Rugby Union: CARDIFF CREAK THEN CRUMBLE

IESTYN Harris was substituted as Cardiff crashed to an opening Celtic League defeat with a force which seemed to dull their senses.

Not only did Harris endure a miserable afternoon but his replacement, Nick Robinson, appeared to forget all about this season's new bonus points system.

Robinson could have earned his side a valuable point for finishing within seven points of the opposition if he had slotted a simple conversion with the last kick of the game.

But the young fly-half seemed oblivious to the need for care as he snatched at his shot and the ball flew wide from in front of the posts.

That miss must have sent new coach Dai Young over the edge as he had suffered 20 minutes of torment watching Cardiff waste a 30-27 lead.

Glasgow did not even need to do anything more simple than get their basics right as Cardiff crumbled in the final 14 minutes, conceding 17 points with tries from Gordon Simpson and Alan Bulloch.

The Scots drove hard among their forwards and kept their scrum and lineout intact and it was enough to bring five tries.

Under the new totting up system, that works out as four points for a win and a fifth for scoring more than four tries.

Michael Bartlett was the main beneficiary. The left wing scooted over for two tries, including a brilliant pick-up off his toes to end a great move.

Bulloch, Simpson and Donnie McFadyn scored the other three for the visitors with Tommy Hayes kicking 12 points and Calvin Howarth kicking seven.

Cardiff managed four tries in an open but error-ridden contest with Rhys Williams, Matt Allen, Ryan Powell and Martyn Williams crossing and Harris kicking 15 points.

Harris had scored a hat-trick of tries in this fixture last season in a brilliant rugby union debut.

But yesterday, although he scored six out of six with his kicks at goal, all the other areas of his game were undistinguished and he failed to last the course.Cardiff: Tries: R Williams, Allen, Powell, M Williams. Cons: Harris (3). Pens: Harris (3).

Glasgow: Tries: Bartlett (2), Bulloch, McFadyen, Simpson. Cons: Hayes (4), Howarth (2). Pens: Hayes (2), Howarth (2).

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