Cardiff cruise home as Williams hits 250 in style

By SIMON ROBERTS

Cardiff…………… 41pts

Tries: Dacey 4, 18; Adams 22, L Williams 48, T Williams 60, Grady 77, Cabango 80

Conversions: Evans 5, 19, 60

Brive………………… 0pts

Scrum-half Lloyd Williams capped his 250th appearance for Cardiff crossing for a try in his side’s comfortable victory over French side, Brive, in their European Challenge Cup Pool opener at the Arms Park.

Hooker Kristian Dacey’s two first half tries, along with tries by Wales wing Josh Adams and replacement Teddy Williams, set the Blue and Blacks on the way to a bonus-point win against the Top 14 strugglers.

Fly half Jarrod Evans pulled the strings for the home side in impressive fashion for a side that had lifted the Challenge Cup twice in their history and will be looking to make a mark in the tournament.

Dai Young, Cardiff ‘s head coach, praised the influence and attitude of Williams, who is the second most capped in the history of Cardiff rugby, and was man of the match against Brive. “We would have settled for seven tries before the game but the nil is just as pleasing as the seven tries, some things didn’t go as we would like but we got what we wanted out of this game,” said Young.

“Lloyd deserved that and for anybody to put 250 games together for any club is a huge achievement but Lloyd will tell you he still has plenty of rugby left in him. He is a quality operator and the players were determined they got the right result for him and we did that.”

Cardiff returned from the sunnier climes of their recent tour of South Africa, which saw them become the first Welsh side to win on South African soil in the URC, and looked like a side with renewed confidence.

The Blue and Blacks driving lineout would prove a real weapon with Dacey crossing for two tries from two short-range driving lineouts from the same spot to give the side a 14-0 lead midway through the first half.

A break by fly-half Evans and beautifully floated pass saw wing Adams, back from Wales duty, cross in the corner for Cardiff ‘s third try to make it 19-0 to the home side at half-time.

After the break, Williams crossed for his try after an interception to run into the corner to give his side the bonus point. The floodgates opened in the last ten minutes with replacements Teddy Williams, Mason Grady and wing Theo Cabango all crossing tries to secure the win for the home side.