Rugby Union: Anglo-welsh Cup: Saracens 29 - 40 Cardiff Blues

Alan Gaffney, the Saracens director of rugby, has admitted that the upshot of last week's "totally amicable" discussions with the England coach Andy Robinson is that the rugby league convert Andy Farrell will eventually be given an opportunity to play at inside centre.

"At the appropriate time that will happen," said Gaffney, "We'll assess it as it goes." But Gaffney was bristling when he asked the assembled media representatives: "Do we [Saracens] feature in this? Is this Team England? There are so many opinions flying about that I think there is going to be a general election about whether he [Farrell] is going to play at six or 12. Why didn't the England coaches contribute to his personal development at 12 while he was injured?"

Farrell endured another 20 minutes of seemingly fruitless further education here yesterday and he could do nothing to prevent Cardiff Blues from earning an impressive bonus-point victory. He was introduced as blindside flanker on the hour mark but in such a short period he did nothing of consequence as Saracens failed to overturn a deficit that stood at 30-22 at that point.

Gaffney added: "There is detailed analysis which can be done even when injured. It probably would have been easier for me if I had played him at 12. But I see him in a role which is not traditional at six, something which has never been seen in world rugby. I've never said that he can't play at 12, just when do we introduce him there? We can't just throw him into a Guinness Premiership there." Gaffney said it would probably have to happen in an A game before focusing on the rest of his team.

"I've got other 12s here," he said. "Do I suddenly say to them that I've got no time to work with them because I've got to spend all my time with Andy? I do think he is doing pretty well at six for someone who has never played there. The expectations are just too great. We've left Andy out of this so far but we've got to do what's best for him."

Vicarage Road is known in the game as a "fast track" and it lived up to its billing yesterday in providing an entertaining spectacle, as Cardiff recovered strongly from 22-15 behind at half-time to secure their first win in England since 2003.

Cardiff had scorched ahead inside three minutes when the first of many botched Saracens lineouts - Shane Byrne had a bad day there - handed Martyn Williams possession at the tail. Swift transference right found Marc Stcherbina, who benefited from Tom Shanklin's decoy run inside to skip over.

Soon Shanklin himself was over the whitewash - from 45 metres and against his former club - after finding space from Mike Phillips' cut-out pass and showing the necessary gas to outstrip Dave Seymour. Shanklin was outstanding all afternoon, his appetite for work typified by two chases of Ben Blair penalties that both struck the woodwork and both of which Shanklin got hands to.

But from 12-3 up it all went wrong for Cardiff in the first period. Helped by the deft promptings at fly-half of Glen Jackson, who finished with 19 points, Saracens stormed back to lead 22-15 by the break.

The first home try owed as much to Jackson's clever flick pass as the bullocking power of Simon Raiwalui and Iain Fullarton in putting Tomas de Vedia in at the corner. Jackson converted and then added four penalties, three of which came while Shanklin, Cardiff's defensive lynchpin, was off for a blood injury, but two also while hooker Rhys Thomas was in the cooler for a deliberate knock-on.

Of course Farrell was not on the field at this stage but he aroused considerable chatter when appearing to warm up without any strapping on his thighs - as forwards have these days in order to be lifted at lineouts. Was he now a back replacement? The answer was soon provided: when inside centre Ben Johnston left for a blood wound to be attended to, it was Rod Penney who deputised. Farrell was clearly leaving his strapping for later.

Cardiff came out revitalised after half-time. Their No8 Mark Lewis crashed over, despite having a suspected broken jaw from a thumping tackle from Neil de Kock, and Shanklin soon added his second - and the bonus point - when rounding off a magnificent team try initiated by Blair deep in his own half.

Blair put over two penalties either side of Farrell's arrival and then Sod's Law dictated that what should have been Farrell's first touch from Johnston's pass was intercepted by speedy Fijian winger Mosese Luveitasau to score from halfway. Johnston at least grabbed a late consolation try.

Saracens Haughton; De Vedia, Sorrell, Johnston, Ratuvou; Jackson, De Kock ( Dickens, 65); Lloyd, Byrne, Visagie (Mercy, 75), Fullarton, Raiwalui (capt), Chesney ( Farrell, 60), Seymour, Gustard.

Tries De Vedia, Johnston. Cons Jackson 2. Pens Jackson 5.

Cardiff Blues Blair; Czekaj, Shanklin, Stcherbina, Luveitasau; Robinson (Flannigan, 71), Phillips (Evans, 74); Jenkins (Yapp, 69), Thomas (Goodfield, 74), Powell, Jones (Davies, 69), Sidoli, Morgan, Williams (capt), Lewis (Rush, 46).

Tries Stcherbina, Shanklin 2, Lewis, Luveitasau. Cons Blair 3. Pens Blair 3.

Sin-bin Thomas 32, Davies 69

Referee T Spreadbury (Somerset). Attendance 5,742.

Flanker watch


60min

Replaces Kris Chesney at blindside flanker with Saracens trailing 30-22

63min

Beaten at the front of the lineout by Deiniol Jones

65min

Barks instructions to team-mates as Ben Blair kicks penalty to extend Cardiff's lead

66min

Ben Johnston's intended pass to Farrell is intercepted by Mosese Luveitasau to score

68min

Receives his first touch of the ball

69min

Scuffles with Robert Sidoli and Scott Morgan at scrum. Gets his second touch from a quick tap

73min

On his third touch, is tackled by Tom Shanklin but the ball is recycled and spread left for a score

77min

His fourth touch is a pass to Ben Johnston

79min

Fifth touch is shipped on swiftly