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Jarrod Evans helps Cardiff Blues inflict more misery on woeful Ospreys

By Online Editors
Cardiff Blues' Jarrod Evans is getting his big chance with Wales

A try from outside-half Jarrod Evans helped Cardiff Blues register their first win in Swansea for 14 years as the Ospreys woeful form continued with a 19-16 Guinness PRO14 Welsh derby defeat at the Liberty Stadium.

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Despite Blues receiving three yellow cards to Filo Paulo, Tomos Williams and Josh Adams, Ospreys crashed to their 11th defeat out of 12 matches this season.

Evans provided 11 points – a try and two penalties – with replacement Jason Tovey kicking two penalties and a conversion.

Ospreys had a penalty try with Marty McKenzie providing three penalties but even the presence of Justin Tipuric returning as captain could not spark the region.

Scott Otten made his 100th Ospreys appearance as one of six changes from the 40-27 loss against Racing 92 in the European Champions Cup.

Cardiff Blues handed wing Adams his PRO14 debut, although they were still without injured flanker Josh Navidi.

Ospreys ended the first half 10-6 up, with Blues having received two yellow cards and playing with 13 men for the final nine minutes of the half.

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It was a cagey derby dominated by kicking in the opening exchanges, with McKenzie opening the scoring with a penalty goal on five minutes following a collapsed scrum.

But Blues went into the lead with two Evans penalties after 20 and 26 minutes as Ospreys struggled for the form which has eluded them for almost the entire season.

Their cause was not helped when McKenzie rattled the upright with a penalty attempt before Ospreys finished the half the stronger.

First Paulo was sin-binned for tackling Hanno Dirksen off the ball and then, more crucially, Williams went to the bin as referee Dan Jones awarded Ospreys a penalty try after the scrum-half had high tackled Dan Lydiate as he went for the line.

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Matters were not going Blues’ way and that continued when Evans missed a kickable penalty in the final minute of the first half.

Blues suffered their third yellow nine minutes into the second half, with Adams sent to the bin for a professional foul allowing McKenzie to kick his second penalty.

But gradually Blues, who made some key substitutions including the injection of Olly Robinson, Tovey and Hallam Amos, eased into the lead through a Tovey penalty and a try for Evans who latched on to an inventive chip from scrum-half Williams.

McKenzie managed to level the scores at 16-16 with a 64th-minute penalty, but Tovey’s penalty goal after 74 minutes proved the decisive score.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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