Bristol boss Richard Hill paid tribute to Heineken Cup quarter-finalists Cardiff Blues after seeing his team's long unbeaten home record ended in emphatic fashion.

The Blues' 17-0 victory ensured they finished top of Pool Three and booked a last-eight trip to Toulouse in early April.

Bristol, though, were left to reflect on a first home defeat since Guinness Premiership champions Leicester beat them four months ago.

First-half tries by flanker Maama Molitika and centre Gareth Thomas put Cardiff on their way - and Hill was full of praise.

He said: "Cardiff were the better side.

"Teams normally crumble when they are under a bit of pressure here, but Cardiff were very clinical. Their big players stepped up to Heineken Cup standard today.

"Most teams would have wilted under the pressure we put on them, but Cardiff didn't lose their heads."

Bristol went into the Memorial Stadium clash effectively needing a bonus point victory to have any realistic chance of progressing.

And Hill added: "The effort was there and the physicality was immense, but scoring four tries was in the back of the players' minds.

"Because we were thinking about scoring four tries, maybe we lacked a bit of composure.

"But this Heineken Cup campaign has been a fantastic experience for us, and we will get better."

Despite stamina-sapping conditions, Cardiff's superior energy reserves helped them secure a comfortable win.

The Blues went about their business in meticulous fashion, refusing to be knocked out of their stride by clinging mud and persistent heavy rain.

Bristol were never seriously in contention, despite a couple of threatening runs by wing prospect Tom Arscott, as Cardiff joined fellow quarter-finalists Saracens, London Irish, Gloucester, Toulouse, Munster, Perpignan and the Ospreys.

Blues head coach David Young said: "We pulled a big performance out when it really mattered.

"We are far more equipped now for the Heineken Cup. We have put a flag in the sand and shown we are moving in the right direction.

"There always seems to be doom and gloom and Wales, but with ourselves and the Ospreys reaching the quarter-finals, it sends out a positive message.

"To have two Welsh teams in the last eight of Europe shows the regional structure is starting to work."

And Blues' Wales international centre Tom Shanklin added: "We are delighted to go through.

"I thought we controlled the game well - I felt we outmuscled Bristol."

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