Posted by On paper a 27-8 loss is a tough scoreline, no doubt about that. Yet, after Cardiff’s game away at Edinburgh finished on Saturday evening, and even when watching it back across the intervening days, it didn’t *feel* like a 27-8 sort of game.
Matt Sherratt spoke immediately post-match about how it flattered the home side, but let’s cut to the chase, it also reflected a game where the refereeing had a major impact on the momentum swinging at key moments.
The embodiment of that is shortly before half-time where Cardiff have a man advantage and kick a penalty to the corner. The first catch and drive is hauled down as the Blue & Blacks are flying towards the line. No penalty try is awarded but we go back to the corner and Edinburgh turn the ball over despite more than a hint of a jumper being thrown across the line and side entry of the maul itself.
They then go up the other end and Thomas Young is penalised on the floor with a yellow card subsequently shown. From what should have been a certain seven points at one end, to the loss of a man advantage and an extended period of rearguard action at the other.
With this then followed up by a series of 50/50 calls going the way of the Scottish side, and Cam Winnett being flagged as in-touch by the Scottish touch judge when he was simply nowhere near, it makes getting any result on the road at The Hive very difficult for Sherratt’s side.
And it was a much improved performance from the Blue & Blacks despite the scoreline and the multiple changes to the matchday 23. The defence in particular was significantly better than it has been for the last two games as the likes of James Botham and Young brought a speed and intensity to the defensive line and the breakdown work.
Aled Davies put in his best tactical kicking performance to-date, backed up by Callum Sheedy when required, with Teddy Williams, Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Cam Winnett helping Cardiff dominate in the air. There was a solid debut from Rory Jennings too, with some nice touches in attack, strong carrying and dependable defence.
However, Sherratt & co cannot leave the blame for the scoreline solely at the door of the refereeing.
Being clinical in attack was an issue again as, although there were fewer visits to the opposition 22 as you might expect away from home, the conversion rate from visits to points was still below par. Did Young need to dive over when part of the ruck close to the line? And Josh McNally will be disappointed with his handling error after Evan Lloyd’s flying break.
The lineout also came unstuck against an Edinburgh side that, for the first time against Cardiff this season, competed hard in the air. The Blue & Blacks trying to keep lineout numbers low in order to push players into midfield, as well as relying on a young lineout caller in Teddy Williams and a new Forwards Coach in Corniel van Zyl, struggled to devise a workaround leading to a calamitous final quarter.
Giving ourselves those opportunities to strike and actually converting them is something that will need to click next week in what is now a massive home against Ulster to finish the fixture block after three straight defeats. Going four losses on the trot, three of them at home, would be very difficult to spruce up despite any legitimate underlying reasoning around finance and cohesion.
The quality is there, and there’s a feeling that Cardiff are so close to getting things right in attack, but at the same time that final step to regularly putting theory into action is the toughest one.
Hopefully there’s another good crowd at the Arms Park on Saturday to back the boys, and they repay that with the performance we all know they can produce. Ymlaen Caerdydd!
#TrustTheProcess
Cardiff Rugby Life 