Tries from Jamie Roberts, Rhys Williams, Tal Selley (2) and Mark Lewis inspired Cardiff Blues to a bonus point win over the Newport Gwent Dragons tonight as Dai Young’s side maintained their winning start to the league campaign. The buoyant Blues dominated to record their fourth win in five meetings with the Dragons and they took control early on at Rodney Parade with three tries in a 15-minute spell. The visitors got off the mark in the eighth-minute when Nicky Robinson’s well-weighted kick was caught by Xavier Rush and the New Zealander offloaded for Jamie Roberts to sprint clear and dive over in the right corner. Robinson, who played a pivotal role throughout, tagged on a penalty and after the Dragons had coughed up lineout ball, the Blues fly-half shrugged off some weak tackles to send winger Williams over for a try. Robinson’s opposite number Aled Thomas cut the gap to 13-3 with his first penalty but the Blues hit back in the 23rd-minute when recent signing Richie Rees laid off for the supporting Selley to outpace the cover and touch down. Both of these sides won last weekend but it was the Blues who were far more clinical tonight, although the home team kept in the hunt with a second Thomas penalty on the half hour. 20-6 in front at the break, the Blues moved further ahead after Dragons number 10 Thomas was sin-binned for a trip on Williams. An overlap saw Selley race down the right flank to complete his brace of tries. Blues lock Paul Tito then saw yellow and minutes later flanker Richard Parks improved the Dragons’ hopes of a comeback with a converted try. Yet the hosts lost replacement Joe Bearman to the sin bin for a ruck infringement and Robinson effectively kicked Cardiff home – he knocked over a penalty, converted replacement Mark Lewis’ 73rd-minute try and dinked over an injury-time drop goal to confirm the Blues’ first away win over a fellow Welsh Region since April 2006.
