Blues coach aims a kick at critics of Parks’ game

Scotland stand-off Parks kicked 20 points in last weekend’s 25-8 win over the Scottish side in the Welsh capital, a victory which sent the Blues top of Pool Two. Despite that, the former Glasgow man still came in for criticism from fans and pundits alike after a display dominated by his kicking from hand.

But Baber says the 33-year-old is doing a great job for his side, even if he may not be a crowd-pleaser. Baber said: “If you see the games we have won this year, one of the main reasons has been the control Dan puts on the game. I understand the public and the press want to see an open game, but at times in Europe you have to control the game. That is what Dan does for us and he was very good last week and in the previous games in the Heineken Cup. Against Racing Metro we scored two tries through using width and he was a big part of that.

“People don’t realise that an effective kicking game from your No 10, as long as you create options around him to play, is difficult to defend.”

Victory at Murrayfield would put the Blues within touching distance of a first quarter-final appearance in three years, but Baber insists there is still much work to be done. He said: “We have been afforded an opportunity to nail the group, but it’s not a comfortable position to be in.”

Baber had hoped to give Gavin Henson a debut for the Blues, but the Wales centre is not in the matchday 23, with injury to wing Alex Cuthbert seeing Gavin Evans come into the side instead.