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Huw Evans AgencyUnited Rugby Championship
Cardiff (6) 17
Try: McNally Pens: Sheedy 2, I Lloyd 2
Benetton (0) 8
Try: Ruzza Pen: R Smith
Cardiff brushed aside talk of an impending takeover by the Ospreys owners as they defeated Benetton to rise to fourth in United Rugby Championship (URC) table.
Lock Josh McNally scored a try, while fly-half Callum Sheedy and replacement Ioan Lloyd kicked four penalties between them at the Arms Park.
Benetton responded with a try from lock Federico Ruzza, with Rhyno Smith adding a penalty.
It was a scrappy affair, but the hosts will not care as they secured a vital victory in the quest to finish in the top eight and qualify for the play-offs.
This win was needed with Cardiff facing a difficult remaining fixture list, which includes a two-game trip to South Africa and only three more home games.
Cardiff host Leinster on 27 February before a two-month gap between home games when Ospreys arrive for the potential “Y11 derby” on 24 April with both sides preparing for the prospect of the two Welsh sides being owned by the same company.
Supporters light up Arms Park in Cardiff protest
While much of the focus has been on the Ospreys this week after the Welsh Rugby Union announced their owners – Y11 Media and Sport – were the preferred option to buy Cardiff, the ramifications have also been felt at the Arms Park.
Many Cardiff supporters are not happy at the decision and followed the lead of their Ospreys’ counterparts by lighting up their phones to demonstrate their protest against the WRU and Y11.
Six Cardiff players who had been named in Wales’ Six Nations squad started, while the seventh, wing Mason Grady, was a first-half replacement for Iwan Stephens.
McNally, who had expressed his support for Ospreys players earlier in the week in his role as a Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) representative, spurned an early chance when he lost the ball over the Benetton line.
Sheedy opened the scoring with two penalties before flanker Alex Mann was shown a yellow card for a professional foul close to the Cardiff line.
As conditions deteriorated, the hosts did not concede any points in the 10 minutes they had 14 men as Cardiff led 6-0 at half-time.
Mann conceded another penalty early in the second half that resulted in a word from referee Sam Grove-White before Smith kicked Benetton’s first points.
Cardiff came storming back as the home side scored the game’s first try after 49 minutes when McNally was driven over.
Lloyd, a half-time replacement for full-back Jacob Beetham, slotted over a penalty to extend the lead to 11 points.
Benetton breached the Cardiff line when Ruzza powered over, but Smith missed an easy conversion.
The Italian side were inspired and appeared to be on the way to take the lead when Igancio Mendy sprinted over under the posts.
The try was disallowed because of a forward pass and Lloyd ensured Benetton left Cardiff without a losing bonus-point by kicking a late penalty.
How they lined up
Cardiff: Beetham; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Stephens; Sheedy, Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, Botham, Lawrence.
Replacements: E Lloyd, Domachowski, Sebastian, Thornton, D Thomas, Mulder, I Lloyd, Grady.
Sin-bin: Mann 26
Benetton: Smith; Mendy, Menoncello, Marin, Odogwu; Farias, Uren (capt); Aminu, Maile, Pasquali, Marini, Ruzza, Favretto, Zuliani, Cannone.
Replacements: Bernasconi, Spagnolo, Gallorini, Scrafton, Fa’aso’o, Kingi, Garbisi,
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistants: Ben Connor (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales
TMO: Colin Brett (Scotland)
