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Young seeks all-Welsh Euro final

Dai Young
We get behind each other when we're not playing each other

Dai Young on the Ospreys

Blues director of rugby Dai Young relished the prospect of an all-Welsh Heineken Cup final after the semi-final draw threw open the possibility.

"That would be a great way to finish the season, a Cardiff Blues v Ospreys final in Murrayfield," he told the BBC.

But Young acknowledged there is a long way to go, the Blues hosting Toulouse and Ospreys at Munster in the quarters.

Should they win, Blues will host Bath or Leicester while Ospreys welcome Leinster or Harlequins in the semis.

The semi-finals are played in a home side's own country but away from their regular ground, making Cardiff's Millennium Stadium the most likely venue for both the Blues and Ospreys if they advance.

The final will be staged at Murrayfield on 23 May, the Ospreys and Blues bidding to become just the second Welsh side to reach that stage after Cardiff, who lost 21-18 to Toulouse in the inaugural tournament in 1996.

"[An all-Wales final] would be great from our point of view, but we can't look too far down the road," Young told BBC Sport.

606: DEBATE

"But certainly with a home draw against Toulouse if we can get over that hurdle - and it's a big hurdle - it'd give us another home draw.

"That's as much as we could ask for really, there's a lot of rugby to be played.

"We're going to have to play some of the stuff... or even better than some of the stuff that we played in the pool stages."

Young says that his side will be backing the Ospreys all the way to the final.

"We get behind each other when we're not playing each other," he said.

"We're bitter rivals when we're playing each other. Obviously when we're not playing each other we give each other 100% support."

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see also
Blues opt for Millennium switch
28 Jan 09 |  Cardiff Blues
Dates set for Heineken last eight
27 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Heineken Cup 2008/9
17 Jul 08 |  Rugby Union
European rugby archive
16 Aug 06 |  Rugby Union
Blues & Ospreys can win - Young
26 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Ospreys relish 'formidable' task
26 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union


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