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Cardiff Blues 36-30 Racing Metro
Match Reports, 17:18, January 22, 2012
Cardiff sealed qualification with a 36-30 home win over Racing Metro but were unable to claim the bonus point needed to top the pool.
Jonathan Wisniewski opened the scoring with an early penalty for Racing but Cardiff hit back almost instantly as Lloyd Williams charged down a Francois Steyn kick and dived on the loose ball for the game's first try.
Wisniewski and Leigh Halfpenny then exchanged penalties before Racing Metro took the lead through Fijian full-back Josh Matavesi after an excellent, flowing move involving Steyn and Sireli Bobo.
Scrum-half Sebastiens Descons then took over the kicking duties from the injured Wisniewski and exchanged penalties with Halfpenny to make it 14-13.
Moments later the Blues restored their advantage after referee Andrew Small failed to spot a knock-on from winger Alex Cuthbert, who raced away from the defence and touched down in the corner.
The lead swung back to Racing again with half-time approaching though as Bobo crashed over following an excellent break from powerful centre Fabrice Estebanez.
And the seesaw nature of this final pool match was emphasised even further in the closing minutes of the half as first Halfpenny and then Steyn knocked over penalties to make it 24-23 to Racing at the interval.
Cardiff struck the first blow of the second half in the opening minute as a high ball bounced kindly for Cuthbert, who sprinted over for his second try of the game.
Descons and Halfpenny then exchanged penalties again and Steyn added another three points from long range on the hour mark to reduce the deficit to just three points and set up a tense last twenty minutes.
Halfpenny added yet another penalty to seal a 36-30 victory but the Blues were unable to find the fourth try they needed to win the pool and seal a home quarter-final.
So, Cardiff did enough to qualify as a best-placed runner up but will face the toughest of tasks away at Leinster in order to progress any further in the Heineken Cup.
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