Match Report: Cardiff 36-52 Glasgow Warriors

Cardiff Rugby picked up a losing bonus point against the URC champions in a 13-try thriller at the Arms Park.

They touched down five times with Dan Thomas, Cam Winnett, Ed Byrne, Mackenzie Martin and Ben Donnell all crossing and they twice got within four points during the second half despite being down to 14 men due to the game going to uncontested scrums after they lost both hookers to injury.

But Glasgow showed why they are title holders as they claimed eight tries, with wing Kyle Rowe and 20-point fly-half Tom Jordan going over twice and Player of the Match Sione Tuipulotu also getting in on the act.

For Cardiff, it’s a first defeat of the season and they will now look to regroup ahead of next weekend’s home game against the Scarlets.

The rollercoaster ride began when the Scottish visitors took an early lead with a fine solo try from scrum-half Jame Dobie. Picking up from a ruck out on the left, he handed off Winnett and stepped past Callum Sheedy, with Jordan adding the conversion.

Cardiff came tantalisingly close to responding when wing Harri Milllard won the race to a Sheedy cross kick only to be denied by a wicked bounce of the ball.

But their mounting pressure was eventually rewarded on 12 minutes with a try that was all down to the quick thinking of flanker Dan Thomas.

As Dobie prepared to clear from near his own line, Thomas pushed him, resulting in the off-balance scrum-half failing to connect with his attempted clearing kick and the openside pounced on the loose ball, with Sheedy converting.

Then midway through the half, Cardiff went in front.

The forwards did the spade work, shoving the opposition scrum back some five metres to earn a penalty and, with the ref playing advantage, it was over to the backs.

First Mason Grady smashed his way up in midfield and then the ball was moved left with Ben Thomas’ delayed pass finding Winnett who did well to spin over the line amid the attentions of two defenders.

Glasgow swiftly replied with Rowe going between Aled Davies and Rey Lee-Lo for a converted try following a big carry from skipper Tuipulotu.

That made it 12-12 and it was shaping up to be a keenly contested battle.

But the visitors then rattled up three tries in eight minutes to put a very different complexion on the scoreline.

Jordan intercepted a pass from opposite number Sheedy one-handed and raced in from 70 metres, with Tuipulotu then bumping off Sheedy, going outside

Winnett and inside Millard for an outstanding score, ahead of fellow Scotland centre Huw Jones crossing after Jordan broke down the left wing.

Suddenly, it was 12-31 and that was half-time.

Cardiff made five changes at the break, bringing on a new front row and half-backs, and the rejig was soon followed by a score from one of the fresh faces.

Sustained pressure drew repeat offences and, off a tap penalty, a series of forward carries culminated in replacement loosehead Byrne diving over out on the left, with fly-half sub Tinus de Beer converting.

The hosts then lost two hookers in quick succession with Evan Lloyd and Liam Belcher both going off injured.

That meant Alun Lawrence going into the middle of the front row and throwing in at the lineout, with Mackenzie Martin coming on a No 8.

Within a couple of minutes of his arrival, Martin joined the whitewash crossers to secure the four-try bonus.

When the ball was moved left, Grady sliced through on an arcing run and Winnett fed Millard who cut in from the wing before giving the scoring pass, with De Beer again adding the conversion.

But Martin soon had to leave the field with Cardiff having to lose a player because of the game going to uncontested scrums due to them being without a specialist hooker.

Despite being down to 14 men, the hosts managed to earn a penalty which De Beer slotted to reduce the deficit to four points.

Glasgow responded with one of their trademark lineout maul tries, as flanker Matt Fagerson got the ball down, but back came Cardiff once more.

From a close range lineout, stand-in hooker Lawrence hit his target Teddy Williams to set up a maul which Martin - restored as a sub - broke away from, with flanker Donnell following up to score.

De Beer converted to make it a four point match again and potentially set up a grandstand finish.

But then, in the final ten minutes, Glasgow made the game safe with Rowe and 20-point Jordan both claiming second tries.