Cardiff Beat Ospreys 26-0 to Climb to Seventh — SkimNews
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- Cardiff beat Ospreys 26-0 at the revamped St Helen's ground before a 5,592 sell-out, leading 19-0 at half-time, with Tom Bowen scoring twice, Josh Adams adding one and 18-year-old replacement hooker Tom Howe taking the bonus-point try; conversion kicks came from Evans (two) and Sheedy.
- Ospreys failed to score for a second consecutive league match after also being held scoreless in a 23-0 defeat to Munster in October 2024; their only try attempt, from prop Steffan Thomas, was disallowed by TMO Jenny Davies after scrum-half Johan Mulder prevented the grounding.
- Steffan Emanuel was Cardiff's creative influence, kicking for Adams' try and nearly creating a third before a covering tackle on Keelan Giles in the dying seconds; the source says he should prove an option for Wales if midfield injuries strike next month.
- Wales players were absent in bulk: Cardiff were without six squad members including Rhys Barratt, Teddy Williams, James Botham and Taine Basham, while Tom Rogers, Dan Edwards and Reuben Morgan-Williams sat out for Ospreys, leaving Josh Adams the only member of Steve Tandy's squad sent out before the Nations Championship.
- United Rugby Championship takes a five-week break before the Nations Championship in November, with Cardiff finishing the first league block in seventh and Ospreys ninth after this away bonus-point success.
- Harri Wilde, on loan at Ospreys from Cardiff, started against his parent club in a third-choice half-back partnership with Luke Davies after fly-half Lawson Creighton withdrew late with a groin injury.
- Ross Moriarty suffered a nasty head injury and was replaced by Morgan Morse, while Josh Adams received treatment for a knee injury but was able to continue.
Why it matters: Cardiff's away bonus-point success (26-0) lifted them to seventh and back into the URC top half, while Ospreys sit ninth after a second scoreless league game — including a 23-0 Munster loss — leaving them without points; the derby itself came a week before the Nations Championship, with the URC's fixture choices questioned.
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