Cardiff Blues are back up to second in the Magners League table after they twice came from behind to secure an exciting Welsh derby win over the Llanelli Scarlets at the Arms Park. In what was a rip-roaring tie and a great advertisement for Welsh regional rugby, a late Ben Blair try and drop goal from Nick Robinson saw the Blues take the spoils. By that stage, Cardiff should have been home and dry but they missed out on a few try-scoring opportunities and the Scarlets, seeking their first win at the Arms Park since 2004, were able to keep themselves in touch on the scoreboard. Speaking afterwards, Wales coach Warren Gatland, who was part of a 10,216-strong crowd, called it ‘a great game’ which he ‘thoroughly enjoyed’. The New Zealander must have been suitably pleased as a number of players put their hands up for selection for Wales’ summer tour to South Africa. This high quality game, full of positive rugby, also offered a timely boost for Welsh rugby on the whole – coming less than a week after the Blues and the Ospreys’ exits from the Heineken Cup. It was particularly heartening to see fly-half Nick Robinson impress on his first start for the Blues in four months. While winger Tom James got the man-of-the-match nod for his powerful running which led to two tries for the hosts, Robinson also played his part in helping Cardiff bounce back from an early 14-0 deficit. With the wind behind him in the second half, he kicked the Blues into position and linked well with his outside backs, with his lengthy cut-out pass created the space for Tom Shanklin to put Blair over for his try. Blues flanker Martyn Williams was as influential as ever – even slotting in at scrum half when Jason Spice was in the sin-bin. For the Scarlets, their scrum half and stand-in captain Dwayne Peel was their outstanding player. He had a hand in the two tries which the visitors scored in the second half, the second of which was brilliantly touched down by replacement Morgan Stoddart, who has been arguably the best full-back on show in this season’s league. This was the Blues’ eighth win in nine home matches in all competitions but it was far from fruition when the visitors ran in two tries inside the opening seven minutes. The Scarlets, refreshed after a two-week break, were hoping for a repeat of their 35-17 win over Cardiff at Stradey Park earlier in the season. Llanelli made five changes to their starting line-up with Ceiron Thomas at full-back, Wales Under-20 star Jonathan Davies in the centre and Iestyn Thomas, Matthew Rees and Vernon Cooper bolstering the pack. There were nine changes to the Blues side that lost to Toulouse in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. The most notable inclusions being Robinson and centre Marc Stcherbina, who was back after seven months out with a shoulder injury. There were only four minutes on the clock when Scarlets full-back Thomas made his first telling break, he put centre Regan King into space and Peel was up in support to go over under the posts. Stephen Jones converted and he also added the extras to Jonathan Davies’ sixth-minute try. Thomas was again the creator as he carved open the home defence, fly-half Jones took the ball on and, despite a tackle from Tom James, he was able to keep the move going and put youngster Davies over for the score. 14-0 down, Cardiff blew their first chance of a try when a rusty Robinson failed to gather a bouncing ball with the try line in sight. David Young’s side were beginning to get a foothold in the game but they missed out on another try-scoring opportunity when Stcherbina lost his grip on the ball. However, as the first quarter came to a close, it became obvious that the Blues were winning the battle up front. Their powerful scrum forced a professional foul out of Alix Popham and the Scarlets number 8 was dispatched to the sin-bin. The resulting penalty was knocked through the posts by Blair and while the Scarlets were down to 14 men, Cardiff also nabbed their opening try. It came in the 28th-minute when former Wales captain Gareth Thomas laid the groundwork for Robinson to crash over in the corner. Blair converted for 14-10 and with the Blues now turning the screw, both Shanklin and Gareth Thomas were agonisingly held up over the Scarlets’ try line. But Young’s charges were able to wrestle the lead away from Llanelli before the break when winger James went on a rampaging run and blasted his way past Peel for his side’s second try. 17-14 ahead at the turnaround, the Blues built on their lead when Stcherbina crossed for a fine touchdown close to the posts after James had made a surging 50-yard run. Blair’s conversion put 10 points between the sides and the Blues looked to have completed a fantastic comeback. But they were not out of the woods yet and a 51st-minute yellow card for Spice helped the Scarlets roar back into the game. Phil Davies’ men managed to turn things around with two quick tries. Wales’ Grand Slam-winning winger Mark Jones halved the deficit when Stoddart made a thrilling break and he offloaded for Jones to fly over. The Scarlets then notched a superb seven-pointer, which chalked up their bonus point, as the pacy Stoddart rounded off a length-of-the-field move to grab a deserved try and Stephen Jones converted. With the Scarlets suddenly 26-24 ahead, the nip and tuck nature of the game saw the Blues then regain control. The Blues’ replacement scrum half Richie Rees, on in place of Spice, went on a sniping run and with the Scarlets illegally slowing up ball at the ensuing ruck, Mark Jones became the third player to be sin-binned. Blair was successful with the penalty kick and two minutes later, Cardiff, helped by a Maama Molitika lineout steal, put their full-back over for their bonus point-clinching try. With eight minutes of normal time left, Robinson’s drop goal scrubbed off the Scarlets’ losing bonus point and completed the scoring in what was a classic derby encounter.
