Brilliant Blues stun Toulon

Cardiff Blues became the first Welsh side to lift a European trophy after overcoming Toulon 28-21 in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseille.

Dai Young's men silenced a partisan crowd inside the Stade Velodrome to claim victory with a heroic display.

Jamie Roberts, Leigh Halfpenny and Bradley Davies all ran in second half tries and Ben Blair booted over 10 points to ensure the trophy remains in the United Kingdom for a third successive year.

Sonny Bill Williams had earlier struck to give Toulon a 13-5 lead at the break, however the Blues rallied superbly thereafter.

The defeat compounds a miserable few days for Philippe Saint-Andre's men, who suffered a painful Top 14 play-off defeat to Clermont last weekend.

Golden opportunity

Toulon made an explosive start and almost scored inside the opening 15 seconds after Juan Fernandez Lobbe beat Roberts to the kick-off to send Williams and Joe van Niekerk rampaging forward, only for the attack to end with a dropped pass.

Two golden try-scoring opportunities had already gone begging when Williams finally skipped his way through the Blues defence in added time at the end of the first half.

The Blues took the lead with a 50-metre penalty from Halfpenny but Jonny Wilkinson drew Toulon level after the Frenchmen had done a superb job of isolating Martyn Williams at the breakdown.

Blues full-back Blair nudged Cardiff back into the lead after Toulon's former England centre Tom May was penalised at the breakdown but once again Wilkinson was on target to level the scores.

Toulon's attacking endeavour was eventually rewarded four minutes before half time after Van Niekerk launched a counter-attack from inside his own 22.

Blair did well to haul down full-back Clement Marienval, but the ball eventually worked its way to Williams who breezed past three defenders to score the opening try, which Wilkinson converted.

The Blues lost captain Gethin Jenkins at half-time and Toulon were soon shorn of their own talisman after Wilkinson hobbled out of the action, having collapsed to the ground after missing a penalty shot.

It proved a decisive moment. May stepped in at fly-half and he was immediately put under pressure by the Blues and forced to touch down behind his own goal-line.

Influential

Cardiff won a quick free-kick at the scrum. Maama Molitika and Filise were both stopped short of the line but Roberts picked a perfect line to carve his way through and score under the posts.

May, who also took over the goal-kicking duties from Wilkinson, and Blair exchanged penalties but the Blues were in the ascendancy at this stage with Xavier Rush and Roberts growing increasingly influential.

The two key men combined to create Cardiff's second try with Roberts making a trademark midfield bust before Rush's pass over the top sent Halfpenny over in the corner.

Rush was in the thick of it again just four minutes later, thundering forward before Laulala created the opening for Davies to score Cardiff's crucial third.

Toulon threw the kitchen sink at Cardiff and replacement Thomas Sourice scored a late try but the Blues held on for victory.

The result will be also be celebrated by another Welsh club, Scarlets, as it guarantees their qualification for next year's Heineken Cup.