On a cold windswept night at Stradey Park, Cardiff Blues maintained their unbeaten run with 19 points to 8 win over the Scarlets.
Both sides desperately tried to play an open running game but it soon became clear that with the constant whistle of the referee it would become a stop start affair and a war of attrition. The game was an even contest with both sides threatening.
Thirty five minutes in to the game a speculative kick to the corner by the Scarlets outside half resulted in the perfect bounce for the Scarlets winger to crash over in the corner to get the first score of the game. The conversion was missed and the Blues would probably have been happy to go in at half time 5 -0 down having played into a strong wind in the first half. However, with four minutes to go the Blues pack stormed to within 5 metres of the Scarlets line and at the ensuing ruck the Scarlets Number 5 killed the ball and was given a yellow card. With a man advantage Blues captain Geraint Turner of Abercynon opted for the scrum rather than kick for goal. As the Scarlets scrum disintegrated Turner picked up and drove for the line with all the Blues forwards going over en bloc to make it 5 - 5. Blues debutant Dylan Jones of Ystrad Rhondda struck his conversion well only to see it rebound off the upright and it was Scarlets 5 Blues 5 at half time
HALF TIME
SCARLETS AMATEURS 5 BLUES AMATEURS 5
With the second half underway Scarlets went ahead with a penalty and with ten minutes gone the Blues coaches made three changes with Dave Hefford of Abercynon coming into the back row, Owen Cotton to the front row and the more experienced Matthew Turner to outside half. Within minutes Turner kicked a penalty to make it 8 - 8, two more penalties by the Abercynon outside half gave the Blues a six point cushion going into the final quarter. The Blues made more changes with Chris Lloyd of Tylorstown and Huw Lougher of Cowbridge coming on for their Blues debut. With only 2 minutes on the clock Matthew Turner cut back inside the Scarlets defence and with ten metres to go slipped the ball to brother Geraint who crashed over in the corner to seal the game for the Blues. A Happy night for the Turner Brothers who scored all of the Blues 19 points, (with a little help from their friends).