Magners League Table

Team
Pld
Pts
LeinsterLeinster1861
Cardiff BluesBlues1856
MunsterMunster1848
Edinburgh RugbyEdinburgh1848
Glasgow WarriorsWarriors1846
Llanelli ScarletsScarlets1839
OspreysOspreys1837
DragonsDragons1834
UlsterUlster1829
Connacht RugbyConnacht1824
Blues Blast To Bonus Point Victory
13 - 40
Rodney Parade   Att: 5,673
Friday 7th September 2007, 18:10
Tries from Jamie Roberts, Rhys Williams, Tal Selley (2) and Mark Lewis inspired Cardiff Blues to a bonus point win over the Newport Gwent Dragons tonight as Dai Young's side maintained their winning start to the league campaign.
Action from Rodney Parade
Blues flanker Ben White looks to hand off Peter Sidoli of the Dragons at Rodney Parade
www.Inpho.ie/Huw Evans
The buoyant Blues dominated to record their fourth win in five meetings with the Dragons and they took control early on at Rodney Parade with three tries in a 15-minute spell.

The visitors got off the mark in the eighth-minute when Nicky Robinson's well-weighted kick was caught by Xavier Rush and the New Zealander offloaded for Jamie Roberts to sprint clear and dive over in the right corner.

Robinson, who played a pivotal role throughout, tagged on a penalty and after the Dragons had coughed up lineout ball, the Blues fly-half shrugged off some weak tackles to send winger Williams over for a try.

Robinson's opposite number Aled Thomas cut the gap to 13-3 with his first penalty but the Blues hit back in the 23rd-minute when recent signing Richie Rees laid off for the supporting Selley to outpace the cover and touch down.

Both of these sides won last weekend but it was the Blues who were far more clinical tonight, although the home team kept in the hunt with a second Thomas penalty on the half hour.

20-6 in front at the break, the Blues moved further ahead after Dragons number 10 Thomas was sin-binned for a trip on Williams. An overlap saw Selley race down the right flank to complete his brace of tries.

Blues lock Paul Tito then saw yellow and minutes later flanker Richard Parks improved the Dragons' hopes of a comeback with a converted try.

Yet the hosts lost replacement Joe Bearman to the sin bin for a ruck infringement and Robinson effectively kicked Cardiff home - he knocked over a penalty, converted replacement Mark Lewis' 73rd-minute try and dinked over an injury-time drop goal to confirm the Blues' first away win over a fellow Welsh Region since April 2006.

 

Dragons V Cardiff Blues
 PDCTPosPlayerPlayerPosTCDP 





FB
Martyn Thomas
15
Ben Blair
FB




Replacement off





W
Gareth Wyatt
14
Rhys Williams
W
1




Replacement off




C
Phil Dollman
13
Tal Selley
C
2









C
Ashley Smith
12
Dafydd Hewitt
C




Replacement off





W
Richard Mustoe
11
Jamie Roberts
W
1




Yellow card
2

1

FH
Aled Thomas
10
Nick Robinson
FH

3
1
2

Replacement off




SH
Andy Williams
9
Richie Rees
SH




Replacement off
Replacement off




P
Adam Black
1
John Yapp
P





Replacement off




H
Ben Daly
2
Ross Johnson
H




Replacement off





P
Rhys M. Thomas
3
Gary Powell
P




Replacement off





L
Luke Charteris
4
Deiniol Jones
L




Replacement off
Replacement off




L
Peter Sidoli
5
Paul Tito
L




Yellow card
Replacement off




FL
Jamie Ringer
6
Ben White
FL









1
FL
Richard Parks
7
Robin Sowden-Taylor
FL





Replacement off




8
Nic Fitisemanu
8
Xavier Rush
8




Replacement off
Replacements
Replacement on




rh
Steve Jones
16
Scott Roberts
rp




Replacement on
Replacement on




rp
Hugh Gustafson
17
Gareth Williams
rh




Replacement on
Replacement on




rl
Adam Jones
18
Robert Sidoli
rl




Replacement on
Replacement on




rfl
Dan Lydiate
19
Mark Lewis
r8
1



Replacement on
Replacement onYellow card




r8
Joe Bearman
20
Jason Spice
rsh




Replacement on
Replacement on




rc
Gareth Maule
21
Nick Macleod
rfb




Replacement on
Replacement on




rsh
Wayne Evans
22
Marc Stcherbina
rc




Replacement on
Penalty Tries
0
0
First half timeline
8Cardiff Blues
Try - J Roberts
10Cardiff Blues
Penalty kick - N Robinson
18Cardiff Blues
Try - R Williams
21Dragons
Penalty kick - A Thomas
23Cardiff Blues
Try - T Selley
23Cardiff Blues
Conversion - N Robinson
30Dragons
Penalty kick - A Thomas
Second half timeline
46Cardiff Blues
Try - T Selley
46Cardiff Blues
Conversion - N Robinson
46Dragons
Yellow card - A Thomas
48Dragons
Substitution - S Jones on for B Daly
48Dragons
Substitution - A Jones on for P Sidoli
48Dragons
Substitution - J Bearman on for N Fitisemanu
55Cardiff Blues
Substitution - G Williams on for R Johnson
55Cardiff Blues
Substitution - R Sidoli on for D Jones
55Dragons
Substitution - G Maule on for P Dollman
56Cardiff Blues
Substitution - M Stcherbina on for D Hewitt
56Dragons
Substitution - W Evans on for A Williams
57Cardiff Blues
Yellow card - P Tito
61Dragons
Substitution - H Gustafson on for A Black
63Dragons
Try - R Parks
63Dragons
Conversion - A Thomas
63Cardiff Blues
Substitution - M Lewis on for X Rush
67Dragons
Yellow card - J Bearman
67Cardiff Blues
Penalty kick - N Robinson
69Cardiff Blues
Substitution - S Roberts on for G Powell
71Cardiff Blues
Substitution - N Macleod on for B Blair
73Cardiff Blues
Try - M Lewis
73Cardiff Blues
Conversion - N Robinson
74Dragons
Substitution - D Lydiate on for J Ringer
77Cardiff Blues
Substitution - J Spice on for R Rees
80 +3Cardiff Blues
Drop kick - N Robinson
All Pictures: ©  http://www.inpho.ie/, Huw Evans Agency,  Martin Stuart
delivered by Sotic powered by RedDot