Goosen: Starring role

Falcons full-back Goosen grabbed a hat-trick of tries and Newcastle had the try bonus point wrapped up early in the second half against a young Blues side missing several World Cup players.

In game played at blistering pace throughout, Newcastle scored three first-half tries - two of them in the first eight minutes - and signalled their intention from the off as they spurned a penalty kick at goal to find the corner.

Newcastle, who were beaten 34-7 by Gloucester in last season's final, were rewarded for that when Mark Wilson was driven over from the line-out for a try converted by Jimmy Gopperth after just two minutes.

Rhys Patchell missed a penalty shot for Cardiff and it was quickly 12-0 with a searing break from Gopperth and a fantastic flick pass from Ally Hogg allowing Goosen to score Newcastle's second try in the eighth minute.

Gopperth was unable to convert that effort but Goosen extended his side's lead with his second score in the 24th minute.

Newcastle again opted not to kick at goal and took two successive scrums instead, which led to Gopperth flinging out a long pass and Corne Uys then flicking the ball back inside for Goosen to surge through. Gopperth converted the try for a 19-0 lead.

To their credit Cardiff kept playing running rugby with number eight Luke Hamilton in the thick of the action, but they got little reward and Goosen picked up his hat-trick and the try-scoring bonus point in the 51st minute.

He took the ball at pace from a scrum close to the Cardiff line with Gopperth timing the pass perfectly. Gopperth again added the extra points to make it 26-0.

Cardiff finally got on the scoreboard with a 54th-minute Patchell penalty but Newcastle's forwards were in no mood to let the Blues off the hook when Gopperth put them back in the corner with a penalty. The Falcons pack battered away until Michael Mayhew crashed over and Gopperth made it

33-3 with the conversion in the 60th minute.

There was an amazing passage of play with Cardiff's forwards camped on the Newcastle line for nearly five minutes but the Falcons defence was exemplary and they eventually forced the knock-on and cleared the danger.

Back came the Blues with a penalty into the corner with 40 seconds left on the clock but the chance for any more points disappeared when the ball was spilled at the line-out and Newcastle cleared into touch.