By Paul Jones
Mark Jones paid tribute to the Ospreys’ fighting spirit as they put Cardiff’s recent revival into sharper perspective with a deserved 13-13 draw at the Arms Park.
The new Ospreys coach watched his team come from behind to level the scores and eventually leave feeling they should have won, despite playing most of the match with only 14 men.
It was a typical derby with defences on top for most of the game. With a red card to Ospreys second row James Fender and two yellow cards to Cardiff forwards Teddy Williams and Rhys Litterick punctuating play, both teams struggled to convert pressure into points.
But the Ospreys reminded their rivals that despite the big gap between them in the URC table, it is the Swansea side who remain the dominant team in Wales.
Cardiff have beaten their rivals just once in their last seven meetings.
@URCOfficial reaction: Ospreys draw 13-13 away to Cardiff after playing half the match with 14 men
21 yr old flyhalf Dan Edwards scored all their points including a tryCoach Mark Jones spoke to @BBCSportWales #Rugby #Cardiff #Ospreys #Wales pic.twitter.com/euWqsMcwPZ
— Nick Webb (@nickwebb2017) January 1, 2025
Jones said: “I’m very happy with the fight and the quality the players showed after the red card but we’re all frustrated with the result.
“We didn’t take our opportunities in the game, especially right at the end. We have nailed those moments in the past but we didn’t today.
“We had to reorganise after the red but we felt keeping a full pack was the way we could win the game. It was a risk but I think it paid off.”
Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt said: “It’s a difficult one to judge. I really thought we would kick on after the sending off and get a bonus point in the second half. So it feels like two points dropped.
“But we gave away far too many penalties so the game meandered from one set-piece to another and got away from us.
“When you consider we held them up over the line at the end, then we’re pleased with the draw.”
The home side began the game third in the league, giving Wales U20 outside back Louis Hennessey a first start.
The young Bath centre was instrumental in the opening score of the match. Forwards and backs were involved as Cardiff drove into the Ospreys defence. Flanker James Botham had the honour of scoring the first try of 2025 after Hennessey was used as a decoy in the lineout.
Clear cut chances were at a premium but the Ospreys thought they had finally broken their deadlock after a searing break from impressive scrum half Reuben Morgan-Williams.
A crucial try and a steady boot in a hearty Ospreys performance
Dan Edwards is your BKT United Rugby Championship player of the match #TogetherAsOne pic.twitter.com/hpdHEsZzro
— Ospreys (@ospreys) January 1, 2025
He off-loaded to Dan Edwards who kept the move going. The ball was recycled but Morgan Morris had the ball stripped by Gabe Hamer-Webb in the act of scoring.
The Ospreys were living off scraps but only found themselves down by five points. They went close again but a rush of blood from full back saw Max Nagi knock the ball on after taking a quick tap, which caught his own side as well as Cardiff by surprise.
Edwards eventually put the Ospreys on the board with a 35m penalty in a game where both sides lacked shape in attack.
Fender saw red two minutes from the break for a croc roll on Dan Thomas which handed the home side a numerical advantage for the second half.
With clear cut chances few and far between the game took another twist when Williams received a yellow card on 50 minutes.
Post Match Interview ️
The thoughts of head coach Matt Sherratt after our draw with Ospreys at the Arms Park this afternoon. #AlwaysCardiff pic.twitter.com/n4PO7pWmiW
— Cardiff Rugby (@Cardiff_Rugby) January 1, 2025
Edwards stamped his class on the game when he beat Cardiff’s drift defence with dancing feet, before accelerating through to score next to the posts. His conversion put the Ospreys 10-5 ahead.
Cardiff hit back when the home side moved through the gears for Dafydd Hughes to rumble over to level the scores at 10-10.
In a cagey affair, Litterick was then sin binned – Edwards landed the resultant penalty from 35 metres to put the visitors back in front.
However, immediately from the restart, Josh Adams isolated Edwards with the ball to hand Ben Thomas an easy chance to level the scores.
In the dying moments, the Ospreys searched for the winning score and only a diving last-ditch tackle from Hughes on Lewis Lloyd by the corner flag denied the hooker a match winning score.
