Cardiff Rugby travelled to Rodney Parade, unbeaten for nineteen URC matches against the Dragons RFC. Despite a dominant start by the hosts, leading 15-00 after twenty-five minutes of play, Cardiff clawed their way back to score the bonus point try and 24-22 win with three minutes to play.
The Dragons dominated the first quarter of the match, enjoying 96% of the territorial advantage. The Dragons refused two possible conversion attempts, and as with the first two penalties, Angus O’Brien kicked the ball to the corner from the third penalty. The Dragons send the ball out wide from the top of the line-out. Aaron Wainwright was waiting at first receiver, from where nobody could stop him from fifteen meters out. Wainwright took several defenders with him over the tryline, and following the conversion by Angus O'Brien, the Dragons led 07-00.
Following a penalty conversion by Angus O'Brien, O'Brien kicked a pass to winger Rio Dyer, who scored an "easy" try in the corner to extend the Dragons' lead to 15-00 after twenty-five minutes of play in the first half.
Cardiff started to claw their way back into the match and following a penalty which was kicked to the corner, Cardiff's lock Teddy Williams scored their first try off the second push from the lineout-maul to cut the Dragons' lead to 15-05 and five minutes to play in the first half.
Despite trailing 05-15 at the halftime break, the Cardiff coaches will be happy with their final fifteen minutes of the first half. Cardiff's territorial and possession statistics looked a lot better from that after twenty-five minutes of play.
Cardiff started the second half in a similar fashion to how they ended the first half. Great hands and interplay between the backs of Cardiff, put Josh Adams in possession fifteen meters inside the Dragons' half. He stepped four defenders to score Cardiff's second try which was converted by Callum Sheedy, to cut the Dragons' lead to three points after six minutes of play in the second half.
Cardiff continued their fifteen-man onslaught. Cardiff attacked from a dominant lineout to send winger Gabe Hamer-Webb over in the corner. Callum Sheedy added the extra conversion to take a 19-15 lead for the first time in the match, after sixteen minutes of play in the second half.
From the kickoff, the Dragons set up several phases and launched wave after wave of attacks on the Cardiff tryline. Eventually, scrumhalf Rhodri Williams sniped from two meters out and scored the Dragons' third try. Angus O'Brien converted for the Fragons to retake the lead 22-19 and ten minutes to play in the second half.
Cardiff struck back three minutes later when replacement hooker Evan Loyd bulldozed his way over to score Cardiff's fourth and bonus point try to lead 24-22 and three minutes to play in the second half.
In the end, Cardiff came back after a brilliant first twenty-five minutes by the Dragons, to secure their 20th United Rugby Championship 24-22 win over the Dragons to stay unbeaten for ten years.
Scorers:
Dragons RFC: Tries: Aaron Wainwright, Rio Dyer, Rhodri Williams. Conversions: Angus O'Brien (2). Penalty: Angus O'Brien.
Cardiff Rugby: Tries: Teddy Williams, Josh Adams, Gabe Hamer-Webb, Rhodri Williams. Conversions: Callum Sheedy (2).
Teams:
Dragons RFC: 15 Huw Anderson, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Joe Westwood, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Angus O’Brien (c), 9 Rhodri Williams, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Taine Basham, 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Ryan Woodman, 4 Joe Davies, 3 Chris Coleman, 2 Brodie Coghlan, 1 Rodrigo Martinez. Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Paula Latu, 19 Nick Thomas, 20 Shane Lewis-Hughes, 21 Che Hope, 22 Will Reed, 23 Cai Evans.
Cardiff Rugby: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Josh Adams, 13 Rey Lee-Lo, 12 Ben Thomas (c), 11 Gabe Hamer-Webb, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Aled Davies, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Alex Mann, 6 James Botham, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Josh McNally, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Dafydd Hughes, 1 Corey Domachowski. Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Danny Southworth, 18 Rhys Litterick, 19 Seb Davies, 20 Alun Lawrence, 21 Ellis Bevan, 22 Rory Jennings, 23 Tom Bowen.