Simon Mannix made it a glory day for Gloucester after the Premiership club's
juggernaut pack steamrollered Cardiff into Heineken Cup submission.
Fly-half Mannix kicked six penalties - three in each period - as Cardiff made
a quarter-final exit for the second successive season.
But while the New Zealander found his range, Gloucester's rampaging forwards
made victory possible.
England props Trevor Woodman and Phil Vickery destroyed their opposite numbers
in the set-scrums, while Cardiff's much-criticised line-out again failed to
function when it really mattered.
A capacity 10,800 crowd were not treated to a thrilling spectacle, but
Gloucester proved the oldest rugby adage of all, namely that forwards win
matches, backs decide by how much.
Cardiff scored the only tries - Nick Walne touching down just 49 seconds into
the second half, and then his fellow wing Gareth Thomas claiming an injury-time
consolation effort - but Neil Jenkins had an off-day with his normally prolific
right boot, and Gloucester deservedly triumphed.
Their debut Heineken Cup has developed beyond coach Philippe Saint-Andre's
wildest dreams, and the semi-finals now beckon in mid-April.
Mannix, who went off injured 15 minutes from time, struck three first-half
penalties after Gloucester's forwards tore into Cardiff and took charge.
A bumper audience - the match sold out inside three days - witnessed
Gloucester's first appearance in the knockout stages of Europe's premier club
competition, and early exchanges were predictably tense.
Cardiff suffered an injury scare inside three minutes when skipper David Young
- Wales' Six Nations leader last season - went down clutching his left
shoulder.
He continued after treatment, but Gloucester settled quickly and Mannix
slotted a seventh-minute penalty after Cardiff's forwards were punished by
French referee Joel Jutge.
Mannix failed to double the lead two minutes later, and opposite number
Jenkins also missed the target, despite perfect conditions for goalkicking.
The Gloucester pack, with Samoan number eight and man-of-the-match Junior
Paramore a major driving influence, enjoyed supremacy, yet Mannix struggled for
consistency.
Paramore only arrived back in Gloucester last Tuesday, having flown to Samoa
for his brother-in-law's funeral, but he was inspired throughout.
Another Mannix penalty failure, compounded by wayward line-kicking, did little
for Gloucester's collective confidence, and when Jenkins stroked over a 48-metre
goal, Cardiff were level.
They fell behind again on 24 minutes though, Mannix bisecting the posts after
Gloucester's outstanding Woodman tied Young up in all kinds of trouble at a
scrum.
The kicking duel continued at pace, Jenkins missing his second penalty from
three attempts, but it was in the tight where Gloucester gained a real edge.
Woodman and his front-row colleagues Vickery and Olivier Azam continued to
dominate, so much so that Cardiff repeatedly conceded penalties through sheer
desperation.
Mannix completed his hat-trick three minutes before the break, and Cardiff
could have few complaints about the 9-3 interval scoreline, relieved that it was
not much worse, as Mannix also missed three penalty opportunities.
Walne's touch down, a clever score orchestrated by flanker Martyn Williams'
excellent approach work, gave Cardiff hope, but it proved a false dawn.
Three further Mannix penalties, and a late kick from his replacement Byron
Hayward, confirmed an emphatic Gloucester triumph, even through Cardiff had the
final word through Thomas.
Having under-achieved in crashing out to Llanelli at this same stage last
term, Cardiff will be left with some serious soul-searching as their European
dream again died.
For Gloucester, though, their memorable European adventure continues, making a
mockery of erratic Premiership form, and who is to suggest that they will not
reach the final.
Teams:
Gloucester: Catling, Ewens, Fanolua, Little, Beim,
Mannix, Moncrieff, Woodman, Azam, Vickery, Fidler, I. Jones, Boer,
K. Jones, Paramore.
Replacements: Yates for Ewens (79), Hayward for Mannix (65),
Gomarsall for Moncrieff (40), Fortey for Azam (74),
Deacon for Vickery (76), Hazell for Paramore (70).
Not Used: Pearce.
Pens: Mannix 6, Hayward.
Cardiff: R. Williams, Walne,
Robinson, Muller, G. Thomas,
Jenkins, Howley, John, Humphreys, Young, Quinnell, Tait,
O. Williams, M. Williams, E. Lewis.
Replacements: Rogers for Young (62).
Not Used: R. Powell, Rayer, C. Morgan, Moore, A. Lewis, Kacala.
Tries: Walne, G. Thomas.
Cons: Jenkins.
Pens: Jenkins.
Att: 10,800
Ref: J Jutge (France).
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