Davies at the double for Scarlets in Cardiff

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff (10) 17

Tries: Grady, Adams Cons: Sheedy 2 Pens: Sheedy

Scarlets (7) 21

Tries: James, G Davies 2 Cons: Hawkins 3

A try double from scrum-half Gareth Davies allowed Scarlets to continue their Arms Park dominance against Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

It was the third successive match at the Arms Park where 35-year-old former Wales scrum-half Davies has grabbed a pair of tries.

Centre Eddie James also scored to extend Scarlets’ winning run at Cardiff’s home ground that goes back to 2019.

In a pulsating derby, Cardiff dominated territory and possession but could not capitalise on Scarlets’ ill-discipline, with yellow cards for Josh Macleod, Davies and Johnny Williams.

The Blue and Blacks were wasteful in attack as they managed only two tries, through wings Mason Grady and Josh Adams, from more than 20 entries into the Scarlets 22.

In contrast, the Scarlets’ dynamic defence forced Cardiff into many handling errors, as Dwayne Peel’s side somehow came away with another victory in the Welsh capital to prevent their hosts from going top of the URC table.

Cardiff captain Liam Belcher recovered from a neck injury to be one of six changes from the side that defeated Ulster, while Scarlets were boosted by the return of Wales full-back Blair Murray after Peel rotated his starting side for the 50-21 loss against Bordeaux-Begles.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and had an early James Botham try disallowed because of a knock-on.

Scarlets prop Henry Thomas was lucky to avoid a yellow card after conceding a penalty close to the line, before visiting captain Macleod was given a warning for the amount of transgressions.

The hosts could not make their pressure tell as Scarlets’ defence repelled the wave of attacks.

With number eight Fletcher Anderson making the hard yards, Scarlets showed their opponents a lesson in ruthlessness as they created the opportunity for centre James to stroll over with Joe Hawkins converting.

Macleod was shown a yellow card for a silly off-the-ball tackle on Sheedy, a decision given by referee Ben Breakspear for the amount of penalties conceded.

Scarlets were reduced to 13 men a couple of minutes later when Davies was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

Cardiff made their numerical advantage tell when the ball was worked to Grady to score in the left corner, with Sheedy converting from the touchline.

Murray avoided becoming a third Scarlets player to be shown a yellow card when his knock-on was deemed to have been in a tackle when Cardiff had a two-man overlap.

Scarlets’ dogged defence continued to stand firm and Cardiff had to be content with a Sheedy penalty just before the interval to establish a 10-7 half-time lead.

It was a half where the visitors conceded 10 penalties as Cardiff dominated territory and possession.

The second half followed the same script initially as Thomas and James held up Cardiff number eight Alun Lawrence over the Scarlets line.

Peel’s side again showed their opponents a clinical edge as scrum-half Davies continued his Arms Park try-scoring love affair by sniping down the side. Hawkins converted to give Scarlets a four-point lead.

That soon disappeared when Adams was the beneficiary of a clever pinpoint Sheedy chip to expertly score in the corner.

Cardiff made multiple changes, including the return of number eight Taulupe Faletau, who has recovered from a knee injury suffered in October that ruled him out of the November Tests.

Scarlets would not go away and Davies popped up for a trademark interception 70-metre try.

The topsy-turvy tie continued as an incisive Faletau break was followed by a third Scarlets yellow card for centre Williams for a professional foul at a ruck.

Cardiff could not manage any points with the extra player before Murray was carried off in the 78th minute.

Cardiff desperately tried to clinch the win but it was fitting Davies had the final touch as he booted the ball off the field to send Scarlets supporters into raptures.

This was the first of five Welsh derbies over the festive period with two more on 26 December and pair of games on 1 January.

What the local derby scene will look like at the end of next year remains to be seen.

It is an uncertain time in the domestic game in Wales, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) proposing to cut one of its four men’s professional sides.

Welsh rugby’s governing body has said it proposes to grant three licences for men’s professional clubs.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west, which could result in a survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

After temporarily going into administration in April, Cardiff were taken over by the WRU with the governing body expecting to sell the organisation to fresh investors in the new year.

Ospreys’ owners, Y11 Sport & Media, have been linked with taking over Cardiff, which is another way the governing body could get its wish of losing a men’s professional side.

Ospreys or the club’s owners have so far not commented about the Cardiff rumours which has fuelled concern among supporters surrounding the future of their side.

Whatever happens, one fewer Welsh side could mean fewer rousing derby occasions like this one which was played in front of 11,728 fans.

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, A Davies; Southworth, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Botham, D Thomas, Lawrence.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Barratt, Wainwright, Thornton, Mann, Faletau, Mulder, Beetham.

Scarlets: Murray; Rogers, James, J Williams, Mee; Hawkins, G Davies; Mathias, Elias, H Thomas, Lousi, Ball, Douglas, Macleod (capt), Anderson.

Replacements: Van Der Merwe, Hepburn, H O’Connor, T Davies, Taylor, A Hughes, Price, J Roberts.

Sin-bin: Macleod 26, G Davies 28, J Williams 60.

Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales)

Assistants: Ben Whitehouse & Ben Connor (Wales)

TMO: Keith David (Wales)