Shaun Connor attacks the Cardiff defence

A six-try performance from the All Blacks saw them to a convincing win at the Gnoll and extended their lead at the top of the Welsh Premiership.

Fly-half Shaun Connor contributed 14 points, but his wayward kicking helped Cardiff stay in the game until near the end.

Nicky Robinson starred for the Blue and Blacks, adding 14 points of his own, but it was not enough for the visitors who continue to languish just one point off the bottom of the league.

In a worrying development for the Wales camp, centre Jamie Robinson, playing his 100th game for Cardiff, went off with a strained lower back and bruised ankle. The extent of the damage was unclear on the night.

Neath opened the game in a manner determined to emulate their destruction of the Blue and Blacks in the Celtic League semi-final.

With Cardiff being driven off their own ball by the powerful Neath eight, the strong opening was rewarded by wing Gareth Morris' fifth-minute try in the corner, Connor adding the conversion.

Match details: Neath Tries: G Morris, A Jones, A Bateman, S Williams, J Ringer, S Connor Cons: S Connor (3) Pen: Connor Cardiff Tries: N Robinson, R Powell, L Tait Cons: Robinson (3) Pen: Robinson

Nicky Robinson got Cardiff back into the game. He struck a long 10th-minute penalty and 15 minutes later, from the visitors' first sustained period of pressure, Nick Walne made the break for Robinson to get the Blue and Blacks' first try.

The conversion made it 7-10, but the All Blacks' unique blend of youth and experience soon struck back.

Excellent team work saw promising prop Adam Jones over in the left-hand corner for a converted try, then 38-year-old centre Allan Bateman finished another move over on the right.

The Blue and Blacks responded before half-time, Wales squad scrum-half Ryan Powell scoring from 45m and Robinson converting to make it 19-17 to the home side at the break.

After such a pulsating opening period the second half went off the boil, a Connor penalty proving the only score of the third quarter.

Seconds after Jamie Robinson's injury departure, brother Nicky failed to touch down over the Neath line after a kick and chase.

Shane Williams looked to have sealed the win with an excellent 70th-minute try for Neath, but a series of missed kicks by Connor gave the visitors a glimmer of hope.

Iestyn Harris' break put Luke Tait in and Robinson's conversion made it 27-24 with just minutes to go, but from the restart Harris had a kick charged down and Jamie Ringer capitalised with Neath's fifth try.

Connor rubbed salt into the wounds with the All Blacks' sixth five-pointer from the last move of the match.

Neath: A Durston; G Morris, A Bateman, J Storey, S Williams; S Connor, A Moore; P James, A Millward, A Jones, A Newman, L Bateman, J Ringer, S Tandy, A Mocelutu.
Reps: P Horgan, K James, D Tiueti, Davies, Matthews, R Phillips, Howells.

Cardiff: Craig Morgan; Nick Walne, Jamie Robinson, Pieter Muller, Dean Dewdney; Nick Robinson, Ryan Powell; Tim Payne, Peter Rogers, Ken Fourie, Heino Senekal, John Tait (capt), Dan McShane, James Malpas, Robin Sowden-Taylor.
Reps: Dai Young, Greg Woods, Adam Jones, Luke Tait, Iestyn Harris, James, Elgan Jones.

Ref: N Williams (WRU)

Att: 3,500