By David Williams
Cardiff Met have been forced to put up the ‘Sold Out’ signs a day ahead of their BUCS Super Rugby ‘Cardiff Clash’ with their noisy-neighbours Cardiff University on Wednesday, 5 October.
More than 4,000 tickets were sold in the space of 10 days for the derby game at the Arms Park, putting the fixture on a par with attendances at the Dragons and Ospreys so far this season.
Last season, the two Welsh capital universities clashed three times, with a mere five points splitting the two teams across the three fixtures.
Cardiff Met came out on top in each game, winning two by a single point, including an epic quarter-final, and another by three points.
“They were all very close games last season and we know it’s going to take a huge effort to turn those near misses into a victory,” said Cardiff University director of rugby, Alan Flowers.
“We all know how good Cardiff Met are from the top down and in games of small margins you have to take your chances. We’ve lost a couple of players with injuries from our bonus-point win in Bath last week, but everyone is going to be up for this game.
“With a 4,000-strong crowd singing and chanting it is going to be a case of which side handles the occasion best.
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“It has all the ingredients to be another great game of rugby and I’m sure it will showcase everything that is good about BUCS Super Rugby.”
As well as being the biggest BUCS crowd to date in Wales since Super Rugby was introduced, it is also the first at which the students have been charged for admission at the Arms Park.
Such has been the demand that Cardiff Rugby agreed to raise the capacity to 4,000 and it didn’t take long for the game to sell-out.
Joe Cowell’s Cardiff Met side were beaten in the semi-finals by Exeter University last season – the team they meet in Round 3 – and they opened this season’s account with a 42-30 win at St Helen’s over Swansea University last week.
Meanwhile, Cardiff University were triumphing 22-21 at Bath with a try in the last move of the game.
“It was amazing to kick-off with that win in Swansea, especially as we were down at half-time. Now we’ve got the ‘Cardiff Clash’ to look forward to at a sold-out Arms Park,” said Met skipper Cowell.
“The boys who played in any of the three games against Cardiff University last season will know how tough it is going to be and what to expect. We just want to go out there and express ourselves, play some entertaining and free-flowing rugby and get another win.”
TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT! 😮💨
Unbelievable scenes Jeff. Unbelievable! 🏹#CardiffClash #ArcherFamily @cardiffmetrfc @CMetSport @CMetSportTV @BUCSSuperRugby @CardiffMetSU https://t.co/9g8a9NDipw— Cardiff Met SU Sport (@CMetSUSport) October 3, 2022
Wales U20 centre and Dragons Academy star Joe Westwood, who is in his first year at Cyncoed, gets the nod for his first start at this level having come on as a replacement at St Helen’s.
He joins the powerful South African Bingo Ivanesivic in the midfield, while USA U20 lock Brandon Harvey is in the second row.
Cardiff Academy forwards Theo Bevacqua and Gwilym Evans appear up front for Cardiff University, although they will be missing the experience of flanker Greg Ramage, who picked up a head knock at Bath.
“We showed our resilience last week at Swansea in a game in which we didn’t really know what to expect as it was the first game in this season’s competition,” said Cardiff Met head coach, Ian Gardner.
“Cardiff Uni are always very physical and well prepared and it has all the making of another very close contest. No team ever really dominates in a local derby, as the three games last season proved.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, in #BUCSSuperRugby, anything can happen. 🔥
Quite the statement on opening week from new boys @UNRUC_ 🔝👀 pic.twitter.com/kCqBe6tguQ
— BUCS Super Rugby (@BUCSSuperRugby) September 30, 2022
“It is fantastic that so many tickets have been sold and what we are all hoping for is another great rugby spectacle.”
Meanwhile, Hugh Gustafson takes his Swansea University side to the Midlands to face newly promoted Nottingham University in Round 2. They got off to a flying start with their 31-15 home win over Leeds Beckett last week
Cardiff Met: Oliver Gibbon; Jake Thomas, Joe Westwood, Bingo Ivanesivic, Roma Zheng; Brad Roderick-Evans, Rory Morgan; Joe Cowell (captain), Tyler Olding, Eliot Salt, Brandon Harvey, Barny Langton, Jack Wickham, Ewan Guy, Jake Bond
Reps: Gabe Mead, Dai O-Manteaw, Math I-Scott, Barnaby Waddell, Ardal Yallop, Ali Stacey, Ethan Morgan, Dafydd Tiueti
Cardiff University: Felix Gilbert; Max Ashton, Luke Pollock (captain), Oscar DeVenter, Rhydian Williams; Ed Dunford, Josh Thomas; Theo Bavacqua, Ben Chapman, Adam Williams, Ethan Phillips, Alex Ashton, Billy Moxley, Gwilym Evans, George Shaw
Reps: Ed Thompson, Lewys Williams, James Pollard, Ben Roberts, James R. Roberts, Dai Jones, Cam Scott, Pelo Kgalthanye
Swansea University (v Nottingham Uni): TBC