FA CUP fever may continue to grip the locals but Wembley, surprisingly, is not the major topic of conversation on the streets of Cardiff this weekend. Instead, the Welsh capital has switched its focus to the oval-ball game, albeit the slightly alien code of rugby league and the Millennium Magic festival.

More than 50,000 people from outside the principality have poured into Cardiff for a six-match, two-day celebration of Super League at the Millennium stadium, which hosted the event for the first time last year.

The arrival of supporters wearing the replica strips of every professional rugby league club, from Catalans to Castleford and Bridgend-based Celtic Crusaders to Bradford, makes for a riot of colour in the south Wales city, which could host more regular Super League action next season.

Celtic Crusaders are one of 18 clubs to have applied for a Super League franchise from 2009 and if they succeed, they are expected to share Cardiff City’s new 25,000-capacity stadium at Leckwith.

Even though none of them were classics, the first three matches yesterday can only have whetted the appetite of Cardiff’s rugby fraternity for a sport that has failed in previous attempts to establish itself in the valleys.

The highlight was a compelling derby between Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls that ended with the defending champions completing a 40-26 victory to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Super League table. Leeds, missing five full internationals, struggled to shake off their neighbours in the first half but cut loose with six tries after the break, including a try on debut for France’s Eric Anselme, a Test second row from French club Albi who only joined on Monday.

Earlier, Warrington Wolves staged a remarkable comeback to beat Huddersfield Giants 36-34 in a 12-try thriller that made for a stirring opening to the festival.

Trailing 22-6 at the interval, Warrington took control with four tries in a devastating eight-minute spell early in the second half as Lee Briers, their experienced stand-off, repeatedly taunted Huddersfield with some punishing kicks and scored two tries.

Huddersfield are languishing in 11th place, just above Castleford Tigers, who crashed to a 54-16 defeat at the hands of their biggest rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, for whom Danny Brough, the former Castleford scrum-half, kicked nine goals from 10 attempts.