Cardiff go top of URC with derby win over Dragons

United Rugby Championship

Dragons (7) 17

Tries: Coghlan, Carter Cons: De Beer 2 Pen: O'Brien

Cardiff (17) 24

Tries: Mann, Faletau, D Thomas, Southworth Cons: Sheedy, B Thomas

Cardiff continued their 11-year league derby domination over Dragons with a bonus-point 24-17 victory at Rodney Parade to go top of the United Rugby Championship (URC).

There were four tries in the opening 20 minutes, with Cardiff back-row trio Alex Mann, Taulupe Faletau and Dan Thomas crossing and Dragons responding with a try from hooker Brodie Coghlan.

The crowd had to wait 40 minutes for the next score when prop Danny Southworth dived over for the bonus-point try, following a clever offload from replacement Alun Lawrence.

Lock Ben Carter scored a late try for Dragons and Angus O'Brien added a penalty to give the hosts a losing bonus point in a dour derby.

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia had made 10 changes from the side that lost 49-0 to Glasgow but the 13-month wait for a league win continues.

Their previous success was against Ospreys in September 2024 which has been followed by a miserable sequence of 20 defeats and a draw.

Cardiff number eight Faletau gave new Wales head coach Steve Tandy, watching on from the stands, a boost with an impressive 53-minute performance.

It was his first appearance of the season after recovering from a calf injury, while flanker Mann was named player of the match.

Tandy names his squad for the autumn internationals next Tuesday and would have also been keeping his eye on teenage Cardiff wing Tom Bowen.

The 19-year-old could not add a try to his early season spree but looked dangerous on occasions.

Cardiff fly-half Callum Sheedy has been impressive in his side's early season success after helping orchestrate three wins in four matches.

His place-kicking will remain the main concern when Wales consider whether he should receive an international recall, due to two more missed conversions in Newport.

This sorry spectacle was the first Welsh derby of a turbulent season played in front of a crowd of 7,348 fans and it remains to be seen how many more times this fixture will be played.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is considering cutting the number of professional sides, with a final decision by the governing body's board promised by the end of October.

Former Dragons coach Lyn Jones had stoked the fires before the match by stating on Radio Cymru he believes the WRU would be justified in cutting the Gwent region if the governing body brings a reduction from four to three teams.

He cited the organisation "had done almost nothing for the past 20 years". His comments antagonised the Dragons faithful but they could not provide the victory against their local rivals.

So Cardiff's decade of dominance in the east Wales derby continues as they recorded their 21st straight league win.

The Blue and Blacks' previous league defeat in this fixture came in December 2014, some 3,948 days ago.

Dragons' previous win against Cardiff was a Challenge Cup quarter-final success in April 2015, a gap of 3,849 days with 20 successive losses now for the Gwent region in all competitions against the capital side.

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Dyer, Owen, Ackerman, Inisi; De Beer, R Williams; W Jones, Coghlan, Hunt, S Davies, Carter (co-capt), Lewis-Hughes, Beddall, Wainwright.

Replacements: Burrows, Martinez, D Lewis, Screech, Woodman, N Armstrong, C Evans, Anderson.

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Beetham, B Thomas, Bowen; Sheedy, A Davies; Domachowski, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, D Thomas, Faletau.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, Sebastian, Thornton, Lawrence, Basham, Mulder, I Lloyd.

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)

Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (WRU), Adam Jones (WRU)

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR).