Cardiff Blues have announced the capture of three new players, first amongst these is Ben Blair.
“Ben is a quality player and we are thrilled to have him on board,” said Director of Coaching David Young.
“His attacking ability is well recognised and will fit into our attacking style of rugby really well. On top of that, his goal-kicking would be of benefit to any team. We are looking at him as a back-three player, and he has even played at 10 on occasions. But it’s 15 where he plays predominantly.”
Ben Blair Profile
full name Ben Blair
nickname Critter/Horse
birthdate 26.03.79
birthplace Westport
college Buller High / St Andrews
position Fullback
earliest rugby memory is In the mud at the Ngakawau Domain
position I played at secondary school was Fullback my favourite rugby star back then was Wayne Shelford
player I respect the most is Richie McCaw
the best thing about rugby is Getting paid to play a game I would do for free
the worst thing about rugby is Cold showers, poor games and getting injured.
my best moment in rugby was Making the All Blacks
my best moment outside of rugby was Growing up with my mates in Westport
favourite food Roast Lamb
favourite film Godfather
favourite actor/actress Robert De Niro
favourite band ColdPlay
favourite ground Jade Stadium
best advice my mother gave me was Don’t eat so fast
worst job I’ve ever had was Digging a drainage pit
the best holiday IÂ’ve ever had was Christmas at home
if I were prime minister I would Lower taxes
For relaxation I like to Watch TV, read
my other major interests are Cricket and golf
my ambition in life is Be the best I can be.
if I could invite four famous people to dinner IÂ’d choose David Copperfield, Houdini, JFK, Elvis.
The Blues have further strengthened their back-three options with the recruitment of the 26-year-old flyer Luveitasau.
He has six caps to his name and played against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in November when Fiji came so close to pulling off a shock victory.
Young said: “We just feel an out-and-out finisher would really benefit our team and this guy fits the bill. He has got a lot of pace and is very abrasive.”
Mosese, 26, is typically Fijian, he mainly featured in the 7s arena until 2004 but then got the chance to win full international honours in July 2005 and proved to be a potent force in the Fijian backline both offensively and defensively with notable performances against Wales and Italy.
Mosese Luveitasau
(pronounced Loo-vay-tah-sah-oo)
Full name: Mosese Luveitasau Yabakitini
Former Club: Rosi, Naitasiri
birthdate 23.03.80
birthplace Suva
Hails from: Nabukaluka, Naitasiri
school: Waidina Secondary School
Hobbies: Swimming
7s record
2004 – Hong Kong, Singapore, France, England, Dubai, South Africa – scoring 20 tries
Others
2002 – National 15s trials
2003 – National 15s trials, Naitasiri tour to New Zealand, South Pacific Drifters team to the Dubai Club 7s
2004 – Fiji ‘A’ v NZ Divisional XV
2005 – International debut versus Tonga
2006 – joins Cardiff Blues
The Blues were also successful in beating welsh regional rivals in securing the services of flanker/second-row Scott Morgan, who has joined from Leeds Tykes.
“To bring in a player of that quality who can play at a very high standard in both positions will be of huge benefit to our squad,’ added Young.
Scott Morgan
Former Club Leeds Tykes
Birthdate 17.10.78
2005/6 Appearance Stats
Guiness Premiership 16 starts plus one as substitute
Powergen Cup 2 starts
Heineken Cup 3 starts