In a must-win match for both sides playoff hopes, the Blues execution would be the difference as they would run in six tries to three against their Swansea-based rivals in the Judgement Day opener.
Gabriel Hamer-Webb will take the plaudits running in a well-taken hat-trick, whilst flanker Alex Mann and a penalty try for Matt Sherratt’s side would see Cardiff earn a bonus-point win.
Ospreys centre Keiran Williams had opened the scoring with an early first-half try but poor execution would cost the Swansea-based region before further efforts from replacements Will Spencer and Kieran Hardy led to a grandstand finish.
Mark Jones’ side would be within three points with three minutes remaining to seal an unlikely win, but two late Cardiff scores sealed a victory which takes Cardiff into sixth place in the URC table and all but ends Ospreys play-off hopes for the season.
Cardiff started the afternoon three points ahead of the Ospreys in the table, just shy of the top eight, and the early signs were that the Ospreys, even without key forwards Adam Beard, Rhys Davies, Justin Tipuric and Morgan Morris would add to their run of seven victories in the last nine in all competitions under Jones.
Cardiff lock Teddy Williams early sin-bin offense for a high tackle on Dan Edwards presented them with a golden chance which they took with both hands to take the lead.
Wales captain Jac Morgan would muscle through the Cardiff defence, only to be dragged down short, but would feed scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams to tee up centre Williams to dive under the posts.
That was as good as it got for the Ospreys in the first-half as Cardiff began to take charge of the contest with clinical execution in the Ospreys twenty-two. Back-row Mann levelling the scoreline appearing from a cluster of players to force his way over the line following several phases of sustained play.
Hamer-Webb was next to the scoresheet shortly after, cutting inside to finish a smart move after Cam Winnett’s long pass had opened up the Ospreys defence.
A flowing move then would see the same player add to the Ospreys woes finishing after evading several last-gasp tackles to grab his second of the day.
Cardiff would then have the bonus point in the bag five minutes before half-time. Hamer-Webb’s chip through putting the Ospreys defence under pressure, with Mann on hand to finish off Ben Thomas’ pinpoint cross field kick.
The Ospreys set out to reel Cardiff back in after the break, with their cause helped after Mann was sin-binned for a no-arms late hit on Morgan-Williams but struggled to find a cutting edge and the Cardiff defence staunch.
With the clock ticking down though, the Ospreys set up a grandstand finish with a break from Keelan Giles seeing the Ospreys wing create space for replacement lock Spencer to be in the right place at the right time to race over.
With the Ospreys pushing, Cardiff centre Harri Millard would then be the latest to be sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on and from the resulting penalty Hardy would squeeze through to give the travelling fans hope of a comeback.
It would be short-lived as a penalty try and then a hat-trick score from Hamer-Webb in the dying seconds put the seal on the Cardiff win and a disappointing afternoon for the Ospreys who would leave the game pointless.
Ospreys XV:
Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams
Gareth Thomas, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, James Fender, James Ratti, Tristan Davies, Jac Morgan (captain), Morgan Morse.
Replacements:
Dewi Lake, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Will Spencer, Lewis Lloyd, Kieran Hardy, Owen Williams, Iestyn Hopkins.
Cardiff XV:
Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Gabriel Hamer-Webb; Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder
Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (captain), Keiron Assiratti, Ben Donnell, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, James Botham, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements:
Evan Lloyd, Danny Southworth, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Alun Lawrence, Thomas Young, Aled Davies, Rory Jennings.
[Lead image: Huw Fairclough]
