cardiff university rugby

Reporter: Dewi Williams

Cardiff University 69 – 0 Swansea University

After a late change of venue, a momentous victory at the Principality Stadium saw Cardiff victorious at this year’s Varsity match. 

The victory saw Cardiff win the Welsh Varsity match for the 11th time since it’s inception in 1997. 

With Swansea sending the majority of their first team players to West London for the BUCS Super Rugby relegation playoff against Brunel University, Cardiff’s label as favourites was certainly justified by the final whistle.

It didn’t take long for the scoreboard to start ticking in the Principality Stadium, as openside Owen Popple crossed over the line in the fifth minute after a beautiful cross field kick from Harrison James and an equally elegant offload from winger Sam Plumer. Cardiff 5 – 0 Swansea.

After some promising play from Swansea, a penalty against them in midfield saw fullback Antoine Lere tap quickly, with the ball making its way out to Mason Archer on the wing, before a moment of wizardry from scrum half George Macdonald. A sublime set up from the Cardiff scrum half, dropping the ball onto the outside of his boot, catching his own grubber, and getting the ball away to flanker Owen Popple who went under the posts for his second of the game. After ten minutes the score Cardiff 12 – 0 Swansea.

Swansea had periods of encouraging play in the following 15 minutes, going through multiple phases in attack before eventually losing the ball in the Cardiff twenty-two or near the Cardiff try line. Inaccuracy proved to be a reoccurring theme for the team in green for the rest of the match. 

Following a quieter period of play with neither team able to convert their chances, a loose ball near the Cardiff twenty-two saw the Cardiff backs get the ball out to fullback Lere, who broke down the left wing. With good support from the backline, the ball eventually found itself in centre Lloyd McEwan-Peters’ hands as he darted for the corner, before getting the ball back to Lere who dotted the ball down under the sticks. Cardiff 19 – 0 Swansea.

A stroke before halftime, another moment of magic from George Macdonald once again. After a low driven kick from inside his own half, the scrum half sprinted after the ball, pouncing on the ball ahead of the Swansea winger as it crossed the whitewash. As both teams headed back down the tunnel at half time, the score stood at Cardiff 24 – 0 Swansea.

It seems that Cardiff were hungry for more as they returned to the pitch after half time, with Sam Plumer scoring his first of the match after a break down the left wing from outside centre Joe Blackburn in the 41st minute. A successful conversion from Harrison James saw Cardiff extend their lead to 31 points.

After a sharp strike move off the back of a Swansea scrum, the last pass found itself on the turf, with replacement scrum half Finn Charles hoofing the ball downfield. A chase and some footballing skills from replacement Ellis Davies saw him cross the line, with Harrison James adding the extras, extending the lead once again. Cardiff 38 – 0 Swansea.

Despite the scoreline, Swansea showed plenty of character. Following some gutsy defence from Swansea in their own twenty-two, holding the ball up in their own goal area, eventually the ball found itself in Cardiff hands once again. Finn Charles got close to the line as a result of a cheeky snipe round the fringe of a ruck, with replacement James Smith finishing off the try. With 20 minutes left to play, the score stood at Cardiff 45 – 0 Swansea.

The following ten minutes saw some quality play from Cardiff, with winger Mason Archer crossing the line off the back of a seemingly flawed tap penalty. 5 minutes later, the ball was worked wide after some heavy phases up front, with Sam Plumer diving over the line for his second. With replacement Oscar Van Deventer taking up the kicking duties, the score with ten minutes left on the clock was Cardiff 57 – 0 Swansea. 

The closing minutes of the game were largely dominated by Swansea, with most of their possession inside the Cardiff twenty-two. Unfortunately, once again their inaccuracy and ill-discipline sold them just short, with the visitors unable to get on the scoreboard. Tries in the last two minutes from Rob Nixon and Lloyd McEwan-Peters brought the game to a close, with a final score of Cardiff 69 – 0 Swansea. 

After a whopping 11 tries for Cardiff in the capital, the cup was theirs to lift at the end of this years Welsh Varsity match. Despite the guts and effort of the weakened Swansea side, Cardiff’s quality and ruthlessness proved to be too tough a challenge for the visitors. Perhaps not the spectacle typical of a Welsh Varsity match, but a spectacle nonetheless, with the men in red running rampant on the hallowed turf of the Principality Stadium.