Lloyd Williams celebrated his 250th club appearance in style as he secured the bonus-point try in a 41-0 European Challenge Cup win over CA Brive.
The Blue and Blacks had not faced the French outfit in a competitive fixture since a Heineken Cup semi-final defeat to the eventual winners in 1997.
But there was only to be one winner at the Arms Park 25-years later, as Cardiff controlled the encounter right from the kick-off.
They led 19-0 at half-time thanks to a Kristian Dacey brace and a stunning effort finished by Josh Adams.
Williams crossed to mark his milestone early in the second-half and Cardiff added further tries through a trio of homegrown youngsters, Teddy Williams, Mason Grady and Theo Cabango.
It is the second time in three games that the Blue and Blacks have denied their opposition a single point on the scoreboard.
It was the perfect start to European action for Dai Young’s side, who travel to face Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park next weekend.
Cardiff made a flying start to the encounter at a freezing Arms Park, making numerous early breaks before securing the opening try on three minutes.
The opportunity came after Jarrod Evans, Ben Thomas and Theo Cabango worked space down a narrow left hand channel. Cabango was tackled high, Evans kicked to the corner and the pack rumbled over with Dacey claiming his 32nd try in blue and black. Evans slotted the conversion from wide and Cardiff held an early 7-0 lead.
Brive did enjoy some territory but Cardiff’s defence held firm and their jacklers either secured turnovers or penalties to relieve the pressure.
The French did have the opportunity to hit back when they pointed to the corner but fly-half Enzo Herve missed touch.
Minutes later they were made to pay in almost a carbon copy of the first try. Again a penalty was awarded for a high tackle, this time on Dacey, and after Evans put his pack in the corner, the hooker completed his brace.
Evans adde the extras and he was soon instrumental in his side’s third. The fly-half would have been licking his lips as the Brive defence opened up to allow him to make an arcing break to the right. He went past his centres and then fizzed a stunning miss-pass to Adams, who hit the ball at pace for his third side of the season.
The home fly-half was unable to convert the score from the right-hand touch line but Cardiff now lead 19-0 with little more than 20 minutes played.
It could have been four when Rey Lee-Lo clattered his opposite number and the ball came loose. It found it’s way to Thomas Young, who raced from inside his own twenty-two to the Brive twenty-two on the diagonal before he was caught by Enzo Sanga.
Cardiff pressed for the bonus-point score as half-time approached and they got over the whitewash only for replays to show the ball was fumbled.
However, they wrapped up the bonus-point seven minutes into the second-half when Rhys Carré snaffled an ill-advised Abraham Papali’i offload. The in-form loose-head charged down the left touchline before passing inside to Williams, who skipped past Mathis Ferté and stretched over.
Gianluca Gnecchi’s on field decision and following a TMO intervention he had no reason to overturn the try as the ball left Papali’i’s hand before he left the field of play.
Evans was wide with the conversion but his side continued to dominate the scoreboard with Teddy Williams next to cross from close-range.
This time Evans was on target, and moments later the playmaker was on hand to set up Cardiff's sixth of the evening. A bullet pass found replacement Mason Grady in plenty of space, and the youngster had the clinical instinct to finish in the corner for his first in Cardiff colours.
Cardiff continued to dominate in the closing stages, shutting down any threat posed by Brive to strike the scoreboard.
And it was the hosts who had the final word at the baltic Cardiff Arms Park as Theo Cabango dived over the whitewash, with the clock in the red.
Cardiff, with five points secured early in the campaign, head to Newcastle next week before attention turns back to the BKT URC and the festive derbies.