Cardiff Blues 38 Edinburgh 13
Sunday 22 April 2.05pm kick off
Although there was a number of great servants of Cardiff Blues leaving at the end of the season there was a subdued atmosphere at the ground ahead of kick off. Edinburgh started the game and Godman put points on the board early on with a well taken penalty.
The Blues had an attacking lineout only 10 metres out, but overthrew, which gave the Scotsman a chance to clear. However, Blair counterattacked showing his class with a superb sidestep, but failed to find Cuthbert on his shoulder. The Blues did manage to get within a yard before Lloyd Williams burrowed over to score the opening try that Blair converted.
Any notion of an open match soon disappeared when the heavens opened and rain started bucketing down and the knock-on’s soon followed. The Blues did manage to string a good passage of play together just before the interval, with Tom James charging down the left and coming close. The try came at the other wing with Hamilton, Williams, Laulala and Blair combining well to put Cuthbert in the corner to bring the score to 12-3 at the break.
Half time Cardiff Blues 12 Edinburgh 3
Godman started the second half as he did the first, with three points, but this time from a well executed drop goal.
The Blues soon struck back. With the rain stopping and the sun out, the Blues were able to play a more expansive game and the ball went wide to the right where Cuthbert showed his power to brush off Paterson’s tackle and sprint in at the corner.
The Blues got their fourth try and their fifth try bonus of the season from a lineout. Laulala had put a neat kick through that forced Paterson into touch and with the ball being won cleanly the forwards drove young number eight, Luke Hamilton, over the line.
The fifth try was Cuthbert’s hat trick. Again he showed his pace and power this time in midfield. He cut through Houston and Thompson to force his way over. Blair converted.
Edinburgh struck back with a great individual effort, by substitute fly half Harry Leonard. He put in a neat grubber and gathered to touch down, before converting his effort. It was a consolation try with the game already won. The Blues had the last word with a Josh Navidi try following great work by Kristian Dacey.
There was rumoured to be only 40 people at the first Sex Pistols gig at the Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall in June 1976, which doesn’t mean they didn’t witness a great show. The same could be said for this afternoon’s match when a meagre crowd of only 3,580 people turned up. They saw some great attacking rugby, a bonus point win, but the biggest cheer of the afternoon came in the 70th minute when the legend that is Martyn Williams left the rugby field for the last time.
Cardiff Blues
Tries Williams x 1 Cuthbert x 3 Hamilton x 1 Navidi x1
Pen
Con Blair x 4
D/G
Edinburgh
Tries Leonard x 1
Pen Godman x1
Con Leonard x 1
D/G Godman x 1
Cardiff Blues
15 Ben Blair 14 Alex Cuthbert 13 Casey Laulala 12 Dafydd Hewitt (60off) 11 Tom James 10 Ceri Sweeney (50off) 9 Lloyd Williams (50off)
8 Luke Hamilton (55off) 7 Martyn Williams 6 Maama Molitika 5 James Down 4 Bradley Davies (c) 3 Scott Andrews 2 Marc Breeze 1 Gethin Jenkins (60off)
16 Kristian Dacey 17 John Yapp (60on) 18 Sam Hobbs 19 Macauley Cook 20 Josh Navidi (55on) 21 Richie Rees (50om) 22 Dan Parks (50on) 23 Gavin Evans (60on)
Edinburgh
15 Chris Paterson 14 Sep Visser 13 Dougie Fife 12 John Houston 11 Jim Thompson 10 Phil Godman 9 Alex Black
8 Roddy Grant (c) 7 Struan Dewar 6 Alan MacDonald 5 Steven Turnbull 4 Robert McAlpine 3 Jack Gilding 2 Andrew Kelly 1 Kyle Traynor
16 Alun Walker 17 Robin Hislop 18 Lewis Niven 19 Murray Douglas 20 Hamish Watson 21 Chris Leck 22 Harry Leonard 23 Jamie Farndale
Yellow Card: Houston x 1
Attendance: 3,580