Danny Wilson has praised his forward pack after Cardiff Blues powered to a bonus-point win over Edinburgh.
An early Steve Shingler try put Wales’ Capital Region on the path to victory and they led at half-time thanks to a penalty try earned by the front eight.
Edinburgh were in contention for the majority of the encounter at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park but the Blues pulled away in the closing stages.
Both Nick Williams and Tomos Williams crossed after the platform was laid to ensure their side kicked off the Guinness PRO12 season with a bonus-point win.
Wilson said: “It’s a good start. The important bit was the end result and a five-point win in the first game of the season in difficult condition which I probably thought would suit them.
“I’m pleased with the way we dealt with that, the way we dealt with set-piece and to come away with five points is a very pleasing start to the season.
“To win at home is massive to us. We want a passionate crowd, we want to grow the crowd and they are a very passionate and knowledgeable crowd.
“They demand a style of rugby and wins and it’s great that we produced that with the first game of the season.
“We want to make this a fortress and a tough venue for people to come and Edinburgh have recruited well and are a good side so it’s a good place to start.”
Wilson singled out number eight Williams for particular praise after the new signing produced a rampaging performance which earned the Guinness PRO12 man-of-the-match award.
He continued: “The obvious one is Nick Williams who was superb, he showed exactly why we brought him here and what he can bring.
“His physicality is another level as we saw and we saw some skills as well. His performance on the whole was top drawer.
“Likewise, George Earle put in a good shift again in the second row, which is what we need and to see guys like Steve Shingler and Matthew Morgan out on the pitch and doing well is what we want to see.”
Following Saturday night’s victory Cardiff Blues will return to action on Friday when they face Munster in Cork.
Wilson expects a fierce challenge from Munster, who also began the season with a win, but is optimistic.
He added: “Munster will be another challenge. I watched their game this afternoon and saw how direct they are. It’s effective for them and it’s huge physicality.
“We need to man up and go to Munster as underdogs but on the back of a five-point win.”