Cardiff Thrown Off The Rails By Champions Glasgow In Chaotic Arms Park Clash

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Cardiff Thrown Off The Rails By Champions Glasgow In Chaotic Arms Park Clash

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By David Williams

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt admitted his team had been on a rollercoaster ride that eventually ended with them thrown off the track by Glasgow.

The Arms Park club had their moments, but were often a defensive shambles as they were eventually hammered 52-26 in front of their own fans.

The United Rugby Championship title-holders were too slick and powerful as they ran in eight tries.

Cardiff scored five of their own, but it was helter-skelter stuff – a fairground ride without boundaries or control and it was Sherratt’s men who ended up getting hurt.

Some supporters will rave about seeing a match that featured 13 tries, but it was mostly low intensity defending that created the glut of scores

“It was a rollercoaster of a game and a difficult one to manage with players getting injured and going down to 14,” said Sherratt.

“I told the players at half time not to chase the 21-point deficit because we just needed to score first to help change momentum.

“The period before half time was disappointing, but you have to credit the players because that could have got messy.”

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith said: “We made a nine changes this week and we’re still pulling everyone together at the start of this season.

“You can’t excuse some errors, but we showed some moments of individual brilliance to score a lot of points.

“We got rattled at one point in the second half, but I’d rather win that way than lose.”

Cardiff’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end as Glasgow earned a bonus-point victory.

Sherratt’s side welcomed the reigning URC champions to Cardiff Arms Park full of confidence after opening the season with victories over Zebre and Scarlets.

But they eventually had to settle for just a try bonus point in a game that produced 13 tries.

Glasgow made the ideal start with the game’s first score after just six minutes when Jamie Dobie burst through a gap in the Cardiff defence to score. Tom Jordan converted.

Cardiff soon drew level. Dobie pulled his leg back to kick clear from close to the Glasgow goal-line and was pushed over by Dan Thomas, with the flanker diving on the loose ball to score. Callum Sheedy added the extras.

It soon got better for the hosts as they forged in front. The ball was worked through hands from the back of the scrum, with Ben Thomas feeding Cam Winnett to forge over the line.

Cardiff did not have the lead for long, however. A powerful burst forward from Sione Tuipulotu carried Glasgow into dangerous territory, and when play was recycled, Kyle Rowe breezed through two tacklers to reach the line.

Jordan failed to convert but atoned with an individual intercept try. The fly-half grabbed Sheedy’s attempted pass in the Glasgow half before running 70 metres for a try that he converted.

Warriors were now well on top and Tuipulotu barged over Sheedy before running around three defenders to land Glasgow’s fourth try and with it the bonus point before half-time.

Cardiff were struggling to contain the champions and soon conceded a fifth score when Jordan fed Huw Jones who strolled over. Jordan again converted.

Cardiff made five changes at half-time and soon reaped the benefits when Ed Byrne broke through after numerous pick-and-go forays close to the Glasgow line. Tinus de Beer added the extras.

The Welsh side grew in confidence and another thrilling team move concluded with Millard teeing up Mackenzie Martin to touch down and land Cardiff’s bonus point.

De Beer again converted and then knocked over a penalty to draw his team to within four points. Matt Fagerson’s maul try – converted by Jordan – stretched Warriors’ advantage only for it to be cancelled out by Ben Donnell’s scrambled try that de Beer converted.

It was breathless stuff and Rowe claimed his second score after a powerful run from Jack Dempsey carried Glasgow into scoring range. This time Duncan Weir added the extras before setting up Jordan for his second score and Glasgow’s eighth to round off a classic encounter.

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