Blues in seventh heaven

Cardiff Blues were in seventh heaven as they produced a scintillating second-half display to crush Newcastle and progress into the semi-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

The visitors ran in seven tries - five in the second period - as they pushed on from a 17-13 half-time lead to rout their hosts 55-20 at Kingston Park.

Ben Blair scored one try, all seven conversions and two penalties in a personal 25-point haul, while the other touchdowns came via Casey Laulala, Martyn Williams, Jamie Roberts, Ceri Sweeney and a Taufa'ao Filise brace.

Winger Charlie Amesbury dotted down for the Falcons, fly-half Jimmy Gopperth kicked a conversion and two penalties before Micky Young added a late consolation but Dai Young's side had already done more than enough to reach the last four of a European competition for the second season in a row.

Carl Hayman was a late withdrawal with a back injury before the game, so denying enthusiasts of the scrum the chance to see a mouth-watering clash between the former New Zealand prop and Gethin Jenkins.

After the game got underway, Sweeney almost went over for the first try from the Blues' first concerted attack but he was brought down just short of the line after a jinking run.

Laulala touchdown

But the Blues were on the scoresheet in the ninth minute as Richie Rees broke off a scrum five metres out and Laulala rolled through a tackle to score, with Blair adding the conversion.

The Falcons soon responded with captain Gopperth notching a simple penalty, but the hosts failed to gather the restart and they paid a heavy price as Williams stretched out from the back of a ruck to score, with Blair adding his second conversion.

But the Falcons again bounced back quickly, with Amesbury crossing three minutes later and Gopperth converting.

The Kiwi fly-half then trimmed the lead to just a point soon afterwards with his second penalty after an illegal Laulala block.

But the visitors continued to look the more threatening side and Blair restored the four-point lead before the interval with a penalty after another sustained attack, before Gopperth missed a three-pointer of his own right on the stroke of half-time.

After the re-start, Newcastle number eight Josh Afu knocked on just outside his 22 and it proved a costly error as the visitors used the field position to extend their lead, with more powerful carrying by Xavier Rush and Bradley Davies setting up prop Filise to drive over from close range, with Blair again adding the extras.

Further pressure

Further pressure rained down on the Falcons line and desperate defence saw the hosts concede another penalt,y which Blair easily converted for a 27-13 lead.

The Blues then extended their advantage when a Filise burst allowed Williams to float a long pass out for Blair to cross for a 53rd-minute try which he converted.

Cardiff were rampant and some wonderful inter-passing among the pack eventually freed Roberts for a simple canter over for another converted try.

Filise then grabbed his second as replacement Paul Tito put him over, before Young notched a consolation for Newcastle with a fine sniping break.

But the visitors were not done and wing Leigh Halfpenny jinked his way to within sight of the line before offloading for Sweeney to waltz over, with Blair completing his perfect display with the boot by knocking over the conversion and sealing the empathic win.

The winners will be on the road again for the semi-finals after they were later drawn away to Wasps, with the match to be played on the weekend of April 30-May 2.