Rhys Carré has pointed to Cardiff’s consistency after they cruised to a bonus-point victory over Newcastle Falcons to maintain their 100 per cent start to the European Challenge Cup.
The giant loose-head was one of the standout performers as Cardiff dominated at Kingston Park. He made countless eye-catching carries, an earth shattering hit on Newcastle centre Zach Kerr and bagged one of his side’s seven tries.
Carré was thrilled with the performance and believes the Blue and Blacks are beginning to develop a level of consistency that all teams crave.
He said: “We talked about backing results up with consistency so it was good. The boys put in a mental shift. We said the first half would be the one if we could grind them out, we put our foot down in that first-half and then in the second-half we coasted home.
“We stuck to our game plan, I think they kick the highest in the English Premiership so we were prepared for that battle and we won it overall. As a team we performed as we wanted to .
“Consistency is key and that’s what we talk about week in, week out. If we can put our best foot forward every week we would actually earn the respect of sides.
“This year we’re starting to do that. We’ve had a couple of hiccups along the way but we try to put them behind us, work hard in the week and perform on the weekend like we have done in the last couple of weeks.”
Carré’s try came in typical barnstorming fashion as he took the ball from Tomos Williams in a line out set-play. He received plenty of plaudits for his all round performance, which naturally led to calls for a return to the International stage.
But while he makes no secret of his Test ambitions, Carré insists his sole focus is on matters in a blue and black jersey and he is relishing three consecutive Welsh derbies in the coming weeks.
He said: “For me it’s just doing what I can on the pitch - work hard, play well for Cardiff. Do what I can for the team, keep Dai happy and if Dai is happy then we’re all happy. It’s continuing to work hard, work hard on what I need to and keep performing like I am.
“I love the Christmas derbies. It’s one of my favourite times of the year. They are always competitive, between all four regions and it makes for good watching.
“We played well against them (Dragons) earlier on in the season so it’s just doing the same again. I’m sure the coaches will have something up their sleeve in the week but until then I couldn’t tell you any more.”
Cardiff kick-off a busy festive period against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Boxing Day before returning to the Arms Park to host the Ospreys and Scarlets.
Tickets for Ospreys on January 1 (3pm) are already limited while Scarlets on January 7 (17.15) are also selling fast. Get yours today by calling 029 20 302030 or clicking here.