Reporter: Jacob Boothroyd
Cardiff University’s men pushed Met all the way in the hard-fought Clash, on a night that revealed the resilience and potential building within this group. Head coach Chris Davies left the Arms Park encouraged by what he saw, even after his side fell behind early.
“Positive really,” Davies said as he reflected on the performance. “Seventeen nil down was a bit of a tough climb for us, but the effort from the boys was tremendous. They problem solved in that game and managed to come back seventeen all at the half.” The comeback shifted the atmosphere entirely. Cardiff grew in confidence, tightened their structure and began dictating more phases of play.
Davies described the half-time message as simple but powerful. “We spoke about being positive and being bold and being brave, and I think we did that.” Cardiff carried that mindset onto the pitch, showing ambition in their attack and finding space wider out. But Davies was honest about what ultimately edged the game away from them. “Our downfall really was still discipline. It let Met into our twenty-two, and any team that gets entry into the twenty-two is difficult to stop.”
Despite the result, he rejected the idea that a single moment cost them. “I don’t think it went wrong. We came back to seventeen all. It’s the discipline in the middle third that afforded them opportunities to kick more and get those lineouts in the twenty-two.” He added that had they tightened that aspect sooner, the outcome may have been different.
Cardiff still produced some of the most exciting rugby of the match in the closing stages, scoring two late tries that reminded everyone of the attacking talent in the squad. Davies was quick to praise that spark. “You saw the two tries we scored towards the end. The kick pass Harrison has done, the skills he’s got, the feet of Jack Thomas. They’ve got that skill set and it’s just trying to unleash our super strength a little bit more.”
Fullback Jack Thomas, who came off the bench to score both tries, shared the sense of pride mixed with frustration. “To be honest we didn’t start as well as we wanted to. Slow start to the season probably got to us a little bit but getting back in the game was really good. We were happy up to that point, but we probably didn’t lose that game in the second half, we lost it in the first.”
His own impact wasn’t something he expected. “Didn’t think I’d get on as early as I did. Really unlucky Boothy (Tomi Booth) went off, but yeah, can’t complain with that, and we’ll try and take it into Durham next week.”
Attention quickly shifted to that upcoming trip. Thomas was confident about the challenge. “It’s a massive game, an alumni game for them, and the boys are really up for it. We spoke in our circle about how we need to have our eyes on that game because that’s a winnable game and we need to get on top of them.”
For Davies, belief is the next step. “They’re not a confident bunch and I just wish they were. They can produce really good stuff in good moments, and they need to know it.”
Cardiff may not have taken the win, but they walked away with momentum, clarity and a renewed sense of identity as they turn toward Durham.
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