Date: Friday 22nd March, 2019
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park
CARDIFF Blues picked up maximum points as they brushed the Scarlets aside with a dominant performance in the Guinness Pro14.
Owen Lane, Aled Summerhill, Josh Turnbull were all on target as the Blues secured a first-half bonus point. Gareth Anscombe’s sublime kicking continued on from the Six Nations campaign, as the Grand Slam winner helped the hosts on their way to a 38-0 half-time lead.
Wayne Pivac rung the changes at the interval and Rob Evans entered the fray to touch down twice, before Ioan Nicholas went over in the dying minutes, but the game was beyond the reach of the visitors.
The Blues, however, were dealt an early setback as Josh Navidi went down in discomfort and hobbled off holding his arm with less than three minutes on the clock.
Leigh Halfpenny saw an early penalty deflect off the post, while his opposite number Anscombe made no mistake with his first attempt of the game, tapping home from 35-yards.
Lane went within touching distance of the try-line with the first chance of the evening for the hosts, only to be forced into touch by the visitors’ defence.
That was a sign of things to come for Pivac’s side, though, as Lane dabbed down in the corner to put the Blues in the ascendency.
Within three minutes of the restart, the Blues were celebrating their second of the evening. Anscombe sent Summerhill on his way down the left-hand side, and the winger showed good pace to cross the whitewash.
Scarlets simply did not show up in the opening period and the hosts took well advantage with three more tries before the interval. Turnbull ran over for his first of the evening, while Summerhill and Lane both added a second to their tallies. Anscombe was again on target with the conversions to cap off a dominant first half.
The visitors had a mountain to climb and looked to the experience of Evans, Gareth Davies and Ken Owens at the break. Centre Nicholas went over in the corner and thought he had chalked off the first try for his side after the restart, only for it to be overruled by the TMO.
It was substitute Rob Evans who bundled over minutes later to eventually get the Scarlets off the mark, before he added a second with 12 minutes remaining.
Nicholas intercepted a pass from Rhys Carre to touch down in the dying minutes, but the game was already lost following a woeful first-half display from his side in the capital.
Cardiff Blues: Anscombe, Lane, Lee-Lo, Halaholo, Summerhill, Evans, T.Williams; Gill, Dacey (C), Arhip, Turnbull, Thornton, Navidi, Robinson, N. Williams.
Substitutions: E. Lewis, Carre, D.Lewis, Davies, Lewis-Hughes, L.Williams, Millard, Morgan.
Scarlets: Halfpenny, McNicholl, Fonotia (C), Asquith, Nicholas, Patchell, Hardy; W.Jones, M.Jones, Lee, Rawlins, Cummins, MacLeod, J.Davies, Cassiem.
Substitutions: Owens, Evans, Kruger, Helps, Boyde, G.Davies, Jones, Evans.
Star player: Aled Summerhill (Cardiff Blues).
Key incidents:
15’ – TRY: Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues); conversion by Gareth Anscombe.
18’ – TRY: Aled Summerhill (Cardiff Blues); conversion by Gareth Anscombe.
29’ – TRY: Josh Turnbull (Cardiff Blues); conversion by Gareth Anscombe.
34’ – TRY: Aled Summerhill (Cardiff Blues); conversion by Gareth Anscombe.
40’ – TRY: Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues); conversion by Gareth Anscombe.
54’ – TRY: Rob Evans (Scarlets); conversion by Leigh Halfpenny.
67’ – TRY: Rob Evans (Scarlets); conversion missed by Leigh Halfpenny.
78’ – TRY: Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets); conversion missed by Leigh Halfpenny.
