Posted by If Welsh derbies were easy to win then everyone would do it, but I do wish Cardiff would make it a little less dramatic when they do manage to turn over our neighbours to the west!
After the smash and grab job in the final 10 minutes down at Parc y Scarlets the previous week, where the Blue & Blacks scored three tries in quick succession to overturn a 24-7 deficit, the tables turned on Friday evening at the Arms Park as Corniel Van Zyl’s side threatened to let a 24-7 lead of their own slide against the Ospreys.
Frustratingly it seemed Cardiff had failed to learn from the mistakes made against Scarlets in that prior game, with a very kickable penalty on the 60th minute turned down for a kick to the corner that did not produce a score. Going for the try bonus point is admirable, but adding easy scores to crush the will of the opposition with plenty of time left is not a negative play by any means.
Fortunately though the result still fell on the side of the Blue & Blacks as an organised and physical defensive showing – a world away from that which we saw at the Brewery Field on New Year’s Day – prevented a fairly route one Ospreys attack from even getting close to securing a game winning score.
What it means for Corniel Van Zyl’s side is that the 50 point mark is reached for the first time since the United Rugby Championship became a competition in its current form, and the first time in any format since the 2018/19 campaign when there were 21 league games a season. Another step of progress from the 32 points in 2023/24 through the 47 points of last year.
It is also the first time that Cardiff have reached 10 wins after 16 league games since the 2010/11 season, which I think really underlines just how much this squad have achieved.
The “race for the eight”, as the URC advertise the play-off push in an uncharacteristically good piece of marketing, is going to go down to the wire but whatever happens now I feel that the Blue & Blacks can be pleased with how this campaign has gone. Missing out on the top eight again would be tough to take, admittedly, but the overarching goal of year-on-year improvement is complete.
A wider point I wanted to make about last week’s game though, was just how good the Arms Park for another Welsh derby. The third home derby of the season, the third 11,000+ crowd of the season, and the third bouncing atmosphere in the capital as local rivals go toe-to-toe with the opposition bringing good numbers for a day out.
Now there can be debates around impact of staying at four teams in Wales or cutting to three on the pathways, the development of young players, the competitiveness of the club teams and the subsequent impact on the national team until people are blue in the face.
What absolutely cannot be denied though is that if the cut to three teams were to happen then the loss of a Welsh derby would be a huge blow for the remaining teams, and the general sporting landscape in the country, especially around the festive period.
These are showcase events for rugby union in Wales and major money spinners for the home clubs. They retain the interest of broadcasters and sponsors, and get supporters attending games in their droves. To replace that with games against Ealing, Black Lion, Cheetahs or whatever other random market the URC finds would be a catastrophe on every level.
As mentioned there are loads of elements to consider when looking at the way forward for Welsh rugby, but from a supporter perspective to lose a Welsh derby and have to play a random overseas team on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day is just unthinkable.
For now though we’ll enjoy full grounds, enthralling games and great atmospheres, and especially when they result in big Cardiff wins in the hunt for the play-offs. There’s still work to do, but nine points out of a possible 10 against Ospreys and Scarlets put us in a great position to go to Glasgow and host Stormers with a lot of pressure removed.
Cardiff Rugby Life 