With the exception of a couple of mis-placed high kicks Cardiff had the better of the opening exchanges and were soon rewarded with a penalty. Fly half Nick Robinson missed, but the Blues remained on the offensive and were only denied a sixth-minute try by a fumble. A previous Saints fumble ensured that the Blues still had a five-metre scrum, but when the ball was spun wide full back Roger Davies was wrapped up eagerly by Joe Ansbro and spilled the ball.
Mark Hopley’s run from the base and Barry Everitt’s two clearance kicks relieved the pressure and Saints had a chance to settle into a rhythm. They were helped by a midfield obstruction on Tom Smith and then some back chat that took the penalty up to the home 22.
Bizarre circumstances, specifically a moment of ‘can they, can’t they find the tee’ led to Everitt kicking to the corner. Fortunately it paid off as Alex Rae won the lineout and was driven over for the opening try. Everitt placated the disappointed crowd by missing the conversion but Saints were still ahead by five points to nil.
Cardiff had a chance to hit back five minutes later, despite Matt Lord’s second powerful tackle of the evening, when a Robinson penalty pushed the Blues to the corner. Again they blew the chance, this time with a crooked throw in and after a couple of phases Everitt cleared to midway between the visitors’ 22 and 10-metre lines.
This gave the Blues a lineout, but a second inside the Saints’ 22 soon after handed Cardiff a superb opportunity, thanks to the new ELV related to kicking from inside the 22. Chris Mayor may not have received the initial pass, but the visitors’ play had begun outside the 22 and the lineout was given from where the kick had been taken.
The home lineout had been the most impressive aspect of their play and like its predecessors this was won quickly and spun wide. Several phases through the middle created an overlap on the home right, which Paul Tito looked to have wasted when he took the ball into contact. But the ruck was won anyway, Robinson slid a kick through and hooker Gareth Williams – who ironically would have scored anyway had Tito given the initial pass – touched down. Robinson missed the conversion and with half an hour gone the scores were tied at five-all.
It was no less than the Blues deserved for their dominance and eight minutes later they were over for their second. A powerful shove on a Saints scrum disrupted the visitors’ ball, Cardiff won the ball and centre Jamie Roberts, who only a few minutes earlier had burst powerfully through the defence, carried three tacklers over the line for a try. Robinson converted and at 12-5 the home fans were finally satisfied.
Everitt landed a 40-metre penalty two minutes later to bring the scores back to 12-8, but his fumble immediately after the kick off put Saints back under pressure 10 metres from their own line. Cardiff drove again and were edging closer, but diving over conceded a penalty. Everitt’s tap caught the Blues unawares and Mayor’s pace took him up to the 10-metre line. Cardiff then conceded a penalty, and then were marched back for back chat to halfway. But this time Everitt couldn’t land this long range effort and the half ended with the hosts still ahead by four points.
Saints gave Senior Academy players Nick Greenhalgh and Rob Milligan the chance to shine against the fresh set of Cardiff legs. Milligan was soon called into defensive action as was Nils Mordt, whose immense midfield tackle was eventually for nothing as Ceri Sweeney dotted down in the corner. Although Blair missed the conversion Cardiff had given themselves a healthy 17-8 advantage.
Chris Czekaj, in his first action at the Arms Park for well over a year thanks to a badly broken leg sustained while playing for Wales in 2007, was soon given a chance to stretch his legs chasing a kick. The bounce went over the dead ball line, but it was already obvious that the half was going to be backs to the wall stuff for the Saints as Cardiff recycled the ball and spread the play with increasing effectiveness.
The visitors were dealt a further blow when Paul Diggin was sin binned for handling on the deck. Although the forwards missed their chance by knocking on over the line the Saints were not helping themselves by missing touch and their second such kick led directly to Tom Shanklin’s try in the right corner.
Shanklin evaded the despairing Greenhalgh to score his second three minutes later and with Blair’s first success the contest was all but over at 29-8. Cezkaj’s try on the hour, this time converted by Sweeney, confirmed this suspicion and from then on it was exhibition stuff from the home side.
Lee Halfpenny crossed in the 66th minute, but there was a chink of light for the visitors immediately afterwards when another powerful Mayor run took them deep into the home 22. Mayor had two more goes and Foden, now at full back, also caught sight of the line. But the defence was too strong and soaked up the pressure.
With around 10 minutes to play a final flurry of substitutions meant that Saints now had six members of the Senior Academy on the field, as well as Junior Saints Academy winger Ollie Storey. Four of the Senior lads – Greenhalgh, Owen Giles, James Cannon and Liam Neale – showed their desire by forcing Dafydd Hewitt into touch five metres out.
And Milligan rounded off a good few minutes for the Saints youngsters by crossing over for a last-minute consolation try, his first senior effort for the club.
Teams:
Blues 1st half – Davies (Blair 30mins); Halfpenny, J Robinson, Roberts, Brew; N Robinson, Spice; Gill, G Williams, Filise, Down, Tito (capt), White, Sowden-Taylor, Lewis.
Blues 2nd half – Blair (Halfpenny 61mins); Mustoe, Shanklin, Hewitt, Czekaj; Sweeney, Allinson; Jenkins (Roberts 61mins), Thomas, Powell, Davies, Morgan (capt), Molitika, M Williams (Shellard 61mins), Powell.
Northampton Saints – Diggin; Harries (Greenhalgh 40mins), Ansbro (Brake 61mins), Mordt (Storey 76mins), Mayor; Everitt, Foden; Smith (Vickers 71mins), Hartley (Friswell 71mins), Stewart (Broster 61mins), Lord (Giles 73mins), Rae (capt)(Cannon 61mins), Lawes, Lewitt (Neale 73mins), Hopley (Milligan 40mins).
Scorers:
Cardiff Blues – Tries: G Williams, Roberts, Sweeney, Shanklin (2), Cezkaj, Halfpenny; Cons: Robinson, Blair, Sweeney (2).
Northampton Saints – Tries: Rae, Milligan; Pen: Everitt.
Yellow card:
Diggin (52mins)
TIMELINE:
4mins BLUES Miss pen N Robinson
15mins SAINTS Try Rae 0-5
27mins BLUES Try Williams 5-5
35mins BLUES Try Roberts Con Robinson 12-5
38mins SAINTS Pen Everitt 12-8
40+2mins SAINTS Miss pen Everitt
HALF-TIME BLUES 12 SAINTS 8
43mins BLUES Try Sweeney 17-8
52mins SAINTS Yellow card Diggin
54mins BLUES Try Shanklin 22-8
57mins BLUES Try Shanklin Con Blair 29-8
60mins BLUES Try Czekaj Con Sweeney 36-8
66mins BLUES Try Halfpenny Con Sweeney 43-8
79mins SAINTS Try Milligan 43-13
FULL-TIME BLUES 43 SAINTS 13
