Cardiff defeated Edinburgh 20-19 this evening in an intense battle at Cardiff Arms Park as they took another positive step forward in their URC season. Here are our top five takeaways:
Top Line
It was a fast start in the Welsh capital as the high-flying hosts came up against a Scottish side littered with international talent.
The visitors got first blood after just two minutes when Lewis Wells latched onto a searching kick to take Edinburgh into an early lead. Cardiff returned the favour just four minutes later through Johan Mulder before Charlie Shiel powered over from close range to regain the lead for the visitors.
In the topsy-turvy game, Josh Adams then created and finished a terrific Cardiff breakaway to draw level. But just as the Welsh looked as though they were settling the tide, Ewan Ashman dove over for another Edinburgh try to give his team a steady lead at the break.
The second half didn’t have any of the vigour of the first, despite kicking off with a try through Javan Sebastian just minutes after the restart. After this, neither side was able to put the game to bed, with the match remaining in the balance right up until the end.
As the game approached the business end, Ioan Lloyd sank a penalty to take Cardiff ahead and ultimately win the match as the hosts were able to hold on.
Handling errors
Despite the high scoring result, the defensive blitz from both sides caused huge problems in attack. Neither side was truly able to put together many clinical phases of play, with both Cardiff and Edinburgh relying on the superb work rate in the contact area to make ground.
Handling errors were rife under the high ball as well, with many unforced errors coming from the sky. Such was the inconsistency in handling that, although it was an intense match to watch, it proved frustrating for both sets of fans.
An eye on Wales
Taulupe Faletau was set to return to the Welsh camp, but his appearance back in the red may not come to fruition after he exited the field in just the fourth minute with injury. At 34 years old, and not getting any younger, any injuries sustained could have dire consequences on his international future.
Adams is another player who is on the wrong side of 30, but his chances of playing for Wales again have greatly improved after a tremendous performance for Cardiff this evening.
The scorer of arguably the try of the match, and one of the busiest defenders, Adams showed all the intelligence and physical ability that has so often made him one of the most feared wingers in world rugby.
Steve Tandy will be concerned by his exit in the 66th minute, however, after suffering a suspected injury in the tackle. He appeared to be brought off as a precaution more than anything, though, so he shouldn’t be too worried.
Lloyd also looked impressive as he marshalled the troops from number ten, proving to be a menace with both his footwork and his boot as he kept the wanting Edinburgh defence guessing. He has been trusted in the ten shirt for Wales in the past, and his performance on Saturday night will not have dented his chances of regaining the jersey.
Post-contact metres
With phase play sporadic, the hard runners needed to be effective with their carries. Edinburgh had an average of 3.4 post-contact metres compared to Cardiff’s 2.4, and also boasted a tackle completion rate of 94% compared to Cardiff’s 88%.
The statistics for both sides were at a fantastic level, particularly when compared to the Munster vs Connacht match where neither side managed to average more than one post-contact metre.
It goes to show that if either Cardiff or Edinburgh could tighten up their attacking phases and reduce the above-mentioned handling errors, they could both prove to be much more effective sides in the long run of the URC season.
Table
Cardiff move up to fourth place in the URC table, as they make it a remarkable four wins from five matches. This run of form comes at a time when Welsh rugby is at an all-time low, with news confirmed recently that the WRU will be reducing the professional regions from four teams to just three.
Cardiff sit just three points below the Stormers in first place and Munster in second, while they have drawn level with third place Glasgow on 20 points.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh drop to 11th as they scrabble around on one win alongside four other sides, but it is worth noting that they do have a game in hand on many of the sides. One win could take them up to seventh.