Cardiff Blues sealed their No1 seeding for the quarter-finals with a regional record high score line of 62 points and nine tries to complete their clean sweep in Pool 6.
Now all they have to do is sit back and see how the rest of the results work out over the weekend before finding out who they meet in the last eight.
And whoever that team is they are likely to find themselves travelling to the home of Welsh rugby, the Millennium Stadium, to play in April as the Blues move onto the biggest stage of all for the second time this season.
The decision on where they will lay will be taken formally on Monday, but having already beaten Gloucester ‘next door’ in the current campaign it would appear to be a mere formality.
“The Blues players love playing at the Arms Park, but they also enjoy playing at the Millennium Stadium,” said Blues coach Dai Young.
“The decision will be taken on Monday and I will put forward my views on the venue. But if there is an appetite within the Region f or 20-40,000 fans to come and see us play then it seems only right to switch the game next door.”
The 62 points and nine tries were both records for both the Region and the old Cardiff team in the Heineken Cup as the Blues became the sixth club to go through their Pool unbeaten since the tournament went to home and away matches – London Wasps, Bath, Leinster (twice), Biarritz and the Scarlets.
The only problem for the Blues is that in the past none of those teams has managed to go on and win the tournament.
As Young said: “We haven’t won anything yet. Last season we weren’t as bad a team as some people suggested, but this season we aren’t as good as some people would claim.
“We learned a lot from reaching the quarter-finals last year and the key thing is clinching that home tie this time round. We have made the job easier, but it isn’t going to be easy.
“Whoever you get in the quarter-finals is going to be a quality team and we know we are going to have to step up another gear.”
Calvisano gave their hosts a bit of a fright at the start by scoring the first of the night’s 11 tries through Gonzalo Garcia. The Italian champions led 5-0, then 10-5 before finally falling behind for the first time to a Ben Blair try and conversion on 21 minutes.
That was the beginning of the end for the visitors and Blair went on to end the night with the Heineken Man of the Match trophy and through Gonzalo Garcia. The Italian champions led 5-0, then 10-5 before finally falling behind for the first time to a Ben Blair try and conversion on 21 minutes.
That was the beginning of the end for the visitors and Blair went on to end the night with the Heineken Man of the Match trophy and 22 points.
There were two tries apiece for wing Gareth Thomas and namesake hooker Rhys Thomas. Leigh Halfpenny stole away for another as did back row men Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush and Maama Molitika.
In the end, it was a comprehensive victory that showed the potential of the Blues squad. Now they can sit back and see what the rest of the weekend brings them.
