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CARDIFF RUGBY 24 – 21 OSPREYS

Cardiff Rugby made the most of the Ospreys indiscipline as they picked up their first win over their Welsh regional rivals in Cardiff since 2007 to stay in contention for a top eight finish in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Their latest victory moved them up to fourth in a very congested table before the other teams pushing for a play-off place play on Saturday.

The Ospreys now have little or no chance of making the top eight and will have to beat the Scarlets in Bridgend on 6 May to overtake Cardiff at the top of the Welsh Shield table to get something out of their season.

A disastrous night on the discipline front for the Ospreys began when wing Dan Kasende was shown a 20-minute red card in the first half for leading with his elbow as tried to fend of Callum Sheedy. There were further yellow cards for centre Owen Watkin and outside half Dan Edwards as the visitors played almost half the game with fewer than 15 players on the field.

Cardiff forwards Liam Belcher and Josh McNally were also shown yellow cards in a match that was rarely 15v15 for the 12,036 crowd to savour.

Cardiff scored tries through lock Rory Thornton, captain Belcher and flanker Dan Thomas, while Callum Sheedy kicked nine points. Ospreys centre Keiran Williams scored a first half try, while late scores from full-back Jack Walsh and Edwards set up a dramatic finale.

Te win for the home side backed up their comeback victory over the Scarlets a week earlier and means they now have two games left – Glasgow Warriors away on Friday 8 May and Stormers at home on 15 May – to try to remain in the top eight.

There was plenty of action right from the start a Ospreys wing Luke Morgan had to be temporarily replaced after taking a blow to the face and Belcher was shown a yellow card for an illegal clear-out on Morgan Morris.

Sheedy gave Cardiff the lead with a penalty before Kasende picked up his initial yellow card that was upgraded to a 20-minute red. Thornton then drove over for a try that saw Watkin pick up his yellow.

That meant the Ospreys were down to 13 players, as well as 10-0 behind on the scoreboard, yet they rallied before the break. A break by Edwards paved the way for Williams to cross and the Wales No 10 to converted to make it 10-7 at half time.

Edwards then turned from saint to sinner in the second half as he went to the sin bin for a deliberate knock on. Cardiff went for the jugular and conjured up tries from Belcher and Thomas to stretch their lead to 24-7.

Replacement prop Cam Jones set up Walsh for a try at the posts that Edwards improved to give the Ospreys some hope. Then McNally picked up his yellow card for a deliberate knock on five minutes from time.

A try and conversion from Edwards brought the visitors to within three points with less than three minutes left to play, but it was not to be for them in the end.

TEAMS

Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Jacob Beetham, Ben Thomas, Rory Jennings, Tom Bowen; Callum Sheedy, Mulder; Rhys Barratt, Liam Belcher (captain), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, Rory Thornton, Alun Lawrence, Dan Thomas, Taine Basham
Reps: Dafydd Hughes, Dan Southworth, Kieron Assiratti, George Nott, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann, Ellis Bevan, Ioan Lloyd

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Owen Watkin, Keiron Williams, Luke Morgan; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Steff Thomas, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Ryan Smith, James Ratti, Jac Morgan (captain), Morgan Morris
Reps: Efan Daniel, Cam Jones, Ben Warren, Huw Sutton, Ross Moriarty, Harri Deaves, Kieran Hardy, Max Nagy

Referee: Christopher Allison (South Africa)