Blues lose their cool as Saints march to victory

NORTHAMPTON maintained their perfect Heineken Cup Pool 1 record in a thriller at the Cardiff City Stadium after the Blues were hit by the second-half dismissal of Xavier Rush.

Substitute Calum Clark crossed over for the decisive score, his side’s only try, seven minutes from the end to make the Blues pay for Rush’s red card for a dangerous tackle on Courtney Lawes.

The Blues had looked like they might hold on, with Richard Mustoe’s try just after the break plus 14 points from the boot of Dan Parks rewarding their endeavour.

But it was the Saints’ pack that again ultimately decided the contest, with Tongan prop Soane Tonga’uiha deservedly named man of the match, while Steve Myler’s six penalties kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Cardiff coach Dai Young refused to be drawn on the two controversial incidents in his side’s defeat. The home side had key man Rush sent off and then the television match official awarded a try against Cardiff when Saints replacement Clark looked suspiciously short of the line.

“They were certainly talking points in the tunnel,” Young said, “but the referee (Frenchman Jerome Garces) has made his decisions and there’s no point in me saying anything.”

Young admitted his team had probably lost to the better side. “We had enough opportunities in the first half to get the scoreboard ticking and didn’t take them. We scored our try early in the second period, but then had a yellow card and the sending-off, and the whole game changed.”

Opposite number Jim Mallinder was justifiably happy with his team’s success. “Last year we lost at Munster and Perpignan and this showed we’ve learned how to win those big games,” he said. “It was very physical and quite confrontational at times, as we expected.

“In the first half we came under severe pressure and were quite fortunate to go in level at the interval. But I was very pleased with the way we came out for the second half and our pack got on top, which made the difference.

“Now it’s a matter of seeing the pool out and hopefully getting a home draw in the quarter-finals.”

Scorers for Cardiff Blues: Try: Mustoe. Con: Parks. Pens: Parks 3. Drop Goal: Parks.

Scorers for Northampton: Tries: Clark. Pens: Myler 6.

CARDIFF BLUES: C Czekaj; R Mustoe, C Laulala, T Shanklin, T James; D Parks, R Rees; G Jenkins, G Williams, F Filise; B Davies, P Tito; M Molitika, M Williams, X Rush.

Replacements: J Roberts for Shanklin (40), R Williams for G Williams (58), J Yapp for Filise (57), M Paterson for Tito (58), S Warburton for M. Williams (58).

NORTHAMPTON: B Foden; C Ashton, J Clarke, J Downey, P Diggin; S Myler, R Powell; S Tonga’uiha, D Hartley, B Mujati; C Lawes, C Day; P Dowson, T Wood, R Wilson.

Replacements: L Dickson for Powell (47), C Clark for Lawes (52), M Sorenson for Day (76).

Sin Bin: Downey (29).

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).