A win was very much needed this evening for Dan Fish’s Blue and Blacks, but Carmarthen Park hasn’t been the happiest of stomping grounds as of late.
The last time Cardiff RFC faced Carmarthen Quins in West Wales, the match ended 31-19. And the visitors went to West Wales on Thursday evening, looking for revenge after losing narrowly at the Cardiff Arms Park 36-33 earlier in the season.
However, after tries from Ioan Emanuel, Alun Rees, Elijah Evans, and Tom Williams, it meant the Quins narrowly fell to their first loss at home this season. But it saw Cardiff end their three-match losing run, and just their second away win of the season.
Speaking after the match on S4C, head coach Fish said: “We never make it easy for ourselves. We know that Carmarthen are a great outfit, and they were going to fight to the death.
“I am just so pleased for the boys to come away with the win at the end.
“We’ve had a tough couple of losses the last couple of weeks; it’s finally great to get over that line again.”
Story Of The Game
At a cold, damp and windy Carmarthen Park, outside half Harri Wilde got proceedings underway. And what a start it was from the visitors, who were on the front foot almost instantly.
Following three penalties in three minutes, Craig Hudd took a quick tap with the Blue and Blacks metres out.
Then, Emanuel, from close range, after a couple of pickups, crossed to break the deadlock after six minutes. Wilde added the extras as Cardiff went into an early 7-0 lead.
The Quins were then in the 22 for the first time in the encounter, minutes later. Iori Badham put a kick in behind, which resulted in Matty Young taking the ball over the try line.
After the scrum, the Blue and Blacks showed some heroic defending to hold up the ball, and from the scrum, the hosts were penalised for not pushing straight.
Second row Ethan Phillips, shortly after, kicked upfield with Joe Goodchild chasing and eventually tackled Jac Howells into touch in the hosts’ 22.
From yet another penalty in the Quins’ 22, Wilde put the visitors into the corner, but from the lineout five metres out, the ball was lost forward. This was despite the Blue and Blacks looking strong in attack after 20 minutes.
Hudd then turned the ball over as Wilde followed with a brilliant 50-22 from inside his own 22 as Cardiff were back on the front foot.
The hosts’ discipline was their worst enemy in their 22, as Ben Williams was sent off for ten minutes after the half-hour mark.
Before halftime, the Quins scored their first try of the contest. Winger Callum Woolley, from his own high kick, was able to regain possession as the Scarlets player showed his pace to score.
Ellis Price added the extras before the half-time whistle, which made the encounter level at the break.
HT: Carmarthen Quins 7-7 Cardiff RFC
Almost instantly, the visitors were back in the hosts’ 22, and this came from a kick in behind by Wilde. After the Quins were penalised at the lineout for obstruction, it saw Cardiff earn a scrum.
But after spreading the ball out wide, the hosts regained possession in the opening exchanges of the second half.
In the 47th minute, referee Ben Whitehouse penalised the hosts around the breakdown, and Wilde expertly slotted the three points from the tee to put his side back in front.
The Quins, then minutes later, with the advantage, found themselves in front for the first time. Scrum half Rhodri Lewis stepped his way over with Price adding the extras to make it 14-10 on the 52-minute mark.
Then, after a deliberate knock on around halfway, Wilde kicked to touch, and the hosts were again penalised with Cardiff metres out.
After desperate defending from the hosts, following the ball being spread out wide, they were penalised. From continuous pressure on the hosts’ defence, blindside Ben Fry offloaded to replacement Rees, who scored his eighth try of the season.
Wilde added the extras to extend the Blue and Blacks’ lead to three points before the hour mark. Then Dewi Cross from a lineout offloaded to his outside for centre Evans to score his second of the season. The extras added by Wilde saw Cardiff into a ten-point lead.
However, Goodchild was sent off for ten minutes on the 64-minute mark after a knock on when the hosts were on the attack out wide. Now, with the extra man, Price made a timely cross kick as Woolley gathered and powered over for his brace.
Price’s shot went wide, as heading into the final 10 minutes, the Blue and Blacks were five points ahead. For the second consecutive week, it was a nail-biting finish for Fish’s side.
With minutes left on the clock, after some brilliant handling, Woolley scored his third of the contest, which brought the game level once again.
Price then, after taking a breath, added the two extra points as the Quins were back in front. It was all to play for, exactly as in the September meeting between the two sides.
The Blue and Blacks then responded accordingly, as Williams easily powered over to score the visitors’ fourth of the evening. Player of the Match Wilde added the extras to finish the contest 100% from the tee, which proved to be enough at Carmarthen Park as Cardiff returned to winning ways.
FT: Carmarthen Quins 26-31 Cardiff RFC