It was an evening to forget for Dan Fish’s side as a miraculous fightback from Swansea RFC stunned Cardiff RFC to their second loss at the Cardiff Arms Park this season.
Within the space of a minute, replacement scrum half Ellis Lewis scored two tries, which sealed the Whites’ first victory in the Welsh capital since February 2017.
A cross by Ethan Lloyd and a brace from Alun Rees, and six points from the tee by Steff Crimp proved not to be enough for the Blue and Blacks on a damp and cold evening in Cardiff.
Before kickoff, there was a moment of reflection, as we remembered former Cardiff RFC player Mike Watkins, who sadly passed away this week. During his six seasons with Cardiff RFC, he played 118 times and also represented the Barbarians, Crawshays Welsh XV, and Monmouthshire.
He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Story of the Game
Outside half Lloyd Lucas then got proceedings underway, but it was the hosts’ discipline early on that proved the difference. Following a kick into the corner, on his first start this season, Craig Hudd turned the ball over.
Matty Young then lost possession metres from his own whitewash, but after a resilient scrum, the Blue and Blacks regained possession. Inside centre, Osian Darwin-Lewis, made a break and eventually offloaded to Dewi Cross, who put the hosts further on the front foot.
After receiving a penalty, Lucas kicked into the corner, but strong defence following a catch-and-drive forced a turnover from the Whites. Cardiff had another opportunity from close range again following the resulting scrum, but more heroic defending by the visitors saw the ball held up.
Then, after an enthralling and hard-fought, brutal opening 10 minutes, the deadlock was broken.
Good handling from the backline of the visitors guided winger Harvey James to the whitewash. Josh Phillips was unable to add the extras, as after 11 minutes Swansea led 5-0.
Minutes later, Lucas was replaced by Crimp prior to the 20-minute mark after a collision in the hosts’ half. The Blue and Blacks then had a penalty, following yet another dominant scrum as Crimp kicked into the corner.
The catch and drive followed, and hooked Rees scored his fourth of the season, which now means he’s scored 205 points for the club. Crimp added the extras to put his side into the lead prior to the half-hour mark.
It was almost the exact same situation for the host’s next score, as Crimp yet again kicked into the corner. After another driving maul, 205 points for Cardiff turned into 210 points, as Rees scored from the powerful driving maul. Crimp slotted the extras.
Before the interval, Aled Summerhill, who made his first outing since 2021 last week against Newport, made a break. The winger then offloaded to scrum half Lloyd, who scored his first try of the season.
Outside half, Crimp added the extras to put his side into a 16-point lead at the break.
HT: Cardiff 21-5 Swansea
The Blue and Blacks began the second half by putting unnecessary pressure on themselves after some handling errors.
But Nathan Hudd brilliantly regathered his side’s possession after turning the ball over to relieve the early onslaught from the Whites.
This was followed by more turnovers by Craig Hudd and Ben Murphy, who started his first game for the club. Following the loosheads’ turnover, the hosts were on the front foot. However, after a penalty kick into the corner, Swansea eventually regathered possession.
Then, both sides found themselves down to 14, following several off-the-ball infringements. Try scorer Rees and Swansea’s Matthew Aubrey were sent off for ten minutes on the 53-minute mark.
The visitors were down to 13 men minutes later, as replacement Logan Lloyd was off for ten minutes, but Cardiff couldn’t capitalise.
Ill discipline continued from both sides, as Cross was yellow carded following the visitors being metres from the Blue and Blacks’ whitewash.
Eventually, the first try of the second half was scored moments later. Iwan Shenton crossed as Phillips added the extras, to reduce the deficit to nine points heading into the final ten minutes.
The visitors then completed the comeback, as replacement Ellis Lewis in the space of a minute scored twice with Phillips adding the extras on the latter as Swansea claimed the spoils.
FT: Cardiff 21-24 Swansea