 2019 has since won the prestigious Boston Half Marathon and more recently finished third at the Prague Half Marathon in April.
Also racing are Benard Biwott (59:44) who won the Santa Pola Half Marathon near Valencia and Wesley Kimutai (59:47) who finished second at the prestigious Rome Ostia Half Marathon in March.
Hicham Amghar (59:53) of Morocco will be looking to dip under the magical 60-minute barrier for a third time this year having finished fifth at Ras Al Khaimah in February with 59:53 and again in Istanbul finishing second in 59:58.
Vincent Mutai ran a solid 60:20 at Antrim Coast last month on his half marathon debut so is likely to go out with the leading group, hoping to post a sub 60-minute clocking.
David Kimaiyo is an exciting debutant owing to his 10km best of 27:26 set at Castellon in February.
Bereket Zeleke (62:27) was fifth at the World U20 Cross Country Championships running for his native Ethiopia and made his debut for the distance in Antrim finishing 10th.
Further International interest sits with Morocco’s Omar El Harrass (61:55), Japan’s Takuya Kitasaki 61:51) and debutant Ben Eidenschink from the USA who was sixth at the US Cross Country Championships in 2022 and has a 10,000m best of 27:51.
Paulos Surafel (61:51) and Mo Aadan (62:28) are the fastest British athletes on paper followed by the English national Cross Country Champion from 2020, Calum Johnson (63:16).
Further entrants Kieran Clements (64:31) and Ross Skelton (64:37) both also have sub 65 minute pedigree.
Mestawut Fikir (66:44) heads the start lists for the women’s race following her runaway victory at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon last month.
Fellow Ethiopian Betelihem Afenigus (66:44) sits just two seconds slower on paper and won the popular Venlo Half Marathon earlier this year.
2022 winner Beatrice Cheserek (66:48) will be familiar with the course and as a fierce competitor will be looking to retain her title on Sunday. So far this year Cheserek has won three half marathons, in Santa Pola, Riyadh and Tallinn.
Viola Chepngeno (66:48) was the runner-up last time and is another athlete who has been extremely busy over the last 12 months, along with Koech, also winning in Boston and lowering her P.B. for 10km to 31:05 in France this April.
Aminet Ahmed (67:08) most recently raced at the Copenhagen Half Marathon where she clocked 68:01.
Dorcas Kimeli (67:10) became the third fastest in history over 10km with 29:57 at the Birrell Grand Prix in Prague in 2019 and has previously raced in Cardiff back in 2017.
Costa Rican Record Holder for Half Marathon and for the Marathon, Diana Bogantes-Gonzalez (73:08) will be in action in Cardiff, along with Marcela Joglova (73:46) of the Czech Republic.
Jenny Nesbitt (72:54) will head the Welsh contingent joined by Caryl Edwards (71:18), Anna Bracegirdle (73:21), Olivia Tsim (73:38) and Beth Kidger (76:27).
Further British Athletes of note include Olympian Sonia Samuels (72:19), Cambridge Half Marathon Champion Verity Hopkins (73:35) and Kirsteen Welch (74:42) of Exeter Harriers.
Josh Hartley (49:06) is the outstanding entry in the Men’s Wheelchair race, joined by 2018 Champion Tiaan Bosch (51:14) and multiple Cardiff winner Richie Powell. Martyna Snopek (63:02) is a previous winner of the Great North Run and will be racing in Cardiff on Sunday.
Over 27,500 runners have registered for the event, which is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary in 2023. The event, which is a member of the international SuperHalfs Series is sponsored by the Principality Building Society and organised by Run 4 Wales (R4W). It also holds a World Athletics Elite Race Label.
QUICK LINKS
October Magazine
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE
Don’t miss out on our monthly issue. plus you’ll get access to the latest sports news, competitions, offers and more!
Gemma Grainger Looks To Turn Up The Heat In Iceland
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Wales women kick off the football weekend with a huge test of their progress in Iceland.
It’s where manager Gemma Grainger believes the journey to qualification for a major tournament starts in earnest.
The fixture may be their opener in the UEFA Women’s Nations League – rather than World Cup or European Championship – but Grainger insists the route this tournament offers as a back-up for Euros qualification is invaluable.
“Success in the Nations League is us performing and competing,” says Grainger.
“We’re the fourth seeded team in the group so I’m sure externally if we finish fourth we’ll meet everyone’s external expectations, but internally they are very much not our expectations.
“Our expectations are to perform and, ultimately, we want to qualify for the European Championships so being in League A gives us the best opportunity to do that.
“The 16 teams in League A is effectively a 16-team start to a European Championship, so to be in that we’ll use these games to help us progress towards the ultimate goal.”
Wales will start their campaign in Reykjavík as the underdogs in a group – A3 – that also includes Denmark and Germany.
Grainger’s side, ranked 29th in the world, are the fourth seed in the group with third seed Iceland ranked 15 places above Wales.
On Sunday, Erol Bulut insists his Cardiff City “machine” can keep pumping out the results whether or not Aaron Ramsey is fit to play at Sunderland.
The Bluebirds have won back-to-back victories for the first time since February and aim to make it three wins on the bounce when they head to the North-East.
Cardiff will travel to the Stadium of Light, looking to chalk up a third consecutive Championship win for the first time since a run in January-February 2022.
They are likely to include captain Ramsey in their line-up after he missed the midweek 3-2 win over Coventry City – which followed their derby triumph against Swansea City – but even if the Wales skipper is missing again through a hamstring concern, Bulut says the team will keep firing.
“Aaron Ramsey is very important for this club, for me and for the team. It’s not easy to not have him in the game,” said Bulut.
“But we showed – our players showed – we don’t have to concentrate only on one player. If it’s not Ramsey, it has to be someone else. Our company, our machine has to work always. It has to be the same performance if someone else plays.”
Even more desperate for a victory is Swansea City head coach Michael Duff.
The former Northern Ireland international has yet to win a Championship match this season and knows the pressure is mounting with the Swans in the relegation zone.
On Saturday, the club host fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.
Duff admitted: “We need a win. The players need a win. I want to win more than anyone.
“I have been given a massive responsibility at this football club and I want to leave it in a better place than I found it.
“At the minute we are nowhere near where we want to get to. But you can’t stick the cherry on top before building the foundations.”
Swansea will be without the suspended Ollie Cooper and injured Joe Allen, Liam Walsh and Kyle Naughton.
Newport County will host Bradford City on Saturday with County manager Graham Coughlan at the centre of speculation linking him with the managerial vacancy at Cheltenham Town.
Newport are currently 12th in League Two.
Coughlan said: “I don’t know much about it and would rather concentrate on Bradford. We have 24 hours to prepare for a big game and that is where my focus is.”
Wrexham could move into the automatic promotion places in League Two if they win away at Stockport County on Saturday.
Phil Parkinson’s team are currently fourth – three points behind leaders Gillingham – and are unbeaten in seven games after losing their opening game at home to MK Dons.