Warburton targets Edinburgh

The Blues have made an unbeaten start to this season's competition - recording an impressive 26-20 win away at big-spending Racing Metro before digging deep to topple 14-man London Irish.

However they will now face free-scoring Edinburgh in back-to-back fixtures, with the Scots buoyed by their own win over the Exiles and by a stunning 48-47 victory against Racing.

Warburton, though, is confident that the Blues can now build on their promising start when they face Edinburgh at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night.

"Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup will be two hard games for us," he told skysports.com.

"Winning away at Racing Metro was a huge result for us, while the win at home against London Irish wasn't pretty but it is the victory that counts.

"We are now two from two but so are Edinburgh. It should be two really close, tough games. I am just glad we are at home first."

"Winning away at Racing Metro was a huge result for us, while the win at home against London Irish wasn't pretty but it is the victory that counts."
Sam Warburton Quotes of the week

The Blues were runners-up to Toulouse in the inaugural competition, while they have twice been beaten semi-finalists - including in 2008/9 when they lost to Leicester in a first-ever penalty shootout.

And Warburton claims the competition holds a special place in the club's ambitions.

"The Heineken Cup is always important to us as we want to do well," he said.

"You can feel the difference in training as the tension builds towards the weekend. We always field out strongest teams - no one is rested for the Heineken Cup.

Threat

"We have reached the semi-finals three seasons ago when we lost out to those kicks and we always expect to get out of the pool.

"If we can reach the knockout stages this time, I think there will then be eight teams of a similar standing so it really will be a level playing ground."

Standing in Cardiff's way, though, could be the flying Dutchman - Edinburgh's in-form winger Tim Visser.

The former Newcastle man, who is hoping to play for Scotland, has topped the try-scoring charts in the domestic league for the past two seasons and he currently leading the way with eight this time around.

However Warburton insists the Blues will be ready for Visser, who also scored two tries for the Barbarians.

"We know Tim will be a threat in attack," said Warburton. "A lot of their play going forward revolves around him, where he comes into the line or short off of the set-pieces, and that he can draw people in.

"We are well aware of what he can do and we will be prepared. The good thing is we have got a back-row that is very good on the floor so we will look to use them.

"We will just have to make sure that we remain disciplined and don't give away penalties."

The Rugby Site (www.therugbysite.com) is a new and first of its kind website offering exclusive rugby coaching videos from some of the world's best players and coaches. Sam Warburton will join an impressive line-up of coaches and players dedicated to sharing their skills, knowledge & coaching prowess with the site having already recruited the likes of Graham Henry, Victor Matfield, Leigh Halfpenny, Shane Williams, Martin Castrogiovanni, Courtney Lawes, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.