Blues hold on to avenge Boxing Day reverse

Cardiff Blues avenged their Boxing Day home defeat to Newport Gwent Dragons by holding on to claim a 11-9 win at Rodney Parade.

Just one try was scored in the match which improved as a spectacle as it went on.

Cory Allen crossed for Cardiff after 17 minutes and two Gareth Anscombe penalties were enough for the Blues.

Tom Prydie kicked three penalties for the Dragons to keep them in the game.

The Dragons struck first when Prydie landed his first shot at goal from 30 metres after the Blues had strayed offside.

Influential throughout, Anscombe then turned playmaker to set up Allen's try shortly after missing a 45-metre penalty attempt.

His precise pass on the left wing gave Allen the chance to score and despite the best efforts of Matthew Pewtner, he grounded the ball.

Anscombe missed the conversion and the Blues led 5-3 at half-time, when Adam Jones replaced tight-head prop Taufa'ao Filise, who had been repeatedly penalised at the scrum.

Anscombe struck quickly to extend the Blues' lead after the break with a 30-metre penalty only for Prydie to reply with one of his own.

The Dragons then wasted an opportunity to score a try when good work from replacement scrum-half Jonathan Evans was wasted by his colleagues.

Then Pewtner did go over but the score was ruled out for crossing although a third Prydie penalty put them 9-8 ahead with 20 minutes still to play.

Both sides threw everything at each other in an exciting final period and a long-range drop goal from Dragons replacement Dorian Jones was touched in flight.

That gave the home side a scrum five metres out but as the clock ticked over to full-time, they contrived to give away a penalty.

Anscombe cleared and Cardiff could celebrate a first Guinness Pro12 away win since September.