Cardiff RFC made it two wins from two at the start of their 150th season, securing their first victory of the season at the Cardiff Arms Park with a 49-35 victory over Swansea RFC.
The Blue and Blacks would have been wary of the challenge posed by the Whites, who produced a remarkable comeback to claim a 24-21 victory after Cardiff had built a 19-point lead in the pair’s last encounter in the Welsh capital.
With that said, Cardiff opened their Super Rygbi Cymru campaign with a 27-17 away win over Carmarthen Quins last weekend, and head coach Dan Fish made several changes to his starting XV for the first home game of their sesquicentennial season.
With the Blue and Blacks looking to build on their winning start, Ioan Emanuel and Tom Howe were named alongside Tom Harper in the front-row.
After an impressive appearance off the bench at Carmarthen Park, Sony McCabe earned his first league start since April, and was joined by Tom Cottle in the second row, who made his first appearance of 2026 for Cardiff RFC.
Both Sean Moore and captain Craig Hudd moved from second-row to back-row, joining Nathan Hudd, who started at eight, to complete the pack.
The half-back pairing of Ethan Lloyd and Ben Coomer remained unchanged, while Joe Goodchild moved from wing to outside centre to join Jason Harries.
Making his first competitive start for the Blue and Blacks since March 2022, Iwan Pyrs-Jones joined both Dewi Cross and Sonny Greenman in the back three.
Amongst the replacements was new signing Isaac Marsh, while Harvey Bryant, who scored a hat-trick in pre-season against Brixham RFC, was also selected.
Elsewhere, Sion Davies returned to the Blue and Blacks for the first time in 2026, joined by Alun Rees, Harry Fry, Louis Fletcher, Tirion Bowen and Calen Edwards, who made up the bench.
Speaking after the encounter, blind-side Moore said: “We had a lot of changes in the week; the boys have come in and know their roles well.
“Swansea are a team that don’t half throw the ball about. The first-half was against the wind; it was a tough first-half.
“I think we went down 14 points and to come back out and to have 49 points on the board and win the game with a bonus point, you can’t argue with that.”
Story of the Game
Following Cardiff Rugby’s pre-season clash with Exeter Chiefs in the opening game of the double-header in the Welsh capital, Swansea’s Josh Phillips got proceedings underway against the Blue and Blacks.
The visitors immediately put the hosts under pressure and were testing their defence. Then, with only minutes on the clock, Bowen replaced number eight Hudd.
Shortly afterwards the deadlock was broken. After inside-centre Jack Hoskins kicked in behind and allowed winger Brandon Wood to gather and score.
Outside-half Phillips added the extras as the visitors went into an early seven-point lead after five minutes. Swansea’s lead grew even larger moments later as Hoskins raced over, but Phillips couldn’t add the extras.
At the end of the first quarter, the hosts scored their opening points. After a catch-and-drive, replacement Bowen crossed over to score his first try of the season.
Outside-half Coomer slotted the extras to reduce the deficit. However, the Blue and Blacks were soon penalised inside their own 22, allowing Phillips to put Swansea up by eight.
Minutes later winger Wood scored the visitors’ third of the evening. Once again, Phillips could not add the extras as his side led 20-7 after 24 minutes.
The Blue and Blacks responded four minutes later, from a testing kick in behind by outside-centre Goodchild. The visitors lost possession and were quickly penalised when Coomer kicked to the corner.
From the resulting lineout, hooker Howe scored, and Coomer brilliantly added two more to cut the deficit. But Phillips then extended the visitors’ lead by more after Cardiff were penalised around the breakdown.
Referee Rhys Jones showed tight-head Harper and Chris Thompson yellow cards after 37 minutes. Then, before the break, Cardiff brought the contest back to within two points.
Second-row Cottle powered his way over for the Blue and Blacks’ third of the evening, and Coomer continued to impress from the tee.
HT: Cardiff RFC 21-23 Swansea RFC
As in the first-half, the visitors started on the front foot. Despite their best efforts, scrum-half Lloyd kicked to relieve pressure off the hosts.
But winger Wood scored his third of the contest and the visitors’ fourth a few moments later. Outside-half Phillips added the extras, which put the Whites back into a nine-point lead after 45 minutes.
However, despite extending their lead, Swansea were penalised at the restart, and frustratingly for the hosts, they couldn’t build from it.
One of the hosts’ standouts, Coomer, kicked brilliantly upfield, and Wood couldn’t gather, giving the Blue and Blacks a lineout just outside the visitors’ 22.
After a few phases close to the Whites’ line, Player of the Match Emanuel powered over for his side’s fourth. Coomer remained 100% from the tee, which reduced the deficit back to two points.
Then, before the hour mark, the Blue and Blacks led for the first time in the contest. In his first competitive match for Cardiff, new signing Marsh gathered an expertly crafted grubber kick from Coomer and scored his first try for the club.
Outside-half Coomer slotted the extras, giving the hosts a five-point lead. Replacement Edwards made a great covering tackle on Matthew Aubrey, who looked destined to score.
Full-back Lewis Edwards was held up after a scrum as the Blues and Blacks showed great strength, and the lead they worked so hard to build grew even larger.
After patience in attack near the Whites’ whitewash, inside-centre Harries crossed for the hosts. This came after a brilliant kick upfield by winger Cross, chased well by Edwards, and the hosts were rewarded with a scrum five metres out.
Goodchild then relieved pressure for the Blue and Blacks, and from his kick up to the visitors’ 22, outside-half Phillips lost possession. The hosts then quickly followed with their seventh try.
Cross scored in the corner, which was his second of the season. Coomer capped off a brilliant evening by adding the extras, which put Cardiff into a 19-point lead.
However, the Blue and Blacks couldn’t secure the extra bonus point, as Phillips raced over for the visitors and cut the deficit to 14 points.
FT: Cardiff RFC 49-35 Swansea RFC
Up next for the Blue and Blacks is Pontypool RFC at the Cardiff Arms Park next Friday (KO: 19:30).
