Posted by It’s getting to the point now where it feels like only Cardiff Rugby can lose by 20 points but the home supporters leave relatively content having seen their team give it a real good go, play some cracking rugby and generally enjoyed a really good game.
Is it a positive thing? In the long run, no, but for now we know where the Blue & Blacks are. Adding in the circumstances of Saturday evening where the Sharks arrived with plenty of Springbok and Rugby World Cup winning experience, and the hosts were shorn of Welsh internationals and already dealing with a sizeable injury list, and it’s an understandable viewpoint.
The South Africans were HUGE. The likes of Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane up front bringing size, experience and quality, Vincent Tshituka and Jason Jenkins punching holes in the Cardiff line, Jurenzo Juilius was a constant threat from outside centre and Makazole Mapimpi hunted tries from the wing, when he wasn’t gouging Efan Daniel’s eyes anyway.
They dominated the scrum, won the gain line and produced a driving maul that was difficult to deal with, yet it was undoubtedly the Blue & Blacks who played the better rugby ball-in-hand. We moved the ball with a pace and intensity that we haven’t seen much of this season, retaining possession and building pressure before striking when the time was right.
Alex Mann’s try was a good example of making a line break and then capitalising on it, Tom Bowen’s first try an example of keeping hold of the ball and working danger man into even the tiniest of spaces, his second try an example of kicking through at the right time, not just driving the ball down the tramlines for the sake of it, and Gabe Hamer-Webb’s score a demonstration of the skill of the back line.
At just 19 and in his fourth senior professional game the exciting talent that is Bowen rightly garnered much of the headlines, but that did overlook the performance of Johan Mulder somewhat. The scrum-half, making his first start for the club after a handful of substitute appearances, brought a zip to the attack, a solid kicking game and a bravery around the park that couldn’t fail to catch the eye.
Elsewhere, Rhys Barratt continued his run in the first team with another all-action display from loosehead, learning plenty at the scrum no doubt, Josh McNally was Josh McNally at lock, Alex Mann continues to get better at blindside, Thomas Young was class, Alun Lawrence got through a mountain of work, and Cam Winnett had a number of classy moments from full-back.
There continues to be plenty of discourse around Callum Sheedy’s goal kicking and defence. While it can’t be said his defending is his best attribute, there’s no fundamental issues with his tackle stats being about par for the course for 10s. Clearly the goal kicking is not ideal at 50% in the URC this season though, even if Cardiff do continue to make life difficult for the goal kickers with so many tries scored out wide.
However, what Saturday showed is that the Blue & Black attack is best with Sheedy guiding it around, especially if Mulder is going to continue to provide that speed of service from scrum-half. His understanding of when to switch in and out of first receiver, organisation of those outside him and little touches flat to the line to release the danger men are a joy to watch.
Ultimately though it was disappointment on the night with a third straight defeat for Matt Sherratt’s men. The Sharks turned the screw in the final quarter, with food for thought for Jockey when it comes to using his bench as Mackenzie Martin, Jacob Beetham and Regan Grace were only introduced in the 78th minute after the visitors had scored two tries in five minutes against some tired looking Blue & Blacks.
A losing try bonus point was very welcome, and perhaps more than many supporters thought might be possible ahead of kick-off, but it means that Cardiff finish the fixture block with just three wins and a draw from the eight games, with two of the wins coming over the Dragons and none of them in the new calendar year.
While the Blue & Blacks remain fifth in the URC table, and have secured qualification for the European Challenge Cup round of 16, there’s no let up in the difficulty of upcoming fixtures for Sherratt’s side with trips to Connacht and Leinster awaiting on Six Nations fallow weekends, Lions at home the week after the tournament, and then away games against Benetton and Connacht again, this time in Europe.
Results will be hard to come by, but shoots of positivity may be seen if the likes of Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Ed Byrne, Ben Donnell, Aled Davies, Tinus De Beer, Mason Grady and Harri Millard can return to fitness as planned during the international window and boost us into that final run of the season.
It only gets tougher but there’s still plenty to play for! #TrustTheProcess
Cardiff Rugby Life 