Blues (3) 42
Tries: Davies, Mustoe, Rees, Shanklin, James. Cons: Blair 4. Pens: Blair 3.
Dragons (13) 13
Try: Brew. Con: Arlidge. Pen: Arlidge. DG: Tovey.

Blues wing Richard Mustoe waltzes over unopposed against the Dragons

Cardiff Blues staged a devastating second-half recovery to win Sunday's Magners League Welsh derby against the visiting Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Dragons had led 13-3 at half-time thanks to Aled Brew's try and suggested an upset might be on the cards.

But the Blues scored 39 unanswered points in an amazing second period.

Bradley Davies, Richard Mustoe, Richie Rees, Tom Shanklin and Tom James all claimed tries, with full-back Ben Blair kicking another 14 points.

Blair missed an early pot at goal, hitting the left-hand upright, but made amends soon after when Dragons prop Patrick Palmer - on loan from the Blues - was penalised for dropping a scrum.

It compounded a nervy start for the Dragons, who then kicked out on the full from the restart to hand the initiative back to the hosts.

The Blues were unable to make headway and coughed up a penalty on the halfway line, but Jason Tovey was unable to convert the long-range kick.

Although that opportunity went begging, the Dragons took a surprise lead soon after when Hugh Gustafson scooped up a loose ball and went haring through the midfield.

The prop timed his pass to perfection to send Brew away to the line, with James Arlidge converting the wing's try for a 7-3 lead.

We said at half-time we've got to match their enthusiasm and their attitude and... our quality would take over Blues boss Dai Young

Things got worse for the Blues midway through the half when hooker Rhys Thomas was sin-binned for killing the ball, after Dragons centre Tom Riley had chased down an Arlidge grubber.

The Dragons should have stretched their lead from the resulting penalty but Arlidge hooked the simple kick wide.

The loss of one of their number did not seem to trouble the Blues pack overly, who made inroads with a series of driving mauls and showed a greater physical edge at the breakdown.

The home side managed to avoid a scrum until just before Thomas was due to rejoin the fray.

But here the numbers told and the Dragons eight earned a penalty that Arlidge was this time able to turn into three points.

The Blues roared back as the half came to a close and only some desperate Dragons defence held Taufa'au Filise up over the try line.

The visitors had given up a penalty in the build-up and with Thomas back on the field the Blues opted to take a five-metre scrum, only for the Dragons pack to front up and disrupt their opponents.

With the danger cleared, the Dragons eight then earned a penalty at the scrum only for Arlidge to miss the long-range kick.

That looked to be it for the opening period with the clock touching 40 minutes, but Blues fly-half Sam Norton-Knight opted to kick upfield rather than send the ball into touch to end the first half.

Tovey seized the chance and the full-back send a huge drop-goal over from the halfway line to give the Dragons a 13-3 lead at the break.

The Blues stormed out of the gate for the second half and blitzed the Dragons to take the lead within eight minutes of the restart.

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Rees was the catalyst with two eye-catching breaks that owed as much to the scrum-half's quick-thinking as to his swift feet.

The first took the Blues from their own 22 into the opposition half and ended in Blair kicking a penalty, the second run put the home side within striking distance for lock Davies to barge over.

With Blair adding the conversion and then swiftly adding his third penalty to complete the turnaround, the Blues held a 16-13 lead.

Only a last-gasp tackle from Brew, causing James to lose the ball as he stooped for the line in the left corner, interrupted the Blues' procession of scores.

But the reprieve was only fleeting, as soon after the Dragons backs were left looking at each other when a high kick was allowed to bounce and Blues wing Mustoe gratefully gathered to go under the posts.

When the excellent Rees picked from the base of a scrum to arc through unopposed with 22 minutes left, Blair again adding the extras, the Blues revival was complete and the win secured.

The Dragons' rearguard action was not helped by Brew earning a yellow card for interference, leaving space in behind that Shanklin exploited.

The Blues centre dabbed a delicate grubber ahead, following up to gather for another seven-pointer and the bonus of an extra point.

Wing James rubbed salt in the wounds with a fifth home try and ensured that the Dragons' losing streak in Cardiff still stretches back to November 2003.

Cardiff Blues director of rugby Dai Young:
"We talked first half that we were letting ourselves down, I thought the Dragons really wanted it a bit more than us.

"Any 50-50s they won and that's certainly what we said at half-time, we've got to match their enthusiasm and their attitude and... our quality would take over.

"That's something that we had to go out and make happen and not expect it to happen."

Blues: Ben Blair; Richard Mustoe, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Tom James; Sam Norton-Knight, Richie Rees; Gethin Jenkins (capt), T Rhys Thomas, Taufa'au Filise, Bradley Davies, Scott Morgan, Sam Warburton, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush.
Replacements: Gareth Williams for T. Thomas (77), Gary Powell for Filise (70), Paul Tito for Morgan (75), Andy Powell for M. Williams (75), Gareth Cooper for Rees (77), Ceri Sweeney for Warburton (75), Gareth Thomas for Roberts (53).

Dragons: Jason Tovey; Aled Brew, Rhodri Gomer-Davies, Tom Riley, Richard Fussell; James Arlidge, Danny Lee; Hugh Gustafson, Tom Willis (capt), Patrick Palmer, Hoani MacDonald, Robert Sidoli, Grant Webb, Gavin Thomas, Lewis Evans.
Replacements: Steve Jones for Willis (63), Peter Bracken for Palmer (71), Adam Jones for MacDonald (63), James Harris for G. Thomas (75), Will Harries for Arlidge (57), Matthew Watkins for Gomer-Davies (43), Gareth Williams for Lee (67).

Att: 15,210

Referee: James Jones (WRU).

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