Cardiff Blues 20-6 Harlequins
Blues off to a flyer in the Heineken Cup
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By Lewis Bazley. |  |
Saturday, 10, Oct 2009 03:13
By Tom Powell.
Cardiff Blues put in a ferocious defensive display to secure a 20-6 win against Harlequins in the Heineken Cup.
The opening 40 minutes, littered with errors and broken play, was far from an advert for European rugby with the Blues leading 6-3.
The second half was more lively, with Quins doing most of the pressing - yet it was the Blues who scored twice through wings Tom James and Leigh Halfpenny to secure victory.
The match certainly wasn't lacking in ferocity though, Blues losing Paul Tito, Bradley Davies and Gareth Thomas to injury, with Quins' Gonzalo Camacho also having to be replaced.
Blues' Ben Blair and Quins' Nick Evans traded penalties inside the first seven minutes with both sides guilty of collapsing a scrum.
Quins were doing most of the pressing but couldn't find their way passed a stubborn Blues defence until Chris Robshaw broke clear in the 17th minute, only for Evans' kick through to be cleaned up by full-back Blair.
More discrepanices at the scrum gave Blair the opportunity to make it 6-3 and he made no mistake with the long kick. Evans missing an opportunity to draw level moments later when his kick drifted wide on the 20 minute mark.
The hosts were coming more into the game and it took a good tackle from Tani Fuga to stop a rampaging Andy Powell after Blair had taken a quick lineout.
Mistakes began to creep into the game as half-time approached, Quins' scrum-half Steven So'oialo in particular guilty of throwing away possession on the Blues' five metre line.
The usually reliable boot of Evans was letting him down as he missed his second penalty off the game on 34 minutes to leave the score at 6-3 going into the break.
Into the second half and Halfpenny went within inches of stretching the lead to six points when his long penalty hit the post but moments later Blues crossed for the games first try.
James capitalised on a great break from the Blues backs which included Ben Blair, Tom Shanklin and Sam Norton-Knight who fed the winger for a simple finish. Blair's conversion stretched the lead to 13-3.
The Welsh side were suddenly in complete control and threatening the Quins line again and almost came away with three more points had Blair's penalty not struck the upright.
Quins began to ease their way back into the match and reduced the deficit to seven with another Evans penalty with 17 minutes to go.
The visitors had a great chance to draw level but Mike Brown knocked on one metre from the Blues line and the hosts were able to clear.
Quins were camped out on the Blues line for five minutes but couldn't get over the try line before Halfpenny outpaced the whole Quins defence to touchdown in the final minute and secure the victory.
The winger chasing down a long kick down field to score and kill off their opponents to send most of the Cardiff City Stadium into raptures.
Blair slotted the conversion to make the final score 20-6 and get the Blues off to a flying start in the Heineken Cup whilst Quins will be left ruing a number of missed chances.