Cross and O’Brien Star as Met Romp into the Semis

Cardiff Met booked their BUCS Championship semi-final spot in emphatic style, running rampant in a 9-try victory over Northumbria at Cyncoed.

Sam Cross races away for his second of the afternoon

Photos courtesy of Joseph Kiff

The capital side are having a stellar year in both University and domestic competitions, having already secured the BUCS South Premier A title, while they currently sitting third in the Swalec Championship.

Captain Sam Cross lead by example for the hosts with two of Met’s nine tries, while fly-half Matt O’Brien notched up 24 points in a commanding performance at the fulcrum.

RAMPAGE: Jordan Saunders was a nuisance in the loose for the Northumbria defence

The hosts were far too strong for the visitors with the Met pack dominating proceedings, allowing their exciting backs to have free reign and carve their rivals apart.

Northumbria’s pack surely realised it was going to be a long afternoon when their scrum was decimated early on by the Welsh students’ eight man drive, and from the resulting penalty, O’Brien found touch inside the opponents’ 22.

Good line-out ball provided the backs with ammunition and after three phases of play, O’Brien’s cute dink over the defence was welcomingly collected by wing, Pierre Tucker, to dab down out wide. O’Brien missed the conversion, but added a simple penalty not long after for an 8-0 lead.

Oli Edwards drives towards the whitewash

Met’s front five were winning the physical contest, and their supremacy paid dividends; after quick, recycled ball, Ben Axten-Burrett and Kyle Tayler combined well to send Cross over for his first of the afternoon.

Northumbria, who struggled to gain any foothold in the match, made a rare foray into opposition territory, with winger Oli Foster looking dangerous with the ball in hand, and they were soon to get their first points when Toby East dropped a goal.

The visitors had a period of ascendancy with a number of promising attacks, but fundamental errors proved costly as inopportune knock-ons spoilt valuable field positions.
The final ten minutes of the half saw the Welsh students back in control, with flanker, Tayler, and hooker, Tom Emery, both barging over after great forward work to lead 29-3 at the break.

TRY TIME: Kyle Taylor shrugs off the tackle of Finlay Coxon-Smith to cross.

The visitors started the second half with a much higher intensity, centre Ryan Martin showing quick feet to make good yardage. Tom Scourfield and Tom Grimes produced powerful carries, and the visitors got their breakthrough when Martin showed great pace to finish off a lovely move in the 22, with East adding the extras.

But that was as good as it got for the visitors as Cardiff unleashed a torrent of sustained attack on the Northumbrian whitewash. Replacement scrum half, Rhodri Davies, reacted first when the ball popped out of the Northumbrian scrum in their own 22 to cross, and with that, any hope of a Northumbrian comeback were quashed.

Cross stretches to claim quality line-out ball
Photos courtesy of Joseph Kiff

Davies’ introduction provided a fresh impetus in the Cardiff backline as O’Brien, Cross, Jack Lavin and Miles Normandale all touched down in the final ten minutes.

Cardiff Met will now host Hartpury  next Wednesday March 6 in the semi-finals of the BUCS Championship, for the chance to play for the crown at Twickenham.

Cardiff Met 64-10 Northumbria

Cardiff Met: Tries: P Tucker 7, S Cross 21, 72, K Tayler 34, T Emery 40, R Davies65, M O’Brien 69, J Lavin 75, M Normandale 80+3; Cons: M O’Brien 21,34,40,66,69,73,75,80+3; Pens: M O’Brien 11.

Northumbria: Tries: R Martin 52; Cons: T East 54; Drop Goals: T East 25.