Mission accomplished for Blues

It was a case of mission accomplished for Cardiff Blues at the Twickenham Stoop on Sunday after they scored a 45-20 Heineken Cup victory against Harlequins to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

The Magners League side needed a bonus-point win to secure their entry into the second tier competition and after overcoming a strong start from the home side, they managed to score the four tries they needed after just 33 minutes.

There was still the matter of victory, however, but with Quins eating into their opponents' lead shortly before half-time - the first half bringing no fewer than seven tries - the Blues eased clear with two further tries in the second period.

The contest proved to be an open and entertaining one - Cardiff having it all to play for but Quins also fielding a strong side, with young fly-half Rory Clegg having the opportunity to impress.

It was Quins who started the stronger, taking the lead after only 90 seconds when the ball was fed out to temporary full-back Nick Evans, who burst through two challenges before setting up George Lowe - a late replacement for Ugo Monye - on the overlap.

Clegg failed to convert but his side could have gone even further ahead just moments later after gaining turnover ball - the Blues struggling to get out their own 22 in the early exchanges. However, the visitors then put together a fluid attack - prop Gethin Jenkins to the fore - albeit without reward.

Confidence

Instead, Clegg kicked Quins further ahead with a penalty, with Ben Blair missing a long range effort for Cardiff shortly afterwards.

The Blues then appeared to remember that their European season might not necessarily yet be over and embarked on a rolling maul towards a line, the ball being fed right for Gareth Thomas to cross unopposed, with Blair kicking the extras.

The visitors had by now shaken off their early sluggishness and immediately pressed forward for a second. Winning a penalty, Blair signalled their newfound confidence - and their need for tries - by kicking to the corner. The full-back was then on the receiving end of Casey Laulala's offload in the left-hand corner to touch down before converting well from the left flank.

Any thoughts the tide had truly turned were soon dispelled by the home side though and Quins pulled themselves back to within a point straight from the re-start, the move ending with Danny Care diving under two challenges and offloading to Nick Easter in one move - the number eight finishing from close range.

The end-to-end pattern continued unabated, with Laulala bursting through just before the half-hour to set up Ceri Sweeney for the Blues' third - Blair again converting - and their chances of reaching their target before half time were increased when Easter was then sin-binned for raising his right hand.

Blair again kicked for the corner and the fourth came soon enough - an offload from Andy Powell setting up Xavier Rush to plough over with the full-back again finding the target with the conversion. But they were guilty of being caught napping just before the break when, with his side having won a penalty, Care left the opposing defence standing at the line-out to cross.

Clegg duly converted and with the gap pulled back to eight points, Cardiff started the second half aggressively - winning an immediate penalty which Blair could not convert, the number 15 then missing an easier looking chance five minutes later. But the Blues needed just five more minutes to once again give themselves breathing space as Jamie Roberts took a route one approach to the line, with Blair converting.

He then kicked his side 18 points clear with a penalty just before the hour, before Roberts powered over for his second with eight minutes remaining - Blair in turn completing a personal haul of 20 points.