Wasps, who play the French club in the quarter-finals of the Heineken European Cup at Loftus Road next Sunday, yesterday lost their third Premiership match in a row, and that is as many as they conceded throughout last season when they secured the championship.
Sale, with only one league victory prior to this match, were too good for the Londoners and outscored them by four tries to one despite being on the wrong end of a penalty count by 20-6.Even worse for Wasps is that the elevation of the England captaincy to Lawrence Dallaglio appears to have coincided with a decline in the hitherto impeccable standards of the flanker.”We are not playing with any discipline or intelligence,” Dallaglio said. We must not do that against Bath.” Indeed not.Cardiff: Tries Thomas, Kacala; Conversion Jarvis; Penalties Jarvis 4. Llanelli: Tries McBryde, Proctor, Evans; Conversion Warlow; Penalty Warlow.Cardiff: J Thomas; C Morgan, S Hill (B Ross, 42), L Davies, N Walker; L Jarvis, R Howley; S John, J Humphreys (capt), D Young, J Tait, D Jones, G Kacala, G Jones (J Ringer, 73), S Williams.Llanelli: S Jones; W Proctor, F Botica (D Williams, 15), N Boobyer, G Evans (A Thomas, 77); C Warlow, R Moon; R Jones (S Gale, 51), R McBryde (capt), H Williams-Jones, D Hodges (S Ford, 51), M Voyle, A Gibbs, I Jones, H Jenkins.Referee: E Morrison (Bristol).. “We were too prone to lapses in concentration,” said their captain Jonathan Humphreys “We made three silly mistakes and let them in.

Then Williams broke away in midfield and found Steve Jones, who drew the cover and Evans burst up in support and steamed away.The reliable boot of Lee Jarvis steadied things with his fourth penalty but Llanelli pressed for long spells before Cardiff regrouped and set up camp on the Scarlets line. They pressed upfield and Cardiff conceded a penalty 12 metres from their line. The Scarlets ran it across the pitch, players queuing up for a touch, before Robin McBryde plunged over. That heralded a nightmare spell of seven minutes for Cardiff as their lead was chopped away.Another penalty in a similar position Another queue and this time Wayne Proctor flashed through. He moved to full- back and proceeded to pose a serious threat every time he got the ball in his hands, which as the match went on, was more frequently than Cardiff would have liked.The home side had run up an 18-point lead by the time Llanelli decided they were not going to roll over.

Cardiff 24

Llanelli 20
So the All Blacks will, after all, be at Stradey Park on Saturday evening to take on Llanelli, 25 years after that famous victory over the 1973 side. And Cardiff, worthy if narrow winners of the play-off for a place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals next weekend, have also gained a reluctant supporter.As Wales’ sole remaining representatives in the European tournament much will rest on Cardiff when they travel to Bath for a repeat of last year’s quarter-final tie. On that occasion the Welsh club triumphed.Rupert Moon, Llanelli’s abrasive scrum-half will be watching their progress with interest. “I’ll support them, even though it pains me to say that,” said the converted Englishman. “It means a lot for Wales if they do well.”Cardiff are a very forward orientated side, who are used to dominating up front.