Pro12: Cardiff Blues 34-16 Edinburgh

Cardiff Blues got their Pro12 season off to a winning start with a 34-16 bonus-point victory over Edinburgh at Cardiff Arms Park.

Debutant fly-half Steve Shingler crossed for a fine early try in his 15-point haul for Cardiff Blues.

Other tries came from ex-Ulster forward Nick Williams, Tomos Williams and a penalty try, with Gareth Anscombe converting two of the scores.

Solomoni Rasolea scored Edinburgh's try while Duncan Weir kicked 11 points.

Ellis Jenkins led the Blues out with New Zealander Nick Williams and the ex-Scarlets trio of Shingler, Kirby Myhill and George Earle starting, while Wales utility back Matthew Morgan was a 58th minute replacement.

Edinburgh fielded a new midfield trio of Glasgow stalwart Weir, Rasolea and Sasa Tofilau.

It was the new boys who made plenty of impact as Shingler crossed for the first try after eight minutes, after his own break put Blues on the attack.

He also landed a penalty and two first-half conversions, with the home side awarded a penalty try in the 34th minute when Jamie Ritchie was yellow-carded for dragging down a rolling maul.

But Australian Rasolea also made a quick impression, crashing through for a short-range score after 15 minutes, Weir converting and booting two penalties from a series of long-range attempts, as Blues led 17-13 at the break.

Further penalties from Shingler and Weir were the only third-quarter scores, before man-of-the-match Nick Williams wrestled his way over for a typical close-range score 15 minutes from time, converted by Anscombe.

As the rain made conditions even more slippery, scrum-half Tomos Williams sniped over to earn the bonus point after 71 minutes.

Cardiff Blues lost Kirby Myhill with a knee injury while Nasi Manu (ribs) and Nathan Fowles (arm) were Edinburgh casualties.

Cardiff Blues head coach Danny Wilson told BBC Wales Sport:

"It's a good start, a five-point win in the first home game of the season in difficult conditions that I thought would have suited them more than us, but I was pleased with the way we dealt with their set-piece.

"I thought Nick Williams was superb and showed exactly why we signed him, his physicality is on another level and he's got some skills as well, on the whole his performance was top-drawer."

Edinburgh head coach Alan Solomons:

"They dominated territory and possession, and you can't play when you're deep in your half and don't have the ball.

"Maybe in the first half we had opportunities to counter-attack and we didn't, we kicked it away and they dominated the aerial battle.

"In fairness our pack will pick up, but they need game-time under their belt, but also give credit to Cardiff."

Cardiff Blues: Dan Fish; Blaine Scully, Cory Allen, Rey Lee-Lo, Tom James; Steve Shingler, Tomos Williams; Rhys Gill, Kirby Myhill, Taufa'ao Filise, George Earle, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins (capt), Nick Williams.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, James Down, Cam Dolan, Lewis Jones, Gareth Anscombe, Matthew Morgan

Edinburgh: Glenn Bryce; Rory Scholes, Sasa Tofilau, Solomoni Rasolea, Tom Brown; Duncan Weir, Nathan Fowles; Rory Sutherland, Ross Ford, WP Nel, Fraser McKenzie, Grant Gilchrist (capt), Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Nasi Manu

Replacements: Stuart McInally, Jack Cosgrove, Simon Berghan, Ben Toolis, Magnus Bradbury, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Blair Kinghorn, Chris Dean

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU), Rhys Thomas (WRU)

Citing commissioner: Jeff Mark (WRU)

TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Attendance 4,807