By Hollie Baker
Cardiff claimed a hard-fought win against a dogged Nottingham side at Llanrhymney, holding off a late surge from the visitors to take the points.
The match was won in the first half, with Cardiff starting strongly and taking the lead after just two minutes as Max Truby crossed the white line for the opening try. Jack Thomas soon followed with a try of his own, with both conversions successfully slotted by Llew O’Brien. Cardiff could hardly have hoped for a better start.
The visitors hit back with a converted try following a period of sustained pressure. A pulsating passage of play then saw Cardiff cross again, this time through Owen Popple, after a kick to the corner and dominant work from the Cardiff pack.
Prop Josh Twigg crossed for another Cardiff try before the break, although, incredibly, O’Brien missed a kick for the first time this season. Cardiff went into half-time with a commanding 26–7 lead.
Nottingham wasted no time after the restart, scoring within four minutes of the second half to reduce the deficit to 26–14.
Cardiff steadied the ship when Tom Unsworth crossed to restore their 19-point lead at 33–14. The inside centre continues to enjoy a strong start to the season.
The momentum shifted when Truby was shown a yellow card with 14 minutes remaining. With Cardiff down to 14 men, Nottingham capitalised, scoring to close the gap to 33–21.
Substitute Oliver Desforge Cengarle soon followed Truby to the sin bin, setting up a nervy finish for the home side. With a minute remaining, Nottingham crossed again, and a superb conversion brought the score to 33–28.
Cardiff kept their cool under pressure, forcing an infringement from the visitors and allowing O’Brien to kick a penalty in the dying seconds to extend the lead.
Nottingham added a late penalty of their own, ensuring a tense finish to an entertaining contest.
