Blair inspires Blues win
Cardiff Blues held their nerve to claim a vital victory in a scrappy affair against Toulouse in Pool 5 of the Heineken Cup.
By Ally Fisher
Last Updated: 13/12/09 9:13am
Cardiff Blues held their nerve to claim a vital victory in a scrappy affair against Toulouse in Pool 5 of the Heineken Cup.
Winger Lee Halfpenny kicked a penalty a minute from time to secure the all-important victory for the Blues from the halfway line.
Ben Blair had earlier kicked four penalties for Cardiff in a faultless performance by the former New Zealand international, before Toulouse clawed their way back to within three points before Halfpenny's penalty.
Blair's eighth minute penalty were the first points on the board, a lead the Welsh team never relinquished.
Toulouse came from 12-3 down and could have drawn the scores level in the 75th minute but Florian Fritz pulled his penalty kick well wide of the left upright.
The first half saw countless unforced errors on both sides as try-scoring opportunities were few and far between.
Cardiff matched Toulouse pound for pound up front and their physicality in the backs was emphasised by Jamie Roberts.
Roberts' bulldozing runs in midfield took him past the gain-line on numerous occasions and his defence was equally impressive to that of the menacing centres of Yannick Jauzion and Florian Fritz.
Both sides were competitive at the breakdown with Patricio Albacete turning Cardiff over on more then one occasion.
With Cardiff taking a 6-0 lead into the half-time interval, the game was tentatively poised for the second half.
Errors
Power, passion and flair were ever present in a compelling match but constant turnovers allowed both teams to attack, with handling errors the downfall for both teams.
After the break Blair kicked his third penalty from the 22 metre line with Fritz scoring Toulouse's first points moments later, taking the scores to 9-3.
Toulouse lock Albacete was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card when he went in with the shoulder on the floor.
However, the Cardiff full-back further increased Blues' lead on 64 minutes with a beautifully struck penalty from the 10 metre line.
David Skrela's drop goal in the 70th minute brought the former champions to within three points at 12-9, as they started to gain more territory and momentum.
But Halfpenny's late strike, after impressive foraging from his forwards earned a turnover penalty, ensures Cardiff's hopes of qualifying for the next stage are still very much alive ahead of next weekend's re-match in France.
