Posted by May as well just hand Cardiff the United Rugby Championship trophy now! A demolition of Richmond at the Arms Park and then a comfortable win over Leinster in Dublin? Matt Sherratt’s men are walking to the league title.
It’s only pre-season you say? Damn it, you might be right. And by half-time against the Lions in round one of the campaign proper this may well be long forgotten. However, in the absence of any other on-field action over the last few months this is all we’ve got to go on and there is a good amount to like for the Blue and Blacks.
Attacking intent
When Callum Sheedy was hovering over the ball inside his own in-goal area before scooping it up, side stepping the onrushing Leinster kick chaser and then passing to Tom Bowen to do his best Road Runner impression up the field it was heart-in-mouth stuff.
Ultimately it was successful though, and while that is something that is perhaps more likely to come out in a pre-season friendly where the consequences of any misjudgement are not as severe, it did underline what was a much-improved counter attacking showing from Jockey’s side.
For a while there’s been a feeling that a team making the amount of turnovers that Cardiff do, and with the x factor in the back line that Cardiff have, the Blue & Blacks simply do not capitalise on broken field play enough. In Dublin though it was incisive with an emphasis on carrying directly on turnover ball, offloading and not simply just shipping the ball down the line and hoping for the best.
Harri Millard’s score was arguably the pick of the bunch on the afternoon, rounding off a counter attack that went 70 metres via four offloads, and there would have been more but for a handling error after the aforementioned Sheedy in-goal tease, plus some questionable refereeing calls denying Millard another and Johan Mulder, respectively.
More than potential
Usually one of the takeaways from pre-season is the encouragement provided by the opportunity to showcase some of the young talent on the way through the development pathway, and the last two weeks have been no different in that respect.
Evan Rees looked physical coming off the bench against Richmond having bulked up during his first year in the senior academy, before returning to the Rags to help them get off to a flying start in Super Rygbi Cymru, while Osian Darwin-Lewis had some nice touches in both games slotting in at outside centre where he’s currently the primary specialist back up but will mostly play for Dan Fish’s side.
More than that though, what we’ve seen against Richmond and particularly Leinster is talented youngsters who don’t just have potential but are ready to make an impact on the first team. Rhys Barratt was destructive against the English side and then industrious around the field in Dublin. With no sign of Corey Domachowski and Ed Byrne still sidelined he will likely be involved against Lions.
Steff Emanuel continues to look extremely composed for such a young player in a position as pivotal to Cardiff as inside centre is and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him jump Rory Jennings in the pecking order this season, while Tom Bowen is just absolutely electric. The Blue & Black man-of-the-match, it’s difficult to see how he doesn’t start at the Arms Park next week.
Leaping lineouts
According to the URC website Cardiff’s 84% lineout success rate last season was the third worst in the league, only Munster and Zebre winning fewer on their own throw. Now that’s not a million miles off the league average of 87%, but for a team that enjoys launch plays as much as Jockey’s men do it needs improving.
Admittedly it was against a Leinster pack that would probably be rated “Leinster C” such was the amount of players missing from the matchday 23, but this writer has seen Leinster C do a job on the Blue & Blacks many times over the years such is the quality of player their budget can afford. Add that to an excellent coaching panel and the set piece is well drilled throughout the club.
Cardiff though got after the lineout well. Securing the ball safely and working attacking opportunities through back peels and moving back rowers into midfield on our own throw, and then challenging hard on the home throw with the result being three steals and a turnover forced after Alex Mann levelled the scrum-half.
With the likes of the ever-improving Teddy Williams, experienced Josh McNally, plus Mann, Ben Donnell and Rory Thornton in the 4-6 ranks there’s plenty of lineout quality there, and we wait to see what George Nott will add. Sneak that lineout percentage above 85% and add a few steals in and it’ll be worth a few league points come May.
Cardiff Rugby Life 