Cardiff forget league Blues in European opener

Cardiff Blues got a first European win at their new stadium but were run close by visiting Harlequins and paid heavily in injuries.

Quite how the Blues held their line intact in the final, frantic 15 minutes is anyone’s guess, but they not only managed that, but also scrambled a last gasp try to add to the Harlequins woes.

When Leigh Halfpenny won the race to latch onto, and control, replacement lock Deiniol Jones’ well placed kick ahead to grab the Blues’ second try you could see the heads drop in the Quins’ ranks.

They felt they deserved better and, had their handling been more secure, they would surely have escaped with either a share of the points or at least a bonus point.

As it is, they now have to rebuild their European campaign at home next weekend against three-times champions Toulouse. The Blues, meanwhile, will spend the week leading into their trip to Sale Sharks trying to patch up their side.

While British & Irish Lions test stars Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams are poised to return after summer shoulder operations, Welsh international prop John Yapp is facing a four month lay-off with a torn bicep, former Wales and Lions skipper Gareth Thomas is likely to be missing for up to six weeks with a torn groin and young Welsh lock Bradley Davies has a recurrence of the neck injury that sidelined him for 4 weeks in the summer.

On top of that, inspirational skipper Paul Tito had to be carried off on a stretcher after a sickening clash of heads with Gonzalo Tiese. He was knocked out cold and it took eight minutes to get him safely off the field.

He went to hospital for tests and is unlikely to play at Sale, although at least his team will head north with a vital first Pool win under their belt.

The game was tight throughout the first-half and ended with two penalties for home full back Ben Blair against one from his fellow New Zealander Nick Evans. Quins coach John Kingston said he felt confident at the break, but it was the Blues who took the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the second half.

They raised the tempo and reaped the reward with a try from the returning Tom James that began deep in his own half. Blair added the conversion and it looked as though the home team were on their way.

Crucially, though, two penalties hit the woodwork – one from Halfpenny from five metres inside his own half and another from Blair – and Sam Norton-Knight was wide with a 35 metre drop goal attempt.

It meant the game remained in the melting pot and the final 15 minutes were spent almost exclusively in the Blues’ 22. The Quins pack sniffed a try and kept battering away at the home line.

They ran into a very dogged defensive action, but should have found their way to the line when they finally spread the ball wide in the 70th minute. With a 3-1 overlap, Tosh Masson’s pass to Mike Brown went to ground and, with it, went the chance of levelling the scores.

Just as crucial was Irish referee Alan Lewis’ decision to penalise the Quins forwards for holding on at the foot of the home posts five minutes from time. The Blues cleared and then found a way to strip their visitors of the bonus point that was the least they deserved.

Jones picked up a loose ball near half-way and gleefully kicked downfield. Halfpenny chased hard, hacked over the line and dived to score in the penultimate minute.

Blair knocked over the conversion and the scoreline was left with a rather unfair gap.

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