Dewi Cross scored a hat-trick as Cardiff won a place in the Indigo Premiership Cup final.
At a windy Wern in Merthyr the Blue & Blacks had the better of the opening ten minutes with the scrum and lineout dominant. When a penalty was pushed into the corner following another collapsed scrum the driving lineout proved too strong for RGC and Efan Daniel crashed over.
Cross’ first try came after RGC made another handling error, something that stopped any momentum they had. Cardiff went hard and fast at the line and as the ball came off Cross’ knee he was able to dot it down in the corner. His second was a long-range affair. Again, an RGC mistake. Cross anticipating a pass in the Cardiff twenty-two picked it off and sprinted the length of the field to score under the posts. In between RGC got themselves on the board with a Dion Jones penalty but Cardiff had the half time advantage.
The second half was pretty much a mirror of the first. The Blue and Blacks attacked at every opportunity and with the wind behind them Dan Fish was able to use the high kick to great advantage. Cross’ third was set up by Evan Lloyd. The No8 went into a gap and into the twenty-two before drawing both defenders and slipping a beautiful pass to Cross who ran round under the sticks.
RGC got a score back through Dan Owen, but a brace from Arron Pinches settled the game. Playing off quick ball Fish sent Pinches straight up the middle and under the posts. His second was similar but he had three men to beat after Harrison James had sent him on his way. The RGC defenders seemed to back off and Pinches didn’t need a second invitation to head straight at the posts to score.
Alun Rees replaced Daniel at hooker and touched the ball twice for his score. The first to throw the ball in at a five metre line out. His second was to go the back of the maul and drive over.
The North Wales outfit did get a second try by Pedr Jones, but Cardiff were running from everywhere and with the last play of the game Joe Goodchild showed his pace and had the RGC defenders grasping at air as he went by. That try was converted to send Cardiff to an April 23rd date with old rivals Newport at the Principality Stadium.