Newcastle Falcons 33 Cardiff Blues 3
Saturday 15 October 6.30pm kick off LV=Cup
The Blues had selected a young team to travel to the North East for their opening LV=Cup encounter.
Newcastle kicked off and were awarded an early penalty that they kicked to touch five metres out. Having won the line out they drove Mark Wilson over for the try, converted by Gopperth.
The Blues were awarded a penalty soon after and Patchell was just short with his long-range effort.
The conditions were excellent for running rugby and it was a fast pitch. Newcastle looked to spread the ball whenever possible and soon got their second. Slick hands by Jeremy Manning saw him ship the ball to Goosen at fullback to run in. Gopperth this time just hooked the conversion wide.
Having conceded two early tries, the young Blues side gathered themselves and started to play with a lot of energy, looking to move the heavier Newcastle team around the field, and use the width of the pitch. Luke Hamilton and Thomas Young were playing well in the back row, with Hamilton showing great pace on the attack.
However, it wasn’t long before Newcastle got their third. Having sucked in the defenders, Gopperth threw a long pass left, gathered by Eves, who flipped the ball inside to Goosen to run in for his second. Gopperth converted the touchline effort.
Half time Newcastle Falcons 19 Cardiff Blues 0
The second half started well for the Blues, gaining good ground into the Newcastle twenty-two. Rhys Patchell was unlucky that his drop goal effort just drifted wide and again Hamilton was proving a handful.
Despite the territory the Blues let in another try 10 minutes in. From a scrum five metres out Newcastle spread the ball right and Goosen came into the line, threw a dummy, and crashed over for his hat trick. Gopperth was again accurate with the extras.
The Blues finally got on the scoreboard with a Rhys Patchell penalty in the 55th minute. However, Newcastle soon got their fifth try. Having worked their way well into the Blues twenty-two a ruck formed just beneath the Blues posts and Helleur picked up and drove over. Gopperth slotted the simple conversion.
The Blues made a number of substitutions just after the hour mark, given even more youngsters the experience of regional rugby.
The young side kept battling until the end and had a period of five minutes on the Newcastle try-line. However, some resilient Newcastle defence kept them out before they knocked on and Newcastle cleared.
It was a battling effort by a youthful Blues side that showed great character but in the end the Newcastle experience showed and they won the game easily.
Cardiff Blues: 15. Dan Fish 14. Richard Mustoe 13. Owen Williams 12. Cory Allen (65off) 11. Adam Thomas 10. Rhys Patchell (64off) 9. Rhys Downes (64off)
8. Luke Hailton 7. Thomas Young (50off) 6. Ellis Jenkins 5. James Down (c) 4. Cory Hill (63off) 3. Ryan Harford (60off) 2. Ryan Tyrrell (60off) 1. Nathan Trevett (66off)
16. Rhys Williams (60on) 17. Jamie Corsi (60on) 18. Thomas Davies (66on) 19. Matthew Screech (63on) 20. Rhys Shellard (50on) 21. Lewis Jones (64on) 22. Lewis Williams (64on) 23. Richard Smith (65on)
Newcastle Falcons: Goosen, Sheriffe, Uys, Manning, Eves, Gopperth, Pasqualin, Fearn, M. Mayhew, Murray, Townson, van der Heijden, Wilson, Pennycook,
Hogg.??Replacements: Graham, Wells, Hall, Swinson, Welch, Chudley, Helleur, Hodgson
Cardiff Blues
Tries
Pen Patchell x 1
Con
D/G
Newcastle Falcons
Tries Wilson x 1 Goosen x 3 Helleur x 1
Pen
Con Gopperth x 4
D/G
Attendance: 3,176