Borders too strong for Blues

Borders 35 Cardiff Blues 25

Brave Borders shrugged off their injury worries to break their Celtic League duck by sinking Cardiff at Netherdale tonight.

Cardiff looked on course to avenge last season’s defeat on the same turf, but there was no way back after the Scots snatched three tries in six minutes to earn a precious bonus point.

Honours were even in the opening exchanges, with Lee Thomas’ early penalty cancelled out by a similar strike at the other end by Ally Warnock.

Then Cardiff seized the initiative with two well-worked tries in quick succession.

First, flanker Robin Sowden-Taylor surged over to give Thomas a simple conversion – and four minutes later, scrum-half Ryan Powell darted through a narrow gap to reach the line, with Thomas again on target.

Borders rallied late in the first half, with number eight Kelly Brown’s expert pick-up from the scrum base paving the way for Jonny Weston to burrow over - Warnock adding the extras.

There was drama after the restart as Warnock was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on – allowing Thomas to bag another penalty, with Charlie Hore reclaiming the points almost immediately.

The action moved up a gear when Craig Morgan went over for the third Blues touchdown – only for Borders to carve out two of their own in quickfire order through Calum MacRae and Warnock, who slotted both conversions.

The thrilling revival continued too as Brown forced his way across for the clincher – and Warnock made sure with a last-gasp penalty.