Cardiff Local Guide A guide to all Things Cardiff
Blues handed debuts on the night to Josh Turnbull, Adam Jones and Adam Thomas while Sam Warburton, Matthew Rees and Filo Paulo were all given a first hit out in pre-season.
Tigers also gave summer signings a run as they named a strong line-up that included England international fly half Freddie Burns and Italian duo Leonardo Ghiraldini and Robert Barbieri.
It was the home side who made a lightning quick start as tries from Barbieri and Ben Youngs handed them a 12-0 lead inside the opening ten minutes.
Back came Blues as a Rhys Patchell inspired score from Lloyd Williams and the boot of the fit-again fly half cut the lead to a point at the interval.
Patchell’s sweetly struck drop goal after the break put Blues ahead for the first time as a tense and frenetic second half developed in the East Midlands rain.
Ultimately it was the accurate late kicking of England ace Freddie Burns that proved decisive as he ensured the English side took the honours while Blues were left with a huge number of positives.
Newcomers impressed, the set piece was strong and the return of Warburton among others was a huge boost for Hammett. The new season is just a week away in Zebre and selection is very much up for grabs.
Much of the focus was on Adam Jones and the Wales tighthead made an immediate impression as he won a penalty at the first scrum of the night.
However, it was Tigers that scored the opening try of the game after just five minutes after a powerful bulldozing run from England centre Manu Tuilagi put Blues on the back foot.
A quick grubber kick into space behind from Burns then took a wicked bounce to evade Fish, with Barbieri reacting first to pounce for a 7-0 lead.
The second try of the game, however, owed nothing to good fortune as a piercing run was taken on by Tuilagi who then offloaded neatly to Vereniki Goneva. The winger then flicked a sublime pass out the back under pressure to the supporting Youngs who scooted over.
The response from Blues was emphatic. The ball was switched wide at pace into the hands of Patchell and he arched a run to take two men out, danced past another and then flicked the ball to Lloyd Williams who evaded the full back to score a clinical team try.
The returning Warburton marked his comeback with a trademark turnover as Leicester looked to build up a head of steam again only for the Wales captain to plunge over the ball at the ruck and never look like letting forced off.
Young wing Owen Jenkins was impressing as he twice stood firm in contact to keep the ball alive. A penalty allowed Patchell to line up a monster kick at goal, but his effort pulled up short of the target.
A mistake from home full back Niall Morris, as he kicked out on the full looking for wide man Blaine Scully, gave Blues a strong attacking platform.
The all-action Manoa Voaswai duly rattled into bodies and Matthew Rees and Josh Turnbull broke tackles before Tigers swooped to win a penalty for holding on.
Patchell ate into the lead with a long range penalty, as Tigers were caught offside from a high bomb kick.
Jenkins again showed his confidence with a superb darting run from deep as he jinked away from tacklers.
Another penalty gave Patchell the same result as Blues cut the lead to a solitary point at 12-11.
Patchell dropped a sweet goal a minute into the second half as Blues started on the front foot and deservedly took the lead.
Then a huge scrum, with Craig Mitchell to the fore, resulted in yet another penalty for the Welsh region, as Leicester started to lose control, and once more it was Patchell who slotted the kick before departing the game with a 12-point haul.
Burns finally halted the slide for the hosts with a penalty kick after a period of sustained home pressure saw Blues have to dig deep with some superb defensive work on show, Vosawai catching the eye with his power and pace.
Both teams emptied their respective replacement benches for valuable game time ahead of the new season and as the rain started to fall it was Blues that led 17-15 with 20 minutes of a tense encounter left. The game was up for grabs.
The Leicester forwards looked to take the game by the scruff of the neck with a driving maul marching towards the line. When they won a penalty, as Blues slowed the game down, it was Burns who looked to slot the kick but hit the left upright.
Burns, though, made no mistake with a kick on 68 minutes – that was met by jeers from the home crowd clearly upset that he had declined to kick for the corner – as Leicester wrestled back the advantage.
Humberstone pinned Tigers back with a wonderfully hit low kick into the corner as Blues looked to mount a late charge for pre-season glory. Macauley Cook and Scott Andrews charged into contact, but as they crept towards the 22 the greasy ball was spilled forward.
Tigers edged further ahead with another clinical kick from Burns as the experience on the field for Leicester in the closing stages started to prove the difference.
A late rally from Blues raised hopes of a final twist as Ellis Jenkins and Tavis Knoyle hunted gaps. But time was up and the final whistle was greeted with appreciation from both sets of fans. The new season is nearly here.
Timeline:
05m Barbieri t Burns c 7-0
10m Youngs t 12-0
14m L Williams t 12-5
27m Patchell p 12-8
31m Patchell p 12-11
41m Patchell dg 12-14
48m Patchell p 12-17
53m Burns p 15-17
68m Burns p 18-17
74m Burns p 21-17
Cardiff Blues: 15 Dan Fish, 14 Owen Jenkins (Walsh 40), 13 Cory Allen (Thomas 40), 12 Gavin Evans (Hewitt 40), 11 Richard Smith (Watkins 50), 10 Rhys Patchell (Humberstone 50), 9 Lloyd Williams (Jones 40, Knoyle 58), 1 Sam Hobbs (Davies 40), 2 Matthew Rees (R Williams 40, Dacey 58), 3 Adam Jones (Mitchell 40, Andrews 67), 4 Chris Dicomidis (Normandale 50), 5 Filo Paulo (Groves 50), 6 Josh Turnbull (Cook 40), 7 Sam Warburton (Navidi 50), 8 Manoa Vosawai (Jenkins 55)
Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Craig Mitchell, Rory Watts-Jones, Ieuan Jones, Tavis Knoyle, Thomas Davies, Rhys Williams, Scott Andrews, Miles Normandale, Jevon Groves, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins, Lewis Jones, Simon Humberstone, George Watkins, Dafydd Hewitt, Adam Thomas, Geraint Walsh
