-Credit: (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Cardiff turned it around in the second-half against the Cheetahs to get their first win in the Challenge Cup, as Josh Adams crossed twice in a 26-10 victory at the Arms Park.
The Welsh side had trailed at half-time in a lacklustre affair, with only Adams’ try to show for a half in which they were constantly on the back-foot.
However, 21 unanswered points in the second-half – including a second score for man of the match Adams and one for Tom Bowen on his senior debut – sealed the victory for Matt Sherratt’s side and kickstarted their European campaign.
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The Blue and Blacks now travel to Perpignan in January, before finishing the pool stages with Connacht at the Arms Park as they bid to reach the knockout stages.
After picking up just one bonus point in Lyon last week, the Arms Park side moved up to second in Pool 1 thanks to a bonus-point victory over South African opposition in the Welsh capital – even if the performance was far from perfect.
In a major boost to Cardiff and Wales, Taulupe Faletau managed 52 minutes on his return after eight months out through injury, with the No. 8 showing some nice touches throughout.
The Cheetahs had come into this one fired up, but spent much of the first quarter treating the wounded. The South African side lost back-row duo Gideon van der Merwe and Oupa Mohoje, as well as centre Ali Mgijima, to injury before the 20-minute mark.
Despite those early blows, the Cheetahs dominated the first-half – pinning back Cardiff in their half for much of the opening 40. With the wind against them, Cardiff made just shy of 100 tackles in the first-half.
Despite the Cheetahs’ dominance, it was Cardiff who first troubled the scorers. Wales wing Adams dotted down after 17 minutes, following a flowing move from Cardiff’s own 22.
Debutant Bowen found space down the left wing to move Cardiff into the Cheetahs’ half, before slick handling from Ben Thomas and Teddy Williams helped Cardiff spread it to the other touchline. From there, a dummy and sidestep got Adams past a couple of defenders around the fringes to race over for the opening try.
The visitors still kept Cardiff trapped in their own half, with James Botham doing well to hold up Friedle Olivier after the replacement back-row forced his way over the line.
However, the Wales flanker was helpless to stop the away side minutes later, when slick handling between wings Munier Hartzenberg and Cohen Jasper helped the former charge towards the Cardiff line.
Botham got back to drag him down, but not before the wing somehow got an offload away to scrum-half Ruben de Haas in support to score.
Ethan Wentzel kicked the conversion, before nudging over a long-range penalty to move the Cheetahs further ahead. Cardiff had a chance to score just before the break, only for the visitors to hold up Faletau over the line.
The second-half saw Cardiff again turn on the style to cross the whitewash from deep. A tip-on pass from Corey Domachowski put captain Liam Belcher through a gap, allowing the hooker to race away into the Cheetahs’ half.
Belcher was dragged down after going it alone for 40 or so metres, but Cardiff kept their composure to spread the ball wideto Bowen. And the 18-year-old showed poise and vision far beyond his years, stepping back inside to somehow find a way to the line for a debut try.
Back in front, Sherratt made changes, with Belcher, Faletau and Botham all brought off. And one of the replacements, Wales back-row Alex Mann, broke through a tackle to set up Adams’ second score – with Wales full-back Cameron Winnett acting as the link-man to give the try-scoring pass.
After some consistent pressure in the Cheetahs’ 22, Cardiff earned the bonus point when a powerful driving maul was stopped illegally, with referee Eoghan Cross awarding the penalty try. He also sent replacement tighthead prop Rob Hunt to the sin-bin, having initially carded former Ospreys loanee Jeandre Rudolph in a case of mistaken identity.
Adams might have had a hat-trick, only for Rory Jenning’s crossfield kick not to stick as the game broke up. Rather than pull further ahead, the final minutes became increasingly scrappy – but it mattered little as Cardiff safely secured the victory.