Pro14: Cardiff Blues 31-25 Benetton Rugby

Cardiff Blues defeated Benetton with a bonus-point victory to move just five points behind third-placed side Cheetahs in Conference A.

Owen Lane, Olly Robinson, Ellis Jenkins and Nick Williams scored tries, while captain Gethin Jenkins produced an inspirational performance.

The top three from both conferences go through to the end-of-season play-offs.

The sides were originally supposed to meet on 2 March, but snow caused the game to be postponed.

Matthew Morgan and Willis Halaholo returned from injury for Danny Wilson's side after the pair had both been out injured since January.

Benetton opened the scoring with two Marty Banks penalties as the Blues struggled in the opening exchanges with the Italian opponents forcing them into breakdown mistakes.

Blues released the shackles with a counter-attacking try started by outside-half Jarrod Evans before Morgan created the fifth score in nine games for winger Lane.

Evans was again the architect for the second score with an incisive break that was taken on by half-back partner Lloyd Williams before flanker Robinson crashed over.

Contrastingly, Blues half-back partners Williams and Evans were punished for poor decision making which led directly to Benetton's first try.

After the Blues were awarded a free-kick five metres from their line, Williams took a quick tap and Evans had his kick charged down by scrum-half Giorgio Bronzini, who dived over to score.

Banks converted before Evans slotted over a long-range penalty to give the hosts a 17-13 interval lead after Aled Summerhill denied Monty Ioane with a last-gasp tackle.

Matthew Morgan returned to the Blues starting 15 after being sidelined with injury

Wales squad members Tomos Williams and Ellis Jenkins had been released by Warren Gatland and combined expertly after coming on as second-half replacements.

Jenkins latched onto Williams' clever kick to dive over with Evans converting.

Blues kept Benetton in the game again when another Evans kick was charged down straight from the kick-off and eventually Ioane crossed for his seventh try in seven games.

Veteran number eight Williams sealed the bonus point after 53 minutes when he charged over.

Outside-half Evans and then flanker Jenkins played the last 25 minutes at scrum-half after Tomos Williams was forced off with a head injury.

In an uncomfortable end, Benetton rallied with a 79th-minute try from replacement hooker Tomas Baravalle following a driving lineout to seal a losing bonus point.

The Italians sensed an unlikely victory but a final turnover sealed the Blues fourth successive league win.

Cardiff Blues captain and man-of-the-match Gethin Jenkins told BBC Wales Sport: "It was a bit nervous when we were out there. We didn't play our best rugby and you can probably tell that when a prop is winning man-of-the-match.

"We were quite sloppy but a win is a win and we will keep that momentum going. We have got the four tries and we have managed to win.

"We prepared for this game two weeks ago and it probably killed our momentum a bit."

Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Aled Summerhill, Garyn Smith, Willis Halaholo, Owen Lane; Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Kirby Myhill, Taufa'ao Filise, George Earle, Josh Turnbull, Macauley Cook, Olly Robinson, Nick Williams.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Rhys Gill, Scott Andrews, Seb Davies, Ellis Jenkins, Tomos Williams, Steven Shingler, Rey Lee-Lo.

Benneton Rugby: Luca Sperandio; Michael Tagicakibau, Tommaso Iannone, Luca Morisi, Monty Ioane; Marty Banks, Giorgio Bronzini; Federico Zani, Hame Faiva, Matteo Zanusso, Marco Fuser, Irne Hebst, Francesco Minto, Marco Barbini (C), Nasi Manu.

Replacements: Tomas Baravalle, Riccardo Brugnara, Cherif Traore, Marco Lazzaroni, Engjel Makelara, Ian McKinley, Alberto Sgarbi, Andrea Bronzini.

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (IRFU), Gareth Newman (WRU)

TMO: Olly Hodges (SRU)