Cardiff set up an Amlin Challenge Cup final date with Toulon with a deserving 18-15 victory over Wasps.
Blues book first European final in 14 years
Cardiff set up an Amlin Challenge Cup final date with Toulon with a deserving 18-15 victory over Wasps.
The Blues reached their first European final since the inaugural Heineken Cup in 1996 thanks to tries from Wales internationals Leigh Halfpenny and Gethin Jenkins.
Fly-half Dave Walder kept Wasps in the hunt with five successful penalties but was unable to convert a 77th minute effort that would have sent the game into extra-time.
Cardiff had to play the final 10 minutes with 14 men when Scott Andrews was sin-binned for repeated infringements but Walder missed his only kick of the night.
With just five minutes gone, Cardiff thought they had scored the opening try when Xavier Rush barged characteristically through two tackles, but his offload was judged to be marginally forward before Blair dived on the loose ball.
Ben Blair missed Cardiff's first shot at goal before Dom Waldouck, moved from outside to inside centre, launched Wasps first real attack when he shrugged off Ceri Sweeney's tackle, but Mark Van Gisbergen could not hold onto the slippery ball.
Platform
Blair missed a second simple shot at goal but the Blues soon charged into the lead with a well-crafted try from Halfpenny.
Rush created the platform with another powerful run, Maama Molitika took it on before Sweeney changed direction and whipped the ball out wide, where the Wales winger beat Joe Simpson to score.
Blair failed to convert - his third consecutive miss - and Wasps took advantage by earning two penalties which Walder converted in quick succession.
Blair broke his duck with a penalty shortly before the interval but Walder was on target immediately after the restart as Wasps' forwards began to assert themselves.
But the Blues defence withstood wave after wave of Wasps pressure, closing Walder down quickly to deny him the drop goal attempt before bustling Waldouck into touch.
The Blues showed remarkable handling in the conditions to launch an exhilerating counter-attack deep into Wasps territory and earn the penalty shot, which Blair converted.
Wasps were reduced to 14 men when Simon Shaw, having been warned twice in the first half, was sin-binned. Halfpenny missed the long-range penalty attempt but the Blues soon took full advantage of the extra man.
Cardiff launched a powerful lineout drive, pushing Wasps' seven-man pack backwards before Jenkins burrowed over the line to earn the Blues a vital lead.
Blair converted but Walder kept Wasps in touch with his fifth penalty before Andrews was shown the yellow card as the Londoners' pack dominated.
Another powerful set-piece drive earned Walder a chance to send the match into extra time - but his first miss of the evening confirmed the Blues' place in the final.
