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Wales U20s continued their preparations for the U20 Six Nations at the Arms Park with a commanding 42-21 win over a Welsh Academies XV. 

In front of a healthy crowd, numerous Blue and Blacks were on show for both sides as Ioan Emanuel who began his rugby journey at Llantwit Fardre scored a brace. This was accompanied by tries from Harry Beddall, Scott Delnevo, Iori Badham, and Harri Ford. Product of the Cardiff Rugby pathway, Harri Wilde remained 100% from the tee. 

The deadlock was broken on eight minutes after Wales U20s captain, Beddall crossed after continuous pressure. This came from some brilliant kicks into the corner from Wilde, and after several phases the openside crossed the whitewash. 

Beddall was then penalised for being off his feet and Josh Phillips kicked into the 22 and put the Academies 5-metres out. Then from the catch and drive from the lineout, it looked like they had crossed but it was disallowed after the Academies were guilty of crossing at the line out. 

Richard Whiffin’s boys were on the hunt for their second of the evening after continuous pressure on the Academies line. However, Gabe McDonald intercepted and showed off his pace. That pace was matched by Steff Emanuel who managed to hold up the outside centre, however McDonald got his hands free to offload to Josh Carrington to score. Swansea RFC’s Josh Phillips added the extras which brought proceedings back level on 13 minutes. 

Outside half, Wilde yet again put in a great kick into the 22, but after trying to find their way through the solid defence of the Academies they were unable to capitalise. Then another product of the Cardiff pathway, Nathan Evans turned the ball over which relieved pressure for the Academies.

Moments later, the Academies had a lineout on the halfway line, then after some miscommunication hooker, Tomoya Adachi kicked up field. This was met by Harry Rees-Weldon who carved his way through the Academies defence after regathering to put the U20s up into the 22. Then the ball eventually got into the hands of loosehead, Ioan Emanuel who powered over. 

Ioan Emanuel added to his tally moments later as after taking a quick tap and go a few phases followed allowing for him to power his way over again. With it seeming to be all Wales U20s going in at the break, Gareth Williams’ Academies had one last opportunity and after a brilliant flat pass from Phillips it led to Walker Price crossing the whitewash prior to the interval. 

HT: Wales U20s 21-14 Welsh Academies XV

The tone of the second half was set after a brilliant take from Evan Minto at the breakdown area and put the U20s on the front foot however, Logan Franklin was unable to keep hold and knocked the ball on. They regained possession shortly after and fullback Delnevo easily broke through to score his sides fourth of the evening. 

The Academies got one back on 63 minutes after the U20s were penalised at the breakdown. The ball then fell into the hands of another product of the Cardiff Pathway, Lucas de la Rua who crossed. That was then met by two tries in quick succession for the U20s by both Iori Badham and Harri Ford that finished off a brilliant performance by Richard Whiffin’s Wales U20s side. 

The two teams will meet once more next Friday at Church Bank, the home of Llandovery RFC before Richard Whiffin boys make the trip to Vannes to face France in their U20 Six Nations opener. 

FT: Wales U20s 42-21 Welsh Academies XV

Wales U20 Starting lineup: 15. Scott Delnovo; 14. Harry Rees-Weldon, 13. Elijah Evan, 12. Steff Emanuel, 11. Aidan Boshoff, 10. Harri Wilde, 9. Logan Franklin: 1. Ioan Emanuel, 2. Saul Hurley, 3. Jac Pritchard, 4. Kenzie Jenkins, 5. Dan Germine, 6. Arthur Moore, 7. Harry Beddall (captain), 8. Evan Minto

Replacements: 16. Evan Wood, 17. Harrison Bellamy, 18. Owain James, 19. Deian Gwynne, 20. Caio James, 21. Sion Davies, 22. Harri Ford, 23. Osian Darwin-Lewis, 24. Iorie Badham

Welsh Academies Starting lineup: 15. Jac Davies, 14. Josh Carrington, 13. Gabe McDonald, 12. Fraser Jones, 11. Walker Price, 10. Josh Phillips, 9. Rhodri Lewis (captain); 1. Morgan Williams, 2. Tomoya Adachi, 3. Nathan Evans, 4. Evan Hill, 5. Gethyn Cannon, 6. Evan Rees, 7. Lucas de la Rua, 8. Owen Conquer

 Replacements: 16. Sam Scarfe, 17. Freddie Chapman, 18. Joe Cowell, 19. Ethan Phillips, 20. Kobi Rees, 21. Luca Settaro, 22. Sam Porter, 23. Kodie Stone, 24. Charlie Probert

Title: Blue and Blacks battle it out tomorrow night at the Arms Park

Wales U20s take on a Welsh Academies XV where numerous Cardiff RFC players will play and also go head-to-head. Richard Whiffins U20s side will continue their preparations for the upcoming U20s Six Nations which gets underway in Vannes on February 1st.

Speaking on the occasion, Cardiff RFC head coach Dan Fish said: “Great to see so many boys playing who have represented the Blue and Black of Cardiff this season.

“The hard work they have put in so far this season has put them in this position to be able to play in this game and it shows that the model we use is working with so much young talent on display.

“I’m sure it will be an exciting fast flowing game which I’m throughly looking forward too.”

As Super Rygbi Cymru takes a break after block two, there is still plenty of Blue and Blacks playing. With 11 players involved across both sides, Harri Wilde who has been impressive for Cardiff will be aiming to continue that form as he starts at 10 for the U20s.

It’s an all Blue and Black partnership in the centre as both Steffan Emanuel and Elijah Evans start. Emanuel made his senior debut for Cardiff last month in Lyon, whilst Evans has scored on three occasions for the Blue and Blacks so far this season.

Noticeably, Steffan Emanuel’s opposite number for Friday nights game is Fraser Jones, who played a lot last season for Swansea University. Within the forwards for the Welsh Academies both Evan Rees and Lucas de la Rua start with Ethan Phillips and Joe Cowell being named on the bench.

After both making their Cardiff RFC debuts against Pontypridd in pre-season Sion Davies and Osian Darwin-Lewis are named on the bench for Wales U20s, both products of Cardiff Rugby U18’s. Kodie Stone who made his debut for Cardiff RFC as a 17-year-old Coleg y Cymoedd student against RGC has been named on the bench for the Academies.

Kickoff is 7:30pm tomorrow evening and tickets will be available on the gate- £5 for Adults and U16s are free.

Ahead of playing in their very first UEFA Euros Final in Switzerland, Wales will tour the country in the first half of 2025, playing three matches as part of the UEFA Nations League campaign. 

After topping League B as part of qualification for the EUROS, Rhian Wilkinson’s women will compete against Italy, Sweden, and Denmark.

Wales will first take on Italy in Monza on February 21^st(TBC) before hosting Sweden at the STōK Cae Ras in Wrexham on February 25th (KO 7:15 pm). The last time they travelled to Wrexham, they put aside Croatia 4-0, and that game saw Wilkinson take charge of Cymru for the first time.  

They then return to the Welsh Capital after a record-breaking attendance of 16,845 and will host Denmark on April 4^th (KO: 7:15 pm). Cymru will then have back-to-back away games against both Sweden (April 8^th) and Denmark (30^th May) before heading to the Swansea.com stadium (June 3^rd) where they will play Italy one month out from the start of the EURO Finals in Switzerland. This will be the first return to Swansea since December 2023, when it finished 0-0 against Germany. 

Speaking on the announcement, manager Rhian Wilkinson said: “As we prepare for our first appearance in a major tournament, we felt that it was essential to give the opportunity for our fans across the country to support and celebrate the team in the build-up to the EUROs.

“Playing in Wrexham, Cardiff and Swansea gives us the perfect opportunity to do so as we face tough but exciting opposition for the Nations League campaign. We can’t wait to see the Red Wall turn up in their numbers for these huge games,” Wilkinson added. 

Full Schedule can be found below: 

Italy v Cymru – Stadio Brianteo, Monza – TBC Friday 21 February

Cymru v Sweden – Stōk Cae Ras, Wrexham – 7:15 pm Tuesday 25 February

Cymru v Denmark – Cardiff City Stadium – 7:15 pm Friday 4 April

Sweden v Cymru – Gamla Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg – TBC Tuesday 8 April

Denmark v Cymru – Odense Stadium, Odense – TBC Friday 30 May

Cymru v Italy – Swansea.com Stadium – TBC Tuesday 3 June 

Cardiff were made to work for first win of 2025 against the All Whites 

Cardiff RFC started the New Year in Super Rygbi Cymru with a hard-fought 32-22 win over Swansea RFC at a very cold Cardiff Arms Park.

Both Alun Rees and Ethan Lloyd scored twice, with Kodie Stone and Lucas de la Rua also crossing the whitewash as the Blue and Blacks ended block two of Super Rygbi Cymru with a win. 

Before kick-off, there was a moment of reflection as the Arms Park was brought to silence as we remembered the lives of both Frank Wilson and Geoff Wheel. Fullback Josh Phillips then got the action underway with the temperature just above freezing.

The Blue and Blacks were then penalised almost straight away, and after kicking into touch a catch and drive followed. That driving maul began just outside the host’s 22, and from a powerful drive, Geraint Powell crossed the whitewash.

Powell was next to score moments later as after miscommunication over the Blue and Blacks tryline the number eight pounced on the loose ball to score his second. Phillps could not add the extras as the All Whites went into an early 12-0 lead. 

The hosts then managed to start building momentum, and after back-to-back penalties, they found themselves metres from the Swansea line after a kick into the corner by Josh Thomas. From the resulting lineout, Alun Rees crossed over to score which now means the hooker has scored 150 points as a Blue and Black.

That early lead, by the All Whites was reduced even further just five minutes later as Kodie Stone crossed over in the corner. This came after some big hits from the Blue and Blacks forwards, resulting in the backs showcasing some brilliant handling skills for Stone to crossover. 

On 27 minutes, the Blue and Blacks were closing in on their third of the afternoon but were eventually held up over the tryline and the visitors relieved pressure. There was an injury blow for the hosts as Luke Pollock who was starting in the centre for the first time since October was replaced by Fraser Jones.

However, that pressure was asserted back onto the All Whites minutes later as after Ed Thompson was yellow carded the hosts kicked into the 22. It was again some brilliant defensive work from the visitors as Cardiff were unable to find a way through and the ball was turned over.

Before halftime, the Blue and Blacks did manage to find a way through for their third as Ethan Lloyd sneaked his way over. Josh Thomas added the extras as Cardiff went in at the break leading for the first time in the game. 

HT: Cardiff 17-12 Swansea 

That lead the Blue and Blacks had before the interval was narrowed after Josh Phillips converted a penalty, making it a two-point game on 41 minutes. The visitors were then on the attack but this time around it was the hosts turn to show off their heroic defensive skills as they turned the ball over and won a penalty to relieve pressure.

In only his second game as a Blue and Black, Edmund Anya showed his pace as he broke through the visitors’ defence and put Cardiff on the front foot. Josh Thomas brilliantly put a cross field kick in behind that Joe Goodchild gathered but was taken out in the air.

From the resulting penalty, another catch and drive followed and this time around it was Lucas de la Rua who crossed to secure the bonus point for the hosts. This was then followed by another driving maul moments later as Alun Rees crossed for his brace. 

Former Cardiff player Tom Edwards was next to score for the visitors as on 65 minutes he crossed for his fourth of the season and Josh Phillips added the extras which reduced the deficit to five points. However, with the clock almost in the red Cardiff went hunting for their sixth of the afternoon.

This came from Aled Ward breaking away from the scrum as he offloaded to Joe Williams who then passed back inside for Ethan Lloyd to crossover for his second of the match as Cardiff began 2025 with a brilliant 32-22 win. 

Next for Dan Fish’s men is a trip to Church Bank on January 25^th, where they play their first Super Rygbi Cymru Cup match. 

FT: Cardiff 32-22 Swansea

“I’m really proud of the second half. We’re just not where we need to be in the first half”- 5 talking points: Head coach Filo Tiatia’s reaction to yet another Welsh Derby defeat

Dragons RFC were unable to build on last week’s first half performance as a poor opening 40 at the Parc Y Scarlets proved costly as they fell to an agonising 32-15 defeat.

Captain, Angus O’Brien was the only Dragons player to score in the first half and that came from the tee. The Scarlets who now sit in sixth place in the United Rugby Championship table began 2025 on the front foot as they rushed into a 21 point lead. This came from a brace from Blair Murray and a try from Josh Macleod.

However, Tiatia’s men did respond accordingly in the second half with tries from Taine Basham and Huw Anderson but that proved insufficient after what was an abysmal 40 minutes to begin 2025 for the Dragons

1: “If you’re going to wear the jersey, as a group you’ve got to fill it,” admits Tiatia.

On the game itself Tiatia said: “I was disappointed in the first half. Clearly we weren’t at the races and yeah, we were flat, with no energy both sides of the ball, we conceded soft tries.

“In the second half they were different. They were a different team. So they’re still learning around. Short turnaround is a short turnaround, but you just got to front up.

“If you’re going to wear the jersey as a group, you’ve got to fill it. And what they’ve done in the past has been okay, but it’s just how do we push forward to compete against really good teams.

“So that’s where we’re at,” Tiatia added.

2: Is there a lack of leaders in this Dragons side?

“I wouldn’t say that, but it’s definitely an area that we’re working really hard on. Growing leadership,” said Tiatia.

“And it’s easy to ask people to lead, but sometimes people don’t actually know what they’re leading. So I wouldn’t say that. And then if I would just be really clear that I disagree. So it’s definitely an area of growth.

“There’s no hiding the fact that, you know, just need to keep growing as people and the program just needs to keep growing.

3: A lot of bright young talent on show

There’s one thing that you can’t argue against with the Dragons and that is they are exposing young players on a weekly basis to both the URC and European Rugby. Huw Anderson scored his first URC try in this encounter, Che Hope came on as a tactical change and Dylan Keller-Griffiths came on to make his debut. All three are 21 or younger.

Some other noticeable performances from some of the younger players was Ryan Woodman who had another great showing despite playing outside of his preferred position of six.

Tiatia added: “It’s trying to give everyone an opportunity.

“You just can’t keep playing the same players that normally play because no one grows.

“Some players are not quite ready yet, but you can see where Che came on and he sparked the game up and then even Huw Anderson, who started on the left wing showed some really good moments.

“I thought Rio Dyer had a really strong game today. He worked really hard off the ball. So they’re just giving those guys an opportunity.

“Ryan Woodman was outstanding again. He’s a good young player. We just need to keep an eye on his physical development.

“He’s not quite right ready, but yeah we’ve got a lot of young players that are saying, pick me, and they catch my eye.

4: Is change on the horizon come the summer?

I don’t want to look too far ahead as there is still a lot of rugby to be played from now until then, but from the outside looking in, you have to make the argument that there needs to be a lot changed if the Dragons want to break the habit of losing games.

“Well, it gives everyone an opportunity and we have a lot of pride in this crest and the jersey itself,” he added.

“So it’s not given to everyone, like everything. It’s an opportunity and players that take it, they get the chance to hold the jersey and wear it again. So, yeah, that’s where we’re at. And we’ve got a bit of a break for our next game against Pau at home and we’ll reassess.

“If we perform better in the first half, then we’re in the race and competing. But if we give good teams, like the Scarlets, 40 minutes to do what they want, then it makes it hard to compete and keeping the score.

5: It’s back to Europe for Tiatia’s men

The Dragons will now turn their focus back to the Challenge cup as they welcome Top 14 side Pau on the 12th of January at Rodney Parade. Tiatia’s men have a 50% win record, having so far beaten Newcastle Falcons but couldn’t survive the storm against Montpellier.

Pau themselves have also picked up a win over the Falcons (32-19) but at home and when they travelled to South Africa they fell short, as the Lions recorded a 43-35 win.

Knockout rugby is very much on the table for the ‘Men of Gwent’, but it’s whether they take their opportunities.

Tiatia said: “Every game for us is important and we’re a little bit different to the other teams. And the DNA of this group is the scrappers because we just need to scrap for everything that we get the opportunity.

“And sometimes the person in the middle that’s refereeing, they base some of the things around the ledger and where we were sitting in the table and unfortunately we get, you know, not talking anything unfairly to the referee at all.

“But I’m just saying that’s where we’re at and we are clear what some of the challenges are when we play. But we’ve just got to be clinical and just get our jobs done so we can compete.

“Like I said before, like, I’m not a so much an outcome coach. I’m more of a process coach where we just keep growing and keep getting better.

That’s the job. We just need to keep getting better. You can see if we in the first half we play like we did in the second half, then we’re competing but we didn’t do that in the first half,” Tiatia concluded.

It’s a New Year but it was more of the same from the Dragons as they begin 2025 with yet another devastating defeat in a Welsh Derby this time a brutal 32-15 defeat by the Scarlets in Llanelli. 

First half tries from Josh Macleod and two from one of the hosts’ standout performers Blair Murray saw the West Walians into an early 24-3 lead at the break. Then after a TMO check, Ellis Mee carried on his impressive start to his Scarlets career as he crossed over on 42 minutes and a penalty kick from replacement, Ioan Lloyd saw Dwayne Peels men record a bonus point win. 

There was some sort of fight back from the Dragons as both Taine Basham and Huw Anderson crossed over but proved insufficient as the Dragons continued their abysmal start to the United Rugby Championship as they remain bottom of the table. 

Scarlets Rugby: 32

Tries: Blair Murray (2), Josh Macleod (1), Ellis Mee (1) 

Conversions: Sam Costelow (2) 

Penalties: Sam Costelow (1) Ioan Lloyd (1) 

Yellow Cards: Taine Plumtree (1) 

Dragons RFC: 15

Tries: Taine Basham (1), Huw Anderson (1) 

Conversions: Angus O’Brien (1) 

Penalties: Angus O’Brien (1) 

1.Rodrigo Martinez- 4

Strong at times at scrum time and was a great watch with his head-to-head with Henry Thomas. Good around the breakdown area and was utilised well in attack but that was all as the Argentinian was replaced by debutant Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths on 67 minutes. 

2. Brodie Coghlan- 4 

He was meant to be on the bench but due to Elliot Dee being ruled out he came straight into the starting XV and perhaps not meaning to start, his slow start was telling as the lineout early on was not functioning well. Was solid in defence but was replaced early in the second half by James Benjamin who wasn’t even meant to be in the match day 23.  

3. Dmitri Arhip- 4

The Moldovan tighthead was one of the main ball carriers and that was evident after a big collision with Scarlets hooker, Marnus van der Merwe early in the game. However, that was ended on the half an hour mark as he was replaced by Chris Coleman. 

4. Joe Davies- 4 

One of the senior members in the pack was great in attack as he got over the gain line with some huge carries. Didn’t make much of an impact as the game went on and on 50 minutes was eventually replaced by Nick Thomas. 

5. Ryan Woodman- 5 

Was exceptional in the lineout last week against Cardiff and today was no different but this time it was around the breakdown area. It must be said it was quite a performance but his work rate is definitely something that goes unnoticed and needs to be discussed more. 

6. Shane Lewis-Hughes- 6

Having had a finger amputated on December 6th to then coming off the bench last week to start in this New Year’s Derby, it must be said it’s remarkable to see him back so soon. And he wasted no time as he did what he has done all season for the Dragons and that’s had a solid performance as a lot of his work went unnoticed. And for a team that is obviously struggling he had a standout performance. 

7. Taine Basham- 6 

With Wainwright going off, Basham needed to step up and have a good showing but it was a very quiet performance by the 25-year-old up until his score on 50 minutes. It was a great finish and showed a lot of power to crossover for his sixth try in all competitions this season. From then he grew into the game and was great value in the desperate attack of the Dragons. 

8. Aaron Wainwright- 5

Carried well and was okay around the breakdown area and in a team that struggled in defence definitely stood out. But he was replaced at the break by Dan Lydiate and you’ll have to maybe put it down to when he went off on 24 minutes for an HIA (Head Injury Assessment). 

9. Rhodri Williams- 4 

Great intelligence with his kicking game yet again, and started the match off with a brilliant 50-22 on 6 minutes. As the half went on he was fast moving the ball from the breakdown area but at scrum time he hardly pressurised his opposite number allowing for the hosts to easily build on their attacking game from the scrum time. That maybe showed why he was replaced on 43 minutes by Che Hope who like Williams didn’t make much of an impact. 

10. Angus O’Brien- 5 

Celebrated his 100th appearance last week and had a great showing and that intensity he brought last week he brought into this encounter. He was the main protagonist in leading the attack of the visitors. And concluded the game at fullback after Cai Evans was replaced. His kicking game has been a bit hit and miss in recent games but this week the Dragons captain slotted 5 points from the tee but when he needed to convert the points he was unable too. 

11. Huw Anderson- 6 

With Cai Evans starting at fullback, Anderson dropped onto the wing and there’s not much to write about for the 21-year-old who was born in Lima, Peru. He was strong enough in defence but definitely makes more of an impact from fullback. It was great vision for his first URC try as he showed his intelligence as he pounced on the loose ball and showed his pace as well. 

12. Aneurin Owen- 5

Good at reading the hosts defence, spotting gaps behind with little grubber kicks that put pressure on the backline of the hosts. Was one of the standout defensive performers but it can be argued he needed his teammates to follow suit. 

13. Jared Rosser- 3 

Normally starting on the wing, Rosser started at outside centre for the first time since April 2023 due to Joe Westwood being injured. He was poor in attack as it looked like he was forcing a pass instead of taking it into contact. The question is was it the right call to put him at 13 despite all of the injuries. 

14. Rio Dyer- 5

When it seemed the 25-year-old was growing into this URC season after last week’s performance, in this encounter his defence was poor as he was very narrow and for the opening quarter didn’t make any impact on the game for the Dragons in attack. However, under the high ball he was of great value when the Dragons were looking to gain territory and made an impressive break early in the second half but that was it. 

15. Cai Evans- 4 

It was a welcome return from Evans at fullback and was playing like he had a point to prove. Had a strong kicking game, as he put pressure on when looking to get into the hosts 22 but it was hot and cold as on some occasions it was aimless. He was replaced on 60 minutes by Will Reed which resulted in skipper, Angus O’Brien dropping to fullback. 

A picturesque finish from Joe Goodchild secures Cardiff derby win

After last weekend’s disappointment in front of the S4C cameras at the Arms Park, Dan Fish’s men ended 2024 like they started it with a win over a Gwent side. Tries from Nathan Hudd, Sean Moore, Alun Rees, Joe Goodchild and a brace from Elijah Evans saw the Blue and Blacks gain revenge over their oldest rivals 36-30. 

Just like last week’s opening it was an edgy and nervy opening quarter with both sides having opportunities to break the deadlock but some great defending from both was the reason for no scores.

However, that changed as Player of the Match from last week’s encounter, Jac Lloyd slotted three points from the tee after the visitors were penalised for not rolling away. Moments later the Blue and Blacks responded quickly with a try from Nathan Hudd. This came after a catch and drive and the openside powered over for his first try of the season and that score meant he has now scored 50 points as a Blue and Black.

Momentum seemed to be changing, and it was in favour of the visitors, with great vision from Harri Wilde. After a cross-field kick from the outside-half, it played into the hands of Jason Harries who offloaded back inside for Elijah Evans to crossover.

After having his first attempt at adding the extras earlier, this time around Wilde added the extras to extend the visitors lead to nine just prior to the 30-minute mark. This was then followed with a replacement as Nathan Hudd went off injured, which resulted in Aled Ward coming on for his tenth game.     

The visitors added to their already substantial lead minutes later as captain, Sean Moore was next to cross the whitewash, and this came from a misplacement from the hosts.

It went from bad to worse for the hosts as two minutes they were reduced to 14-men as Oli Andrew was sent off for ten minutes after taking Joe Goodchild out in the air. Then from the kick into the corner, a catch and drive followed and hooker, Alun Rees crossed for his fifth of the season to put his side into a 21-point lead.

Prior to halftime, Jac Lloyd threw a brilliant pass to Lloyd Lewis who crossed over in the corner for the hosts first of the afternoon as they reduced the deficit to 14 points at the break. 

HT: Newport 10-24 Cardiff 

The Blue and Blacks found themselves in the hosts 22, which came from Ethan Lloyd’s break, but it was turned over by his opposite number Dafydd Buckland, who put the hosts on the front foot after a superb run from distance.

The ball was eventually spread to the outside, and Oli Andrew crossed over in the corner. Momentum now seemed most definitely in favour of the Black and Ambers, and after a pass back inside from replacement Matt O’Brien, Lloyd Lewis crossed over for his brace on 51 minutes. 

The visitors then were not granted the restart as referee Ben Connor awarded the hosts a penalty, and from the halfway line, Jac Lloyd brilliantly added the three points, which put Newport back into the lead. It got worse for the Blue and Blacks as replacement Tom Harper was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Despite being down a man, the visitors were next to score.

This came after the hosts fumbled possession and then Elijah Evans who had dropped onto the wing showed his pace as he put his side back in front going into the final ten minutes. The Blue and Blacks went hunting for their sixth, with five minutes left on the clock. The ball was spread quickly through the Blue and Blacks hands, and Joe Goodchild replicated his Cup Final try against Newport to cross in the corner. Wilde added the extras as Cardiff went into an 11-point lead.

That lead, however, was reduced as deep into injury time, Oli Andrew crossed over in the corner to score the hosts fourth of the afternoon. Despite still having time for the restart, it proved insufficient as Cardiff gained revenge from last weekend and ended 2024 with a 36-30 win. 

FT: Newport 30-36 Cardiff 

“There was definitely some decisions we made around our discipline which cost us”- 5 Talking Points: Matt O’Brien’s reaction to Boxing Day defeat to Cardiff Rugby

Dragons RFC looked like they were on for delivering the Dragons faithful a late Christmas present and a much-needed win as they led 15-5 at halftime in front of a healthy crowd of over 8,500 at Rodney Parade.

This came from early tries from Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer and one late try from Rhodri Williams accompanied by the boot of Angus O’Brien but this proved not to be enough. As a Teddy Williams try before the break and three second-half tries from Josh Adams, Gabe Hamer-Webb, and replacement Evan Lloyd saw the Blue and Blacks pick up their 19th consecutive win over the Dragons.

However, the question is was this an opportunity missed against United Rugby Championship play-off hopefuls in Cardiff?

1: It was all near yet so far for the bottom of the league side in the URC 

Backs coach Matt O’Brien said: “Difficult one to take, really. I thought we did a lot of good stuff in the game, but as you said, it’s all near yet so far.

“I think we probably lost some moments in terms of our discipline in the middle 30 minutes of the game, which ultimately probably cost us one or two tries, and then Cardiff were back in it then at 15-12. 

“So, yeah, I think we probably look back on that and there was definitely some decisions we made around our discipline which cost us.”

2: One of the standout head-to-heads on Thursday evening was between Wainwright and Faletau

“Yeah, it was great,” added O’Brien 

“There was some great matchups across the park really as there always is when we play Cardiff and I thought both players were pretty good tonight.

“Both got really strong carrying games and you know you saw with Aaron’s try at the start, it was, you know, an outstanding carry from him and yeah, I thought they were both pretty good tonight.”

 3: Absent Tiatia means O’Brien was in the hot seat for the first time

Interim head coach Filo Tiatia returned to New Zealand for family reasons as O’Brien led the way. This was agreed upon when he signed for the Men of Gwent, as Tiatia would return to New Zealand for his father’s 80th birthday. 

On being in charge for one game as Tiatia will be back for the New Year’s Day clash in Llanelli, O’Brien said: “Not much really changed for me, apart from having to come and do this interview now and speak to the press before the game. 

“But, yeah, no, the prep in the week and stuff was as normal, so not too much change, as I said.

 4: Rio Dyer really growing into this URC season after a standout performance

There were definitely some standout performers for the Dragons, including Ryan Woodman, who was of great value in the lineup, and Aaron Wainwright, who was a great asset in attack. However, Dyer looked like he was striving, and for the Dragons to involve him more is massive.

“Yeah definitely, we tried to get our wingers on the ball as much as we can, really, with Jared and Rio and trying to get them up towards, you know, 12, 15 touches a game,” O’Brien added. 

“So, there’s some things that are designed around getting them on the ball early and phase play, but, you know, they’ve got to be hungry and getting off their wing and looking for work as well.

“And I think they’re both starting to see a little bit more of the ball. Hopefully as our attack game grows over the next couple of months, we’ll see a lot more of that.

5: Up next is a trip down West for another Welsh Derby to begin 2025 

The Dragons will begin 2025 with a trip to the Parc y Scarlets as they face Dwayne Peel’s Scarlets side, who narrowly missed out on an away win to the Ospreys before Christmas (23-22).

On what he expects from the eighth-place side in the URC, O’Brien added: “We’ll see how the boys bodies pitch up on Saturday morning at training and then probably go from there, to be honest with you. 

“There’s some battle with bodies in there, but I think there’s a lot that we did that was good tonight and the boys will be really keen to get back on the field come New Year’s Day.

“But I think within the professional game recovery is massive and you know, if you’ve got a few more days to recover then it can only be a good thing. But you know on the flip side of that the boys will be chomping at the bit to get back out there, and you know, a New Year’s Day derby. 

“I think that’s enough to get rid of anyone’s aches and pains if they want to pop back. 

“Against the Scarlets we’re probably going to have to get most things right if we’re going to beat them and that’ll be the plan going into the game. I touched a little bit on discipline in the middle of the game which probably let us down a little bit today. So that’ll be a focus for us going into next week,” O’Brien concluded.

Cardiff RFC suffered their first home defeat of the season to old rivals Newport RFC. 

In the latest instalment of his historic derby, it was the Black and Ambers who were 27-20 victors at a cold and breezy Cardiff Arms Park. Tries from Ben Roach, Oli Andrew and Harri Ackerman with the boot of Player of the Match Jac Lloyd saw Newport claim their seventh win of the season as the Blue and Blacks remain in second. 

It was the hosts that claimed the opening points of the encounter as after 15 minutes the visitors were penalised, and Harri Wilde, who last weekend played for Wales U20’s in Merthyr, slotted the three. Then with both teams sharing possession, the first try of the game came just five minutes later. Outside-half Jac Lloyd attempted to kick in behind but after a block he successfully regathered and offloaded to Newport’s captain Ben Roach to cross the whitewash. Lloyd then added the extras as the Black and Ambers went into a 7-3 lead. 

Dan Fish’s men then responded quickly with a try of their own as Newport were penalised for not rolling away and Wilde kicked to touch. After a successful take at the lineout hooker, Alun Rees made a brilliant break and put the hosts metres out. With some pressure on the visitors defence, it was loose-head Marc Thomas who powered over for his second of the season. Wilde, on that occasion, was unable to add the extras as his shot deflected off the left upright.

Newport then regained the lead, as just after the half an hour mark, Oli Andrew showed some brilliant strength as he broke through the Blue and Blacks defence to crossover for the Black and Ambers second. Lloyd remained solid from the tee as he added the extras. Minutes later, Cardiff scored their second of the match and this came from continuous pressure. It was great vision from Harri Wilde who spread the ball quickly out wide for Joe Goodchild to crossover. This score also means that he has now scored 100 points for Cardiff RFC. Wilde had his shot deflect of the uprights yet again as Newport narrowly remained in front 14-13. Prior to halftime the hosts were then reduced to 14-men as Tom Harper was shown a yellow card. Then from the resulting penalty Jac Lloyd slotted another crucial three points in what was a tightly contested first half as Newport went in at the break 17-13 up.

HT: Cardiff 13-17 Newport 

There was no messing about from the Blue and Blacks to begin the second half as within the opening exchanges fullback, Josh Thomas crossed over on just his third appearance for Cardiff. This came from a switch in the direction of the hosts attack, and it was Harri Wilde who yet again spread the ball quickly out wide for Thomas to cross in the corner.

Wilde brilliantly added the extras as the Blue and Blacks went back in front. Harri Ackerman was next to score for the visitors as he managed to power his way over for the visitors third of the game. Lloyd added the extras again as Newport went back into a four-point lead on 46-minutes. Jac Lloyd then added another three points after the Blue and Blacks were penalised around the breakdown area. Harri Wilde had an opportunity just inside the visitor’s half to reduce the deficit but had his shot fell short.

And it was the same story for his opposite number as the Blue and Blacks were again penalised around the breakdown but had his shot go wide. Cardiff with the clock nearly in the red had several opportunities inside the visitors 22 but with the Black and Ambers defence being on point there was no way through as Cardiff fell to just their third defeat of the season. 

The pair will meet again next Saturday in Newport and the question will be repeat or revenge in the last game of the year for the Blue and Blacks.   

FT: Cardiff 20-27 Newport

Old rivals lock horns once again ahead of Christmas

Cardiff RFC return to the Cardiff Arms Park for their first home game of December as they take on Newport RFC tomorrow afternoon (16:45).

It was a tough day at the office last timeout for the Blue and Blacks as they suffered just their second defeat of the season away to Ebbw Vale. However, the Steelmen were made to work for it as tries from Edmund Anya and Alun Rees accompanied by the boot of Fraser Jones proved not to be enough.

Team News:

1.Marc Thomas

2. Alun Rees

3. Tom Harper

4. Craig Hudd

5. Ethan Phillips

6. Lucas de la Rua

7. Nathan Hudd

8. Aled Ward

9. Ethan Lloyd

10. Harri Wilde

11. Kodie Stone

12. Jason Harries

13. Elijah Evans

14. Joe Goodchild

15. Josh Thomas

Replacements:

16. Charlie Manship

17. Jarred Williams

18. Joe Cowell

19. Sean Moore

20. Benji Williams

21. Evan Rees

22. Sion Davies

23. Fraser Jones

Pre-Match Thoughts:

Ahead of the game tomorrow head coach, Dan Fish said: “A Christmas derby at home is a great way for us to get back on track.

“Great to have the Welsh 20’s boys back after their good win against Scotland last week. We have had a good training week and know we have to be switched on for the full 80 minutes against a good Newport team.

“Last home game of the year and we hope to go out on a bang,” Fish added.

Remember the last meeting at the Arms Park?

The last time these two met at the ‘CAP’ was back in November last year where it finished 26-15 in favour of the Black and Ambers. Both Harrison James and Luke Pollock crossed the whitewash with James converting five points from the tee.

However on that occasion it was his opposite number in Carwyn Penny who converted 16 of Newports 26 points from the tee. This was accompanied by tries from Lloyd Lewis and Ioan Davies who both start for Newport tomorrow.

Opposition form:

The Black and Ambers come into the game five points behind the Blue and Blacks in third place and have won 6 of their opening 8 games. They have recorded wins against Bridgend Ravens (41-22), Swansea (35-27), Aberavon (29-19), RGC 1404 (62-7), Carmarthen Quins (31-20) and Swansea (33-28).

Their only defeats of the season have come against fellow Gwent side Pontypool (17-14) and Llandovery (30-28).

For those unable to be at the Arms Park tomorrow afternoon you can stay up-to-date with updates via our social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram).