Cardiff on their way to place in the play-offs

■ By ROGER PANTING

Cardiff ……………17pts

Try: McNally 49 Penalties: Sheedy 13, 16; Lloyd 60, 80

Benetton …………. 8pts

Try: Ruzza 67 Penalty: Smith 45

CARDIFF moved up to third in the URC table and took a huge step to achieving an end of season play-off spot by winning an arm-wrestle in rain-sodden conditions at the Arms Park.

The game never took off until the final stages as Benetton, lacking a number of their leading lights, were easily held in check by a resolute home defence in which Josh McNally was outstanding.

Cardiff should have sealed the game far earlier and spurred on by the replacements, the Italians had home fans’ nerves jangling in the last 15 minutes.

Cardiff started strongly and looked to have opened the scoring when a neat offload from George Nott sent his lock partner McNally haring towards the line but McNally lost possession in the act of touching down.

Cardiff continued to dominate proceedings and were rewarded with two penalties from Callum Sheedy. Benetton had their first opportunity for points with a penalty attempt from Rhyno Smith but his kick from inside his own half fell short.

Cardiff suffered two blows in quick succession when first flanker Alex Mann was yellow-carded for a deliberate offside before wing Iwan Stephens departed with an injury.

The Italians, not helped by a weak scrum and frequent ill-discipline, never looked like capitalising on Mann’s absence so Cardiff led 6-0 at the end of a disjointed first half.

Jacob Beetham became Cardiff’s second injury victim when he failed to appear for the second half with Benetton taking advantage of their woes with Smith kicking three points after Mann gave away another penalty.

After 47 minutes, Cardiff scored the first try of the night when McNally atoned for his earlier error by forcing his way over to reward a sustained period of forward pressure. Sheedy missed the conversion so Ioan Lloyd took over the goal-kicking and succeeded with a penalty before Benetton changed six players.

Replacement scrum-half Ale Garbisi brought some momentum to their game and it paid dividends with a try from Federico Ruzza but remarkably Smith missed a simple conversion.

Benetton were now the better side and looked to have taken the lead when Ignacio Mendy raced through the defence to touch down but TMO replays showed a forward pass earlier in the move.

The Italians’ miserable night was complete when Lloyd kicked a touchline penalty to deprive them of a losing bonus point.

TEAMS

CARDIFF: Beetham 6 (I Lloyd 40, 8), Adams 7, Millard 5, B Thomas 6, Stephens 6 (Grady 31, 5), Sheedy 6, Davies 7 (Mulder 73, 6) Barratt 7 (Domachowski 54, 6), Belcher(c) 7 (E Lloyd 67, 6), Assirrati 6 (Sebastian 54, 6), Nott 7, McNally 8 (Thornton 67, 6), Mann 6, Botham 7 (D Thomas 67, 6), Lawrence 7

BENETTON: Smith 7, Mendy 7, Menoncello 5, Marin 5, Odogwu 6, Farias 6, Uren (c) 5 (Garbisi 60, 6), Aminu 4(Spagnolo 45, 6), Maile 6 (Bernasconi 55, 6), Psasquali 4 (Gallorini 55, 6), Marini 5 (Scrafton 56, 6), Ruzza 7, Favretto 6 (Kingi 70, 6), Zuliani 6 (Faasoo 60, 6), Cannone 7

Not used: Drago

REFEREE: Sam Grove-White (Sco)

ATTENDANCE: 8,052

Star player

Josh McNally – Cardiff