Posted by It’s fair to say that European rugby is not what it once was.
Go back to the years prior to the covid pandemic and, even in the second tier Challenge Cup, the format of pools of four with a double round-robin was one that elicited drama and excitement. A simple league format to follow, the rivalry built up across home and away fixtures, and the thrill of being a supporter knowing you’d visit three different towns or cities and have the joy of welcoming them to you.
Now though it’s all wrong. The four-game Swiss-system tournament where you are in a pool of six but only play four opponents either home or away is difficult to follow, fails to create those rivalries, does not offer enough trips for supporters and fails to create much in the way of jeopardy.
With way too many teams in the Champions Cup that top tier is diluted, while the Challenge Cup is not varied enough with only two English sides and a number of French sides who simply do not care. Both competitions feel as if they are in a race to the bottom, with all attention on that week of Round of 16 and into the quarter-finals.
Having said all that though, there’s something still special about earning a statement win in European competition under the Arms Park lights, and Saturday night was just that for Cardiff. Not only was it important for the Challenge Cup campaign, it could also be major for the United Rugby Championship play-off push.
There was an element of the unknown coming into the fixture. The win over Zebre was important with the internationals away, with all of them subsequently given the week off following the Autumn Nations Series, and then Corniel Van Zyl opting to bring the majority back in for the visit of Ulster who are going well in the URC and put 61 on Racing 92 last week.
Would they be able to instantly slot in and the starting XV click back into the form shown before the Autumn? Well, yes it seemed. A flying start saw Rory Thornton and George Nott team up for the latter to cruise in from 20 metres out, before a fortunate bounce allowed Tom Bowen to screech in to score down the left wing.
However, whether some complacency set in or the pace of coming back in after some varying amounts of recent game time hit home, but either way Cardiff then decided to almost stop playing for the middle period of the game either side of half-time. Tries from Tom Stewart, James Hume and a brace from Werner Kok plus the boot of Jake Flannery saw Ulster build a 12-26 lead with 65 minutes on the clock.
This was where the Blue & Blacks bench and the Arms Park crowd kicked in though. Slowly but surely the momentum swung, the hosts set up camp in the opposition red zone and Danny Southworth snuck over from close range, followed soon after by Dan Thomas being the beneficiary of a driving maul rumbling down the hill towards the clubhouse.
Thomas then added to his hero status with a huge turnover on the floor, and as the clock turned red Callum Sheedy stepped up to nail the penalty and win the game for Cardiff. Huge for him on a personal level to answer a lot of critics of his goal kicking with an assured performance off the tee, but perhaps particularly special for Leigh Halfpenny watching on having been subbed off.
He may not be the Halfpenny of old, and he looked like someone who has not played much rugby at all over the last year, but nevertheless it remains special to see a player of his standing in the game, and someone who was produced by the Academy at the Arms Park, taking to the field once again.
His biggest impact will likely be in the wisdom he imparts though. To Cam Winnett, Jacob Beetham and Matty Young as talented full-backs, and to Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd as the team’s goal kickers. When the fly-half knocked that one over there was more than a twinge of Halfpenny in the way he so calmly stepped up and was so nonchalant in his celebration.
A statement win going into the festive derbies, and a great way to make the 100th appearances of Keiron Assiratti, Rory Thornton and Ben Thomas. Now attention turns to Scarlets at home on Friday as the big games keep on coming.
Win there and the Blue & Blacks can continue to look up the table. Lose, and that tough fixture list across the second half of the season suddenly appears to be an even steeper mountain to climb.
Cardiff Rugby Life 