The Blues battled back from 10 points down in the first-half to score four tries, two of them from Martyn Williams, to notch a 34-18 victory.
“It is a good start for us, but there are going to be even bigger tests ahead of us, starting with a very tricky away game at Harlequins this weekend,” said Young.
“The try just before half-time was crucial to us. We played the more expansive rugby, but the frustrating thing was we kept on giving the ball away. I felt we were always the more likely of the two teams to score the most tries, but the last pass kept on eluding us.
“Bristol lived up to their reputation of being a dogged outfit who are difficult to break down. The yellow card decision in the second half was a big one for us and we were able to increase our tempo and grab the bonus point.”
Bristol Coach Richard Hill was full of praise for the way in which his side battled on their return to the Heineken Cup.
“I was pleased we scored a second try at the end because we deserved that boost. I can’t fault my players for their effort,” said an admiring Hill.
“It was always going to be a tough task coming to Cardiff on our return to the Heineken Cup and the sin-binning of Darren Crompton was crucial. It came at a time when we were tiring because of all the tackling we had been doing and Cardiff took over from there.
“But the players all enjoyed the experience and we will have learned from the game. And we will get better. Now we have a huge game and occasion to look forward to at the Memorial Ground next weekend against Stade Francais.”
