Cathays RFC resumed their WRU Division 6 campaign against a Wick outfit aligned with a crisp backdrop of the home turf, Heath Park.

Both sides began the game well, with both sides displaying their attacking intent from the outset, looking to take clean ball and dish it out to the backline. Both sides looked to be evenly matched as much of the game took place in between the ten metre lines.

Cathays began to utilise their kicking game in an attempt to break the Wick defence. Kicks from Aki Davies, and his skipper as well as namesake Adrian were recovered and dealt with effectively by the Wick side who maintained solid running phases to try and take the game to the home side.
An early substitute in the form of tank replacing Nick ‘Coach Carter’ Fish, (who had overexerted himself in the pre game squeeze) saw a shuffle in the pack with Tom Massie moving to hooker.
The Cathays scrum appeared solid, enabling Rhodri ‘Badger’ Morris to unleash the powers that be in the backline. Cathays were gifted a number of penalties through ill Wick discipline at the breakdown. Aki Davies finding the necessary distance to find touch, and seeing a penalty kick hitting the left upright. Cathays kept the visiting side in their own 22. The Cathays lineout seemed too chilled, even for a cool day at Heath Park and Wick were able to disrupt the early pressure to clear ranks.

On their third attempt in the opposition 22, again ill discipline cost the visiting side, and quick thinking from Aki ‘Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’ Davies saw the young fly half power through for the home sides first points of the day. 7-0 to Cathays RFC as the conversion sailed through the posts.

Wick needed to offer a response. They did. Some sloppy and poor tackling allowed the opposition inside centre to swerve his way under the posts for blood.
7-7

As Cathays fended over a spirited wick aerial attack, the ensuing reply from Cathays led to an interception score as the Wick centre was home and dry with no home defence to again score under the posts.

7 – 14

Cathays needed to unthaw and get a hold of the situation. The team responded beautifully, in typical Cathays fashion as some safe swift backline hands allowed Sam ’Jewish’ Hughes-Gage to slide his way past three Wick players to score in the corner, Aki sealing the 7 points with an attractive conversion to draw the sides level at half time.

14-14

Cathays finished the half the more attacking side, however the team needed a rousing reminder of the shirt and badge that they were representing.

The words spoken at half time shook the Cathays faithful in to shape and the team would not allow Wick near their try line again.

Aki maintained the pressure on the Wick side as he put kicks deep in to the wick half. Some wicked hands from Kyle ‘Ostrich’ Holder saw James ‘The honey monster’ Fooks push toward the line, throwing a majestic offload to Tom Massie running at an angle Pythagoras would be proud of……… in fact there are rumours he is still running that angle this very second.

Massie put forward a case of anti white line fever which saw his effort held up by the mountain of Wick men he had attempted to displace. (He must have thought the team calls were telling him to run directly at the defence rather than the try line).
Scrum V. From the resulting attacking scrum, number 8, Gareth Gee showed the strong prop forward how to finish as he barraged his way over the line, destroying Wick souls on the way.

21-14.

Cathays looked to be in a position of control as Gareth ‘Shove it up you’ Gee caught the resulting kick off and continued where he had just left off….destroying the souls of those who choose to get in his way. Supported in full by Trystan ‘If you can’t take getting a rucking I will mess your day up’ Davies taking over the mantle of spirit destroying, having given his opposite pack a torrid time throughout the match.

A number of substitutions through injury worries saw young scrum half Edward ‘Square meal’ Martin take to the field along with Simon ‘The experienced’ Fry, with Fry almost immediately being rendered disabled as he took a high wallop to his jaw resulting in a Yellow card for the offending Wick player.

Cathays had kept the previous weeks notions of taking bonus points where available as they continued to apply pressure within the Wick half. Cathays realising the benefits of opting to keep the ball in hand and the talent in the back line saw Hywel ‘Mad dog’ Day skip over in the corner to put a seal on the win and to facilitate the bonus point for the home side.

Not to be undone Kyle ‘I am definitely a back’ Holder was sent to the bin for slowing the ball down……(Isn't this a forwards tactic?!)
Cathays felt the pressure of the final Wick attack, as the final minutes of the game were played in the Cathays final third. However a deserved, hard fought victory went to the men of steel.

35 – 14 final score. A deserved bonus point for Cathays RFC which sees the side sit in 5th place in the table. A bonus point victory off third spot.
Cathays RFC need to take the momentum of winning 2 games on the bounce to Aberbargoed on the 12th October 2013.

In other Weekly news:

Alex Bowder has a new joke of the week – How do monkeys cook their burgers?……. On the G’o’rilla #comedian

For the eagle eyed of you this journalist has missed a try and conversion at some point. All Wales Sport states the score as 35-14. 7 points awarded for journalism # trycount

Cathays new away strip has arrived courtesy of Canterbury and AEG. I hear a few sauna sessions would not go amiss #tight