Cardiff pay for a slow start in Johannesburg
Cardiff paid for a slow start as they suffered a 37-20 United Rugby Championship defeat to the Lions in Johannesburg.
The hosts opened up a 24-6 lead in the opening 22 minutes at Emirates Airline Park, with Morne Van Den Berg touching down before Edwill Van Der Merwe crossed twice.
Pre-match expectations had been that Cardiff might wilt over the course of the 80 minutes due to their unfamiliarity with playing at such altitude, but the Welsh region grew into the encounter and closed the gap through Aled Summerhill and James Botham.
Their progress was hindered by a yellow card shown to Kristian Dacey shortly after the hour mark and the Lions, for whom Jordan Hendrikse kicked 17 points, held on for just their third URC win of the season, with Vincent Tshituka delivering the bonus point at the death.
Jarrod Evans – making his 100th Cardiff appearance – contributed 10 points from the tee.
Hendrikse wasted no time in putting pressure on Cardiff as he landed a 50:22 in the opening minute which led to the game’s first try.
Burger Odendaal was brought down just short of the line from the resulting line-out, but Van Den Berg was on hand to finish the job from close range.
Hendrikse converted and added a subsequent penalty, which was sandwiched between two three-pointers from Evans’ boot.
A second Lions try arrived when Van Der Merwe was sent diving over in the left corner after 14 minutes and he touched down again following neat build-up play eight minutes later, with Hendrikse adding the extras to both.
Cardiff had a Will Boyde try ruled out for obstruction but did get over in the 31st minute following some good running from Summerhill, and Evans split the posts to make it 24-13.
Hendrikse was off target with a penalty attempt in the last action of the first half and Cardiff made a fantastic start to the second, with the rampaging Botham touching down and Evans converting.
The Lions moved 10 points clear through a pair of Hendrikse penalties before Dacey saw yellow for making contact with the head of Reinhard Nothnagel.
Cardiff survived their period of numerical disadvantage, but Tshituka made it a maximum haul of five points for the Lions with a last-gasp try converted by Hendrikse.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments