Cardiff never lost to Australia in six meetings between 1908 and 1984 but their successors as the capital city's professional side, the Blues, failed at the first attempt last night. The Wallaby reserves were dominant throughout, let down only by some poor handling in the wet conditions and a failure to understand the thinking of the referee, James Jones.
Australia had two players sent to the sin-bin for ruck offences in the second half but such was their technical superiority against a side that has struggled in the Magners League this season that not even being awarded 20 penalties and twice having a man advantage had a levelling effect.
Australia led 17-3 at half-time but lost three players through injury in the first 36 minutes. The 19-year old outside-half, Matt Toomua, was making his debut in the green and gold jersey and his first contribution was his last. He led with his shoulder as he went in to tackle the veteran centre, Gareth Thomas, and was led off after receiving lengthy treatment.
The prop Pekahou Cowan followed on the half-hour and George Smith found himself coming on five minutes before the interval after Mitchell Chapman twisted his knee. Smith is unlikely to start against Wales on Saturday but Toomua's replacement, Quade Cooper, played against England, Ireland and Scotland and the Blues wasted no time in thundering into him.
There has been a revival in support for old-fashioned tours but, with the Blues well below strength because of international commitments, there was little to grip the crowd. The Wallabies indulged in some intricate moves, taking the lead on seven minutes when the centre Tyrone Smith, with the deftest of passes, started the play that led to Ryan Cross scoring in the corner, but otherwise it was another affair of the boot and whistle.
Ben Blair scored the first points of the game with a seventh-minute penalty but the New Zealander's error at the end of the opening half left his side with too much to do after the break. Coaches say that they are reluctant to encourage players to run from their own territory because defenders are given so much latitude at the breakdown by referees but Blair was the agent of his own misfortune, dithering after finding a blanket of defenders in front of him and throwing out a loose pass in contact on halfway that saw Cross seize the loose ball and trigger a counter-attack that ended with Kurtly Beale scoring in the left-hand corner.
The Blues, as they were obliged to, kept the ball in hand more after the break but they lacked penetration, even when the visiting No 8 Richard Brown found himself in the sin-bin for helping himself to the home side's ruck ball. The flanker, Matt Hodgson, followed him to the cooler, more harshly, for the same offence before Australia scored stoppage-time tries through Luke Morahan and Beale to make the scoreline reflect the contest.
Cardiff Blues Blair (Sweeney, 65); Mustoe, G Thomas, Hewitt, Czekaj; Norton-Knight, Cooper (Rees, h-t); Filise, R Thomas (R Williams, 77), Powell (Hobbs, 46), Jones, Morgan (Tito, h-t), Warburton, White (Sowden-Taylor, h-t), Rush (capt).
Pen Blair.
Australia O'Connor; Turner, Cross (Morahan, 64), T Smith, Beale; Toomua (Cooper, 4), Burgess (Kingi, 80); Cowan (Ma'afu, 31), Polota-Nau (Cowan, 65), Kepu (Dunning, 62), Dennis, Mumm (capt), Chapman (G Smith, 36), Hodgson, Brown.
Tries Beale 2, Cross, Morahan. Cons O'Connor 4. Pen O'Connor.
Sin-bins Brown 49, Hodgson 72
Referee J Jones (Swansea)
Attendance 14,622
