By Reef Parker
Reigning United Rugby Championship holders Glasgow Warriors defeated Cardiff Rugby in a 13 try thriller, which ended 52-36 at the Arms Park.
A knock on from Alun Lawrence on kick off set the tone for Cardiff Rugby’s performance against visitors Glasgow Warriors. It took the reigning URC Champions six minutes to get over the home sides try line after an excellent dummy during the breakdown from scrum half Jamie Dobie.
In space, he caught Cardiff fullback Cameron Winnett flat footed and skipped past his failed tackle to deliver the first try of the game. Fly-Half, Tom Jordan, executed the conversion to open the scoring at 7-0.
The following minutes ensued with Cardiff holding the majority of possesion, but two turnovers inside the opponents 22 meant the Blue and Blacks were still looking for their first points of the game. This was until Dan Thomas caught try scorer, Dobie, off guard on his try line and swiped the ball into his possession, and got the game to level after 12 minutes.
A scrappy 10 minutes followed with neither side managing to materialise any points, up until Cardiff’s Mason Grady took advantage of Glasgow’s depleted defensive cover from a scrum and bombed through 3 Warriors players. With low numbers for Glasgow, Fly-Half Callum Sheedy pulled strings and off loaded the ball to Inside Centre, Ben Thomas, who offloads to an awaiting Winnett who barrels over for Cardiff’s second try of the game. After Sheedy’s conversion drifted wide, the score was 12-7 inside 20 minutes.
After a promising start from Cardiff, it all got away from them. The Blues’ conceded four tries in 15 minutes with Sione Tuipulotu causing mayhem for Cardiff. The Scottish international set up a try as he ran through Sheedy and dumped the ball off to winger, Kyle Rowe. Then 10 minutes later, lightning struck twice as Tuipulotu ran through Sheedy again and supplied an amazing solo try to create distance from the hosts.
After a lazy Sheedy pass in Midfield caused an interception try for Tom Jordan, Cardiff saw themselves down 33-12 at the half.
Needing an inspired comeback, Head Coach, Mat Sherratt chose to replace his Half Back duo of Aled Davies and Calum Sheedy. A half with glimpses of promise, but glaring errors saw the pair be replaced by Ellis Bevan and Tinus De Beer. Additionally, Sherratt opted for an entire new Front Row of Ed Byrne, Evan Lloyd and Rhys Litterick.
The changes looked to have made a difference for Sherratt’s side, as Cardiff came firing out the gates and scored early. After a series of phases and a tap penalty, substitute, Ed Byrne fought his way over the Line in the 43rd minute to get the score back to 33-19 with a Tinus De Beer conversion.
With momentum building, Cardiff then suffered a blow with two successive injuries to Hookers, Evan Lloyd and Captain Liam Belcher. It was Lawrence who had to fill in at Hooker while substitute Mackenzie Martin took Lawrenece’s place in the Back Row.
It didnt take long for the 20-year-old to make an impact, as within minutes of being on the pitch, a break through from Grady saw the ball go through the hands of Winnett and Harri Millard before reaching Martin, who scores on the left side.
With the game sitting at 33-24, it was down to replacement De Beer to hit the conversion and make the score 33-26, with the visitors still holding a seven point lead 53 minutes in.
Minutes later, Glasgow conceded a penalty and De Beer kept his 100% kicking accuracy, getting the score to 33-29 with 20 minutes to play.
However, it didnt take long for Glasgow to rally, as they made the most of a man advantage in the pack and sent Flanker, Matt Fagerson over the line from a rolling maul. A crucial score in the game that halted Cardiff’s momentum and put the score at 40-29 after another Tom Jordan conversion.
With the game in the balance, it was Cardiff’s turn to fire a shot. Stand in Hooker, Lawrence hit Teddy Williams from the close range lineout, which then created a maul for Martin to break free from who sent Ben Donnell in support to score and send the Arms Park into pandemonium. After De Beers conversion, the game was 36-40.
With 10 minutes to play, it looked like it would be a nailbiter to the end between the sides but in the games dying embers Cardiff reverted back to their first half form and filled the remainder of the game with calamitous defensive errors.
First, it was an excellent line break from Glasgow’s Jack Dempsey off the kickoff whose marauding run up the middle of the field could only be stopped by T Williams 10 metres out. The ball was quickly recycled by replacement Scrum Half, Ben Afshar who passed it off to Rowe who instinctively poked the ball through a disorganised Cardiff pack, grabbing his second score of the night to restore a comfortable lead for the visitors at 47-36.
Moments later it was Afshar again, who executed a dummy and cut through the middle of Cardiff before sending it wide right to an awaiting Duncan Weir and Tom Jordan who link up to get his second try of night and put the game to bed for Glasgow in the 75th minute.
The full time whistle is met with disappointment from the Cardiff crowd on what could have been but they can look to round fours fixture as they welcome the Scarlets, with the Warriors hosting Zebre.
CARDIFF RUGBY: 36
TRIES: 5 (Thomas, Winnett, Byrne, Martin, Donnell)
CONVERSIONS: 4 (Sheedy, De Beer x3)
PENALTIES: 1 (De Beer)
YELLOWS: 0
REDS: 0
15. Cameron Winnett 14. Mason Grady 13. Rey Lee-Lo 12. Ben Thomas 11. Harri Millard 10. Callum Sheedy 9. Aled Davies 1. Corey Domachowski 2. Liam Belcher 3. Kieron Assiratti 4. Josh McNally 5. Teddy Williams 6. Ben Donnell 7. Dan Thomas 8. Alun Lawrence
16. Evan Lloyd 17. Ed Byrne 18. Rhys Litterick 19. Rory Thornton 20. Mackenzie Martin 21. Ellis Bevan 22. Tinus De Beer 23. Gabriel Hamer-Webb
GLASGOW WARRIORS: 52
TRIES: 8 (Dobie, Rowe x2, Jordan x2, Tuipolotu, Jones, Fagerson
CONVERSIONS: 6 (Jordan x5, Weir)
PENALTIES: 0
YELLOWS: 0
REDS: 0
15. Gregor Hiddleton 14. Kyle Rowe 13. Huw Jones 12. Sione Tuipolutu 11. Facundo Cordero 10. Tom Jordan 9. Jamie Dobie 1. Rory Sutherland 2. Johnny Matthews 3. Sam Talakai 4. Alex Samuel 5. Scott Cummings 6. Gregor Brown 7. Matt Fagerson 8. Jack Dempsey
Replacements
16. Gregor Hiddleston 17. Jamie Bhatti 18. Patrick Schickerling 19. Richie Gray 20. Max Williamson 21. Euan Ferrie 22. Ben Afshar 23. Duncan Weir
