Cardiff battle back to continue Dragons dominance

Wales wing Josh Adams missed the autumn internationals and summer series because of injury

United Rugby Championship

Dragons (15) 22

Tries: Wainwright, Dyer, R Williams Cons: A O'Brien 2 Pens: A O'Brien

Cardiff (5) 24

Tries: T Williams, Adams, Hamer-Webb, Lloyd Cons: Sheedy 2

Cardiff continued their decade of dominance against Dragons with a United Rugby Championship (URC) bonus-point victory in a festive derby in Newport.

Dragons opened up a 15-0 lead thanks to tries from Wales pair Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer, before Cardiff battled back with scores from Teddy Williams and wings Josh Adams and Gabriel Hamer-Webb.

Dragons scrum-half Rhodri Williams restored the home advantage with a try before Cardiff replacement hooker Evan Lloyd sealed victory with the bonus-point score.

It was a 20th successive league victory for Cardiff against Dragons in a record that now stretches back 10 years.

The Arms Park side have triumphed in 19 matches in all competitions in this head-to-head since a Challenge Cup defeat in April 2015.

The victory lifts Cardiff to third in the URC table, while Dragons remain rooted to the bottom after a seventh successive league defeat.

Dragons' early roar

Dragons were without interim head coach Filo Tiatia, who missed the game after returning home to attend his father's 80th birthday.

Tiatia, who had taken over the interim head coach role following Dai Flanagan's departure, had been given permission to travel to New Zealand for Christmas.

Backs coach Matt O'Brien took charge with his younger brother, captain and fly-half Angus, leading the side out on 100th appearance for the side, while centre Ben Thomas skippered Cardiff in the absence of Liam Belcher.

There was a mouth-watering battle of Wales number eights Wainwright and Taulupe Faletau, who was forced off temporarily in the first half with a blood injury.

Wainwright made the first major impression with a charging run from a well-worked line-out to score.

O'Brien converted and added a penalty before Wainwright lost his boot in another charge at the Cardiff defence.

Faletau launched his opposite number's boot into the Rodney Parade stands but in the same move, O'Brien's cross kick was well controlled by Dyer with the Wales wing scoring his first Dragons try in his ninth league game this season.

Cardiff were shell-shocked. Their scrum was continually penalised, the line-out was being picked off by Dragons makeshift lock Ryan Woodman and general indiscipline was punished by referee Adam Jones.

The visitors finally responded with a try for Wales lock Williams as Dragons' advantage was cut to 10 points at half-time.

Cardiff battle back

Wales wing Adams showed his class early in the second half with his fourth try in three games as he scythed through the Dragons defence from a first phase scrum move.

Tempers flared with a melee between both sides that ended with a Dragons penalty before the hosts brought on two Wales internationals on from the replacements bench.

Hooker Elliot Dee made his first appearance of the season after recovering from an ankle problem, while flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes came on against his old side, less than three weeks after having a finger amputated.

Their introduction did not stem the tide with a flowing move releasing wing Hamer-Webb to dive over in the left hand corner.

Dragons were rattled, but regrouped and capitalised on incessant pressure for scrum-half Williams to burrow over.

Cardiff did not panic and their patience paid off when replacement hooker Lloyd was driven over following a series of line-outs for the decisive score.

What they said

Dragons attack coach Matt O'Brien: "It's a difficult one to take. I thought there was a lot of good stuff in the game, but so near, yet so far.

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

"I think we probably look back on that and there were some decisions we made around discipline which cost us."

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt: "You always have to work hard here. It's a tough place to come.

"It's as tough as I've seen it today. A full house, booed off the pitch after the warm-up, which is brilliant.

"It's what a derby is all about. It was a good advert for the league and Welsh rugby, two teams and sets of fans going at each other for 80 minutes.

"We're just pleased to come out on the right side of the result. "

Line-ups

Dragons: Anderson; Dyer, Westwood, Owen, J Rosser; A O'Brien (capt), R Williams; Martinez, Coghlan, Arhip, J Davies, Woodman, Lydiate, Basham, Wainwright.

Replacements: Dee, Seiuli, Latu, N Thomas, Lewis-Hughes, Hope, Reed, C Evans

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Lee-Lo, B Thomas (capt), Hamer-Webb; Sheedy, A Davies; Domachowski, Hughes, Assiratti, McNally, T Williams, Botham, Mann, Faletau.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, Litterick, S Davies, Lawrence, Bevan, Jennings, Bowen.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)

Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear & Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

TMO: Keith David (WRU)