Jacob Boothroyd, Tomos Smallwood
Cardiff University got their BUCS Super Rugby campaign off to a flying start on Wednesday night with a 41-7 bonus-point win over Swansea at Llanrumney, a dominant response to last year’s 31-38 defeat in the same fixture. Winger Oliver Das was key in shifting momentum, scoring twice in quick succession after a slow opening spell and setting the tone for the remainder of the performance.
Reflecting on his hat-trick and the team’s response, Das emphasised the squad’s hunger to move beyond last season’s struggles. “What a way to start,” he said. “Last season was disheartening-pushing out of relegation isn’t really where we want to be-but the boys are eager. We’re taking it one step and one game at a time.” With a bumper crowd expected for next week’s Cardiff derby at the Arms Park, Das was unfazed: “It’s a completely different environment. We know what we need to do and what we can do. Bring it on.”
Cardiff head coach Chris Davies was in good spirits following his side’s dismantling of Swansea. However, he refused to get carried away, highlighting Cardiff’s struggles in the first 20 minutes of the game and praising Swansea’s physicality. Davies praised his side’s refusal to take their foot off the gas, with Cardiff continuing to pile pressure on the visitors until the final whistle despite their commanding advantage.
When comparing the game to last season’s defeat in the same fixture, Davies labelled his side’s defence as ‘Incredible’. Davies once again spoke about the mentality of his team, using the word ‘Exceptional’ to describe the players’ desire to play for each other. Cardiff survived heavy pressure from Swansea during the early stages of the contest, defending valiantly until opening the scoring against the run of play, going on to take control of the game
Speaking about the upcoming big game, Davies stressed the importance of drawing a line under the side’s big win today, expressing his desire to ‘get stuck in’ to work ahead of the much-anticipated fixture. Cardiff won the fixture last time the two squared off in the infamous ‘Cardiff Clash’ and will be hoping to repeat that success next week.
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