The Cardiff Blues got back to winning ways and returned to the top half of the Magners League table courtesy of a regional derby win over the Newport Gwent Dragons. New Zealander Ben Blair tallied up 23 points on his return to Magners League rugby, helping the Blues bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Leinster in Dublin. Recovered from a knee injury, Blair needed just five points to hit the 1000-point mark in his Cardiff career and he achieved the feat when kicking a penalty and a conversion in the opening quarter. Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Thomas grabbed Cardiff's first half tries, and Thomas and Xavier Rush added two more after the break to secure the bonus point. The Dragons took an early lead through the boot of Matthew Jones, who scored 11 points in all. A try from Will Harries brought it back to a seven-point game, with just over 20 minutes to go, but the Blues were out of sight by the time Adam Hughes touched down in the dying minutes. The Dragons, led by lock Luke Charteris once again, were forced to make changes to the team that defeated Glasgow Warriors last Sunday. With the likes of Martyn Thomas, Ashley Smith, Pat Leach and Jason Tovey all out injured, the visitors had teenager Matthew Pewtner making his league debut on the right wing. Harries took on the full-back role, and Rhodri-Gomer Davies and Matthew Jones came in at inside centre and fly-half respectively. There were two further changes in the pack, as the fit-again Ben Castle returned in the front row and former Blues lock Rob Sidoli made his first start of the season. Flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor, who moved from the Dragons to Cardiff in the summer, was also back for the first time at his former employers. Cardiff welcomed back Blair, team captain Paul Tito, Gethin Jenkins, Leigh Halfpenny and Tom Shanklin into their side, and Ceri Sweeney was given a chance to impress in the number 10 jersey. Lloyd Williams joined Sweeney at half-back, with Jenkins replacing Tom Davies in the front row, Deiniol Jones making way for Tito in the second row and Ma'ama Molitika and Martyn Williams starting in the back row. The reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions were under pressure in the opening minutes. Pewtner was almost set up for a debut try courtesy of a Jones crossfield kick, Cardiff were called offside nonetheless, and Jones slotted the seventh minute penalty. The Blues suffered a blow when centre Casey Laulala was stretchered off as a precaution, following a collision with Gomer Davies, and the bounce of the ball was unkind as Sweeney, having charged down Jones' kick, looked poised to break the try-scoring deadlock. Blair did open the hosts' account from a subsequent penalty and they quickly added a try from a surging breakaway. Shanklin, Sweeney, Thomas and Blair were all involved in an excellent build-up to Halfpenny's seven-pointer under the posts, with the winger running a good support line. Jones responded with a penalty but Cardiff were cranking things up in attack and after a near miss by Chris Czekaj, a well-weighted pass from Bradley Davies sent hooker Thomas crashing over on the right, with Blair adding the conversion for 17-6. The game ebbed and flowed before half-time, however Cardiff dominated possession and looked potent in attack, building impressively through the phases. Jones missed two penalty chances, while Blair tagged on a late penalty to leave 14 points between the sides at the break. Jones and Blair swapped penalties in the opening five minutes of the second half, and the Dragons enjoyed some decent possession as they looked to force their way over the whitewash. They did just that in the 58th minute. Racing out of their half, centres Gomer Davies and Tom Riley combined and the supporting Harries who brilliantly rounded the cover, close to the touchline, was able to power his way to the corner. Jones' successful conversion was cancelled out by a Blair penalty, after Dragons skipper Charteris was pinged for going offside. The Dragons escaped on a couple of occasions when a forward pass and a poor kick ruined try-scoring chances for the Blues. But, after Dragons prop Castle was sin-binned for a ruck offence, Cardiff deservedly collected that third try. Thomas completed his brace, profiting from good play from Sweeney, Williams and Dafydd Hewitt and a final pass from Jenkins. Blair added the extras and maintained his 100% kicking return when converting Rush's 72nd-minute effort. The former All Black tapped a penalty and lunged for the line, scoring his tenth league try. Blair landed his ninth successful kick of the evening by nailing a late penalty, before the 20-year-old Hughes had the final say for the Dragons, finishing off a fluid attack. But it could not take the gloss off the Blues' eighth successive victory over the Dragons. David Young's men won this corresponding fixture 42-13 last season, and are back up to fifth place in the current league standings.
