A devastating second half onslaught which saw 39 unanswered points, gave Cardiff Blues a crushing victory over a bewildered Newport Gwent Dragons side by 42-13 at Cardiff City Stadium.
The Dragons led 13-3 at the break in a keenly contested Magners League clash and were desperately unlucky not to go in at the break further ahead. But in the second half there was only one side in it as David Young’s side roared to a bonus point victory.
The victory enabled the Blues to overtake Ulster and close the gap in the table on the sixth-placed Dragons to just three points.
Bradley Davies, Richard Mustoe, Richie Rees, Tom Shanklin and Tom James touched down to secure a winning bonus point for the victors while full back Ben Blair rammed home four conversions and three penalties for a 17-point haul.
Blair put the Blues into an early lead with a penalty, but for the remaining of the first half the Dragons dominated the game. The Gwent outfit nudged ahead for the first time after prop Hugh Gustafson dummied Jamie Roberts and fixed the defence before freeing Aled Brew, who sped to the try line. James Arlidge’s conversion went over via the inside of an upright.
Arlidge knocked over another penalty before Jason Tovey banged over a huge drop-goal to give the Dragons a thoroughly deserved 10-point advantage at the break.
But after the break the Blues were a totally different proposition. They snapped, crackled and popped as the Dragons were simply blown away in a ferocious try-scoring scoring assault which left the visitors reeling.