A warm spring evening in the Scottish borders was the setting for the Blues first of three games in eight days.
The Blues started well with Deiniol Jones charging down Townsends clearance and Gary Powell, who would go on to ha vena excellent match, passing to Nick Robinson to clear up field for good field position.
The first score came quickly followed. An excellent break by Jamie Robinson straight through the Borders mid field gave them the opportunity. He managed to get the ball away to Nick Macleod who passed to Luveitasau. The Fijian sprinted in to touch down.
The backs were working well with good breaks by Nick Robinson and Shanklin and they soon got another reward. A lovely break up the right by the backs saw the ball passed back in field to Tom Shanklin. He showed his pace to sprint in for the second try, converted by Robinson. The Blues were playing at a pace that the Borders found difficult to live with.
Shanklin again proved to be a handful in midfield slicing through the defence but the Borders soon got a try, a little against the run of play. An excellent break by Kelly Brown, shaking off two tacklers, before eventually chipping over the full back and gathering then touching down under the posts. Townsend added the conversion.
Despite the score the Blues still looked threatening and forceful. Great tackling saw the Blues turn the ball over and break up to the Borders twenty two. However, they failed to capitalise on good field position.
The Borders managed to make the most of the time they spent in the Blues half. They worked their way up to the Blues territory and managed to disrupt their line out. Eventually the Scotsmen won the ball and moved the ball wide. When the ball came back Townsend put in a neat little chip and gathered to score under the posts. Substitute Steve Jones added the conversion to give the Borders the lead.
The Blues once again responded to the Borders score. Quick hands in the backs saw the ball eventually move out to Shanklin who powered his way over on the left wing. Robinson struck the conversion just wide. The Blues didnt have to wait long for the next score. Once again they worked the ball well in the backs moving the ball quickly to the wing for Luveitasau to dive over for his second of the evening. Again the conversion this time just drifted wide to the right but the Blues had got a bonus point.
HALF TIME BORDER REIVERS 14 CARDIFFBLUES 22
The Blues nearly got a score early in the second half when Nicky Robinson put in a neat little chip that went between the Borders posts. Brother Jamie looked as if he would get their first but the ball just dribbled away from him as he went to touch it down.
Minutes later the Blues were awarded a penalty for Borders holding on in a tackle but Robinson struck it just wide. The Borders however also looked threatening and it was only excellent covering back by Tom Riley, who had come on for Nick Macleod, prevented a certain try when Borders kicked though all the way up to the Blues twenty two.
It was a tense time with the Borders beginning to look threatening but the Blues defended strongly. They eventually won a penalty and elected to kick for the corner for a line out. From the move the ref awarded a penalty try for pulling down the maul. Robinson converted, and the score stood at 29 14 with 5 minutes to go. The Blues soon got another score when Mike Phillips broke he passed to Tom Riley who slipped the ball inside to Rhys Shellard to score within seconds of coming on the pitch. He soon had another when Luvietasau slipped through defence and gave him a try scoring pass to crown a great evening