Cardiff RFC concluded their 2025 with a hard-fought 33-10 victory against Bridgend Ravens at the newly named Electric Brewery Field.
Replacement Ioan Emanuel scored in the first half, and this was accompanied by second-half crosses from Alun Rees, Ben Fry, Iwan Stephens, and Steff Emanuel, with Harri Wilde slotting eight points.
This result saw the Blue and Blacks make it back-to-back six-point bonus-point wins, as they climbed back above Carmarthen Quins to reclaim third position in Super Rygbi Cymru.
Speaking after the match, head coach Dan Fish said: “We were frustrated in the first half. The stuff we spoke about going into the game, we didn’t quite execute.
“A lot of handling errors, by ourselves in the first half, and so we had a good reality check at halftime.
“I thought then the boys in the second half, when we stuck to what we tried to do, and we kept building phases, we just showed what we can create.”
Story of the Game
On a gorgeous winter’s day, with Christmas in the rear-view mirror and 2026 on the horizon, Lloyd Wilkins got proceedings underway in front of a healthy festive crowd in Bridgend.
Despite the visitors starting on the front foot in the opening seconds, they were penalised around halfway and within a minute, the hosts took the lead as Wilkins added three from the tee.
Scrum-half Ieuan Davies then took a penalty quickly, which allowed Elijah Evans to break into the 22, but Bridgend eventually turned the ball over.
It was the theme of the first quarter: the visitors were unable to capitalise on their chances due to stubborn defensive pressure from the hosts, compounded by handling errors inside Bridgend’s 22.
Cardiff then found themselves down to 14 men after 23 minutes, as winger Evans was sent off for ten minutes for an infringement around halfway.
But, following the resulting penalty, captain Craig Hudd made a brilliant strip inside his own 22, and the ball was eventually cleared to relieve pressure.
Ioan Emanuel then replaced loosehead Ed Byrne before the half-hour mark, and this came after the prop played his first game in over a year.
Minutes later, Wilkins had an opportunity to double the Ravens’ lead from inside his own half, but his shot was short with Matty Young clearing.
Before the half-time whistle, Steffan Emanuel broke upfield, and shortly after a few phases, Ioan Emanuel scored his second of the season.
Wilde calmly added the extras as Cardiff went in at the break in front by four points.
HT: Bridgend Ravens 3-7 Cardiff RFC
Quickly into the second half, Wilde had an opportunity from distance to extend the visitors’ lead, but his shot landed on the right post protector.
As the third quarter went on, replacement Fry made a darting run following an offload from Nathan Hudd.
Then, after switching the line of the attack, the ball was spread out wide for Evans, but some heroic defending by the hosts saw the winger into touch.
Craig Hudd was then sent off for ten minutes before the hour mark, and this was followed by Joseph Gatt scoring as Bridgend regained the lead.
Wilde minutes later brilliantly kicked into the corner following the hosts being penalised. From the catch and drive, Rees scored his tenth of the season.
This was quickly followed by Fry crossing from a powerful driving maul as Wilde added the extras from both crosses, which saw Cardiff go into an 11-point lead.
In the closing moments after some brilliant handling, Young offloaded to winger Stephens, who raced over in the corner.
Steff Emanuel then pounced on a loose ball and crossed for his second of the season with the clock in the red as Cardiff claimed the spoils at a bitterly cold Electric Brewery Field.
FT: Bridgend Ravens 10-33 Cardiff RFC