THE FUSE

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff (12) 22

Tries: Sebastian, Mann, Adams Con: Sheedy 2 Pen: Sheedy

Dragons (12) 19

Tries: Hope 2, penalty try Con: O'Brien

Cardiff continued their derby dominance against Dragons by holding on for a dramatic 22-19 win in the United Rugby Championship at the Arms Park.

Corniel Van Zyl's side responded to their pre-Christmas setback against Scarlets with a three-try success that gets their play-off push back on track.

Dragons headed to the capital buoyed by wins against Lyon and Connacht but could not make it a hat-trick of wins for the first time since 2015 – the same year that they last beat the Blue and Blacks.

It was 12-12 at half-time after two dashing tries by Dragons scrum-half Che Hope that sandwiched close-range efforts by Cardiff tight-head prop Javan Sebastian and blind-side flanker Alex Mann.

Josh Adams' well-worked try for the Blue and Blacks early into the second half proved to be the key score, with Callum Sheedy converting and then kicking a late penalty to stretch the lead to 10 points.

Dragons scored a penalty try to spark a manic finish but flanker Dan Thomas got his hands on the ball at the breakdown with 86 minutes on the clock to seal Cardiff's 21st win on the spin in this fixture.

Tight and frenetic first half

The opening exchanges reflected the sides' last fixtures, Cardiff ragged after a frustrating derby defeat to Scarlets and Dragons buoyant after their destruction of Connacht.

The visitors blew one early chance on the line but opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Cardiff wing Mason Grady made a complete mess of fielding a poor Aneurin Owen cross-kick.

Dragons centre Fini Inisi and wing Rio Dyer combined impressively to put Hope over, but Cardiff responded to earn the lead in the 20th minute.

Shots at goal were turned down to hunt a try and it came from close range by tight-head prop Sebastian, fly-half Sheedy adding the simple extras.

With neither side hitting their straps, Cardiff added a second in similar fashion through flanker Mann to lead 12-5 after 29 minutes.

Dragons responded swiftly to level with fly-half Tinus de Beer, on his first return to the Arms Park, dinking a neat grubber through for Dyer to set up Hope for his second, Angus O'Brien converting.

Cardiff turned down a simple shot at goal to earn the lead back and were frustrated when Grady was tackled into touch going for the line as half-time approached.

The Blue and Blacks had one last chance to strike, only for Sheedy to slice a penalty to touch - one last mistake in an engaging but scrappy half.

Cardiff were on the front foot early in the second half but open-side flanker Thomas, with a touch of white-line fever, knocked on going for the line.

However, they did get their third in the 47th minute when Adams finished off after a slick dummy and pass by centre Ben Thomas in space earned by hard carries, with evergreen number eight Taulupe Faletau prominent.

Dragons paid the price for getting on the wrong side of referee Adam Jones in the 57th minute when replacement flanker Harrison Keddie was shown yellow for illegally stopping a line-out drive.

He was soon joined on the sideline by influential tight-head Rob Hunt, who needed gas and lengthy treatment before being taken off on a stretcher with what looked to be a serious shoulder injury.

Cardiff blew a chance to strike a telling blow approaching the hour when Adams went within inches, only for a loose pass to gift Dragons an escape.

The 14 men held firm but it was a 10-point game in the 70th minute when the hosts wisely opted to kick a penalty through Sheedy after pressure in the 22.

Cardiff played themselves into trouble after scrambling back to field a kick to give Dragons a sniff with three minutes remaining.

De Beer took a quick tap and was held up over the line, only for a penalty try to be awarded with lock Josh McNally sin-binned for making the tackle from an offside position.

At 22-19 it was game on and Dragons racked up the phases with the clock in the red in a breathless finish that was extended when the ball hit referee Jones.

It was in the 87th minute that he blew his whistle to signal a win for Cardiff that temporarily lifts them to second in the table ahead of their New Year's Day trip to Ospreys.

Dragons, who start 2026 with a home fixture against Scarlets, endure their losing streak against the Blue and Blacks going into a 12th season.

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Thornton, Mann, D Thomas, Faletau.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, S Wainwright, Nott, Lawrence, Botham, Mulder, Beetham.

Sin bin: McNally 78'

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Anderson, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; De Beer, Hope; Martinez, Roberts, Hunt, Douglas, Carter (co-capt), Woodman, Young, Wainwright.

Replacements: Scarfe, W Jones, Dlamini, Screech, Keddie, Lewis-Hughes, R Williams, Richards.

Sin bin: Keddie 57'

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)

Assistants: Ben Connor (WRU), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)

TMO: Aled Griffiths (WRU).

Attendance: 12,125