Pieter Muller strides away for a fine Cardiff try

At 13-0 down, Cardiff needed to show some fire and Luke Tait was warned for showing too much after a bout of fisticuffs with Nick Kelly.

The Blue & Blacks, making their first appearance at the Millennium Stadium, got back into the game when Jonathan Humphreys dived over in the corner after a line-out move.

The standard and excitement of the game was high, and the crowd were brought to its feet in the 28th minute by a sparkling Cardiff try.

After initially being on the defensive, Robert Howley and Craig Morgan combined to send Springbok centre Pieter Muller storming through for a score Iestyn Harris converted.

But the Ponty fans found their voice two minutes later as Davey slotted over his third penalty to make it 16-12.

The two kickers swapped penalties, with Harris kicking two to Davey's one, but bad news for Cardiff was the sight of veteran prop David Young being given a torrid time by Ponty's Gethin Jenkins in the scrums.

Lynn Howells (centre) celebrates Ponty's success

It didn't stop them taking a 25-19 interval lead, though, as Harris kicked through for Jamie Robinson to outstrip the Ponty defence to score a converted try.

Ponty had to replace the injured Richard Johnston with Jason Lewis at the break, but clawed three points back with Davey's fifth successful kick.

After a period of Cardiff pressure earned them no reward, Ponty went up the other end to level the scores with another Davey kick.

The Ponty full-back missed another attempt before slotting over his seventh penalty to take the Sardis Road side into the lead.

Young was replaced by Ken Fourie, who was immediately warned by referee Nigel Williams after collapsing a scrum.

The second half was as tense as the first was exciting, and Michael Owen tried to lift some of the tension with a storming run, but the Cardiff defence held firm.

The Blue & Blacks started to get desperate in their attempts to haul back Ponty, and another offence - this time by Muller - saw Davey make it a great eight and secure a marvelllous victory.

Cardiff: Tries: J Humphreys, P Muller, J Robinson. Cons: I Harris (2). Pens: I Harris (2).

Pontypridd: Try: M Davies. Con: B Davey. Pens: B Davey (8).

Cardiff: R Williams; A Sullivan, J Robinson, P Muller, C Morgan; I Harris, R Howley; S John, J Humphreys, D Young (capt), A Jones, L Tait, R Appleyard, E Lewis, M Williams.
Reps: K Fourie, A Lewis, D Baugh, R Sowden-Taylor, R Powell, N Robinson, M Allen.

Pontypridd: B Davey; G Wyatt, S Parker, J Bryant, R Johnston; C Sweeney, P John (capt); G Jenkins, M Davies, D Bell, B Cockbain, R Sidoil, N Kelly, M Owen, R Parks.
Reps: J Lewis, N Little, G Baber, M Rees, S Cronk, G Remnant, C Harris.

Referee: Nigel Williams (WRU).