Newport Gwent Dragons were unable to halt the Blues march to the top of the Magners League as they lost 31-17 at the Arms Park last Tuesday evening.
The Blues scored four tries and the bonus point win secured them top position in the League. Scrum half Mike Phillips crossed for two tries while he also played an instrumental part in centre Tom Shanklin's try. Captain Xavier Rush got the Blues other try. The Dragons scored two tries through flanker Joe Bearman and young academy centre Gareth Maule.
The opening twenty minutes of the game belonged to The Dragons as they dominated possession and territory and should have had more to show for their efforts than a Ceri Sweeney penalty that just went wide of the posts.
The Blues scored an opportunist try against the run of play when Phillips pounced on a loose ball and scored under the posts with Ben Blair adding the conversion.
Sweeney replied for The Dragons with a penalty but Blair cancelled it out with three points after a penalty for a Dragons infringement in the scrum.
The Blues then found their stride and The Dragoons found they were on the back foot. The home forwards camped on The Dragons line and Jamie Ringer was shown the yellow card after referee Nigel Owens judged he was deliberately slowing the ball down. The Blues went for a close range scrum and No.8 Rush picked up the ball at the base and charged over for the Blues second try. The easy conversion game the home side a 17-3 lead at half time.
The Dragons hit back early in the second half with Richard Fussell throwing a dummy and finding space between the two Blues props. Bearman was on Fussell's shoulder and his side step inside Chris Czekaj saw him go under the posts for a converted try.
Unfortunately for The Dragons any ascendancy they had was lost when Phillips caught the visitors defence around the fringes of the ruck and he launched a counter attack from deep inside his own half. Robin Sowden-Taylor provided the link for the move and his pass to Shanklin saw him finish the move. Blair's conversion restored the Blues 14 point lead.
Sweeney did get The Dragons back into the game with a penalty but the home side secured the result and fourth try in the 65th minute when Phillips used his pace and power to go through Phil Dollman's tackle and he stretched out to the line and got the try.
The Dragons again showed their fighting spirit when the scored a superb breakout try through Maule and Sweeney's conversion reduced the deficit to 11 points but they ran out of time to launch any further meaningful attacks.
