Dai Young believes reaching the EDF Energy Cup final shows just how much Cardiff have improved in recent years.
Saints boss Mallinder proud of his side's effort in semi-final
Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young believes reaching the EDF Energy Cup final shows how much the club has progressed in recent years.
The Blues set up a showdown with Gloucester at Twickenham with a hard-fought 11-5 victory over Northampton at the Ricoh Arena.
The result means the Magners League outfit are just one win away from their first piece of silverware since the Welsh-Scottish League in 2000.
With a Heineken Cup quarter-final also to come, Young feels the hard work put in during recent years is finally paying off with performances on the field.
Bumpy road
"We didn't do well in Heineken Cup and the other competitions four or five years ago because weren't good enough. You don't have a right to be in finals; you have to earn it," he said.
"I knew it would be a bumpy road when I took the job, but you have to have confidence and determination to keep going.
"It has not happened as quickly as we would have liked. But we have put real solid foundations in with the academy. The regional concept is better, and the support we are getting is far better.
"It is nice for us to keep moving forward on the team. We have now got better players. A lot of the younger have got that experience of the last couple of seasons, and the players that have come in have added to the squad.
"With a better squad, we have committed ourselves to the bigger games and taken lot of confidence and belief from that.
"Then it is a snowball effect, and we have gone from strength to strength. We are a very difficult team to beat but we are not the finished article."
Proud
Northampton boss Jim Mallinder admitted he was proud of his players for their efforts despite falling just short in their bid to reach the final.
"I am disappointed for the team to lose a game like that," he said. "We defended really well because Cardiff have got some big physical threats - but it wasn't our day.
"I am really proud where this team has come from in 18 months. After being relegated and spending a season in the first division, we have come a long way.
"We have improved this year as well and we are moving forward."
