Cardiff took a step closer to securing a top four finish in the Indigo Premiership as they recorded a bonus point win against Aberavon.
Having been led onto the pitch by Dan Fish – playing his 100th game for Cardiff Rugby – the Blue & Blacks were looking to make a fast start to the game. But it was the visitors who had the upper hand in the early exchanges. A penalty by Aled Thomas was followed by a try by Steph Andrews. And it could there could have been a greater margin between the sides had the home side’s defence not been up for the challenge. Several catch and drives at the line were repelled as the Wizards had most of the opening twenty minutes.
It took Cardiff until ten minutes before halftime to get on the board. Cardiff had been moving the ball at pace until the Wizards were drawn offside. The resulting penalty was sent into the corner and when the lineout was stooped illegally Fish used the advantage to fire a Crossfield kick into the hand of Dewi Cross who dotted down in the corner. And Cross should have had a second a few minutes later. A fifty twenty-two from Fish was taken quickly to the winger who went over only to be called back for an infringement.
That momentum though was carried forward in the second half as Fish levelled the scores as the Blue Blacks pilled on the pressure. And that pressure resulted in try number two. A defensive lineout near the Wizards line was pinched and several drives at the line got Cardiff within a metre of the line. When the visitors ran out of defenders James Richards was able to drive over. Fish converted.
Cardiff were still being challenged by the Wizards attack, but the defence was strong and resisted several attempts to get back into the game by the visitors. And they turned defence into attack that led to Fish landed a neat drop goal to send Cardiff two scores clear. The Wizards were now trying everything to get back into the game and when a penalty missed touch Cameron Winnett found Fish who sent the ball back into the Aberavon twenty-two for an attacking lineout that produced the third try.
The lineout was secured and Morgan Allen came charging onto the ball 20 metres out. There was only going to be one result once he burst through the first tackle, the No8 crashing over Fish converted.
The forth try summed up Cardiff’s defence and attack in one passage of play. Aberavon had worked their way into the Cardiff twenty-two, but as the ruck formed Nathan Hudd was over the ball to rip it away, Ethan Lloyd found Fish who spotted space wideout and placed a perfect cross field kick to Winnett. The fullback flashed into the Aberavon half before delivering the perfect pass to James Beal. The winger just had the fullback to beat which he did with a lovely sidestep to go under the posts. Fish converted and claimed the man of the match award, but Aberavon did get the last word as Casey Williams scored and converted his own try but the Blue & Blacks had their win and the bonus point.