Miles to go before we sleep

These are interesting times, it seems on the face of it the Chinese curse holds true. Cardiff rugby finds itself again at the centre of the Welsh game and again for off-field reasons. It would be churlish to cling to the adage that there is no such thing as bad news; let's be frank losing Danny Wilson at the end of the season is not news many wanted. 

Though if we look again at that statement it's in two parts; 'losing Danny Wilson' and 'at the end of the season'. The vast majority of the rugby season is to come, many more rucks to hit, infinitely more reset scrums to enjoy and yet unthought of unimaginable Willis sidesteps to bathe in before May 2018 arrives. That the season has taken on a new dynamic so early is very football, disorientating but maybe energising. Undoubtedly there are challenges for the business; the optics again are horrible but beyond all of this is the idea that Cardiff rugby is about more than one person or persons given the number of contracts to be settled for 2018/19.  

From the start of Danny Wilson's tenure most rational sober analysis suggested he had taken the reigns of a 3-year project. Nothing that was reported yesterday alters that fact. Who can say that Cardiff wouldn't be in the recruitment market in a few months? In every recruitment process, the job chooses the applicant as much as the applicant chooses the job. It is not being suggested that Wilson hasn't made huge strides, he has or that he is not a fine coach, he is but professional rugby is correctly a fickle temporary business. Like memories careers flash across the inward eye.

When it is suggested that this announcement does have slivers of light, it is not a desperate attempt to cover a disaster or run from a truth. Those slivers of light are real; the squad now has a season to show itself as a worthy project. It can harness a series of performances that will ensure that a prospective coach would be interested to see how they work and see what improvements can be made. A season-long audition. 

As supporters, we too have a choice. Isn' it funny how choice is a constant theme for rugby supporters. Recognition of choice less accepted but this is digression; the question is do we submit to the wailing and gnashing of teeth in the Temple of Melancholy - well, we are Welsh - or do we say 'thanks for the memories' and find alternative outlets for our sporting fix or perhaps the most obvious carry on supporting, shouting, drumming (!) and demanding improvement? But it's hard, really hard but who said it would be easy? Easy is possibly supporting New Zealand, Saracens, Toulon or given their current position the Scarlets (to a point). Easy is making support binary on success, easy is finding blame instead of offering alternatives. Now is not the time for easy. 

Now is the time to offer a constructive scrutiny, devoid of that blame and devoid of overly emotional charges of desertion. Yes, the team is at a crossroads and yes we have been here too many times to make it a novelty but if in the final analysis it is deemed important, get behind the team who clearly neither sought or are pleased by Danny's decision. As professionals, they will give it all for Cardiff, as will Wilson. 

So, there are huge battles on and off the pitch that will dictate the future of this great club. That those battles have raged before, and if we are honest will again, offer a prism to few the last 24 hours. It is clear that Cardiff rugby will stand, Cardiff rugby will endure; quite what it looks like is beyond view for now. 

For all this, it is the time to support and get behind the club. What better way to show the club we are with them than to pack CAP for the game vs Dragons. Taking a wider view Both Cardiff and Newport supporters have experienced challenging times; a fitting show of support would be a boisterous, unapologetic Arms Park a week Friday. They say west is best but maybe it's time to dine on a feast from the east.