Nicky Robinson is stopped by Montferrand's Jimmy Marlu

The Welshmen never looked like scoring a try and had to wait for a penalty from Nicky Robinson to get them on the scoreboard.

Cardiff brought on Robert Howley at half-time. But he could not rouse his side - and to add to the Welsh woes Craig Quinnell was yellow-carded for pushing David Barrier.

Worse was to follow when a long pass from Gerald Merceron found Rougerie on the right wing to score his second try.

A poor period of rugby followed, during which Cardiff could not get any control and the defenders could not hold Montferrand's New Zealand centre Tony Marsh as he sliced through from 10 metres for try number five.

Entrenched

But even with their European knowledge Cardiff could not step up a gear, and there was little change to the pattern of the game.

An opportunist kick ahead by Howley caught the Montferrand defence unawares, but Andrew Henry saw the ball run away from him.

Finally it was left to referee Rob Dickson to give Cardiff a chance by reducing Montferrand to 12 men for the last 10 minutes, handing out three yellow cards.

Cardiff entrenched themselves in the Montferrand 22, and after several scrums Spencer John forced himself over for a consolation score. Nicky Robinson converted to at least put Cardiff into double figures.

Montferrand: Tries: Rougerie 2, D. Bory, Marsh, J. Marlu. Cons: Merceron 2, Viars. Pens: Merceron 2.

Cardiff: Tries: John. Cons: N. Robinson. Pens: N. Robinson.

Att: 8,500

Montferrand: Jimmy Marlu; Aurelien Rougerie, Johnny N'gaumo, Tony Marsh, David Bory; Gerald Merceron, Alessandro Troncon; Laurent Gomez, Marco Caputo, Alessio Galasso, David Barrier, Eric Lecomte (capt), Tony Jaques, Olivier Magne, Elvis Vermeulen.
Reps: Bastien Siepelski, Yves Pedrosa, Christophe Dongieu, Jan Machacek, Kevin Dalzell, Raphael Chanal, Sebastien Viars.

Cardiff: Rhys Williams; Andrew Henry, Jamie Robinson, Matt Allen, Anthony Sullivan; Nick Robinson, Andy Booth; Spencer John, Andrew Lewis, David Young (capt), Craig Quinnell, John Tait, Francois Mounier, Semo Sititi, Rob Appleyard.
Reps: Kenneth Fourie, Jonathan Humphreys, Dan McShane, Emyr Lewis, Robert Howley, Pieter Muller, Paul Jones.

Referee: Rob Dickson (Scotland).