Cardiff took a huge step towards the United Rugby Championship play-offs with a 24-21 victory over the Ospreys at the Arms Park.
Tries from Rory Thornton, Liam Belcher and Dan Thomas, along with nine points from the boot of Callum Sheedy, were enough to get the hosts over the line.
The Ospreys scored three tries of their own courtesy of Keiran Williams, Jack Walsh and Dan Edwards.
Here are the player ratings.
Cardiff15. Cameron Winnett 7
Solid as always under the high ball, while the 23-year-old also held his own defensively.
Winnett made some headway with ball in hand, and his handling under pressure was also very good.
14. Jacob Beetham 8
The 25-year-old has hit a rich vein of form and he was very good at the Arms Park this evening.
Cardiff used Beetham as a carrier in midfield and he often got over the gain-line, while he was a threat out wide.
13. Ben Thomas 8
The Wales international was quietly effective throughout the game with his passing helping to unlock the Ospreys defence.
Thomas also kicked well out of hand and held his own defensively.
12. Rory Jennings 7
Jennings’ distribution was very effective and he linked up well with Ben Thomas.
The 30-year-old played a big part in Cardiff’s attack functioning well.
11. Tom Bowen 7
The Wales U20s wing looked threatening with ball in hand but couldn’t quite break clear.
But he still caused the Ospreys defence plenty of problems, while Bowen also put in some important tackles.
A work in progress under the high ball.
10. Callum Sheedy 8
The 30-year-old kicked exceptionally well throughout the game and his deft passing game played a big part in cutting open the Ospreys defence.
Sheedy has surely played his way into Steve Tandy’s summer squad with his performances over the past few weeks.
9. Johan Mulder 8
It was a fine all-round performance from the South African scrum-half.
Mulder’s game management is top class, driving the Ospreys backwards. He was also a threat with ball in hand and it was his decision to take a quick tap which resulted in Cardiff’s first try.
8. Taine Basham 8
The former Dragons backrow was quietly effective at the Arms Park.
Basham finished the game as the top ball carrier with 19 as he helped Cardiff get over the gain-line.
Brought a huge level of physicality to counter the Ospreys’ backrow threat.
7. Dan Thomas 9 (star man)
The industrious openside was into everything.
Thomas carried well and put in 13 tackles while he slowed the Ospreys down at the breakdown.
The 32-year-old won a couple of penalties and powered over the line for Cardiff’s third try.
Ben Warren of Ospreys is challenged by Dan Thomas of Cardiff Rugby(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
6. Alun Lawrence 8
The 27-year-old finished the game as the joint-top tackler with 15 while he carried hard to get Cardiff onto the front foot.
Lawrence got through a mountain of unseen work and added a huge amount of physicality.
5. Rory Thornton 7
Cardiff had a mare at the lineout in Llanelli last Saturday but it was much better this time around and that was in large part down to Thornton.
Put himself about around the park in one of his better performances of the season.
4. Josh McNally 7
The England international put in a huge shift making 11 tackles, three of which were dominant.
McNally also carried well and was hugely effective at the lineout.
But he blotted his copybook with a late yellow card for an intentional knock-on.
3. Javan Sebastian 6
The Scotland international scrummaged well while he also made six carries and three tackles.
2. Liam Belcher 7
The Wales international ensured Cardiff’s lineout ran smoothly and he carried extremely well and was also a jackal threat at the breakdown.
Belcher showed tremendous power to claim Cardiff’s second try.
The only downside was a yellow card for a clash of heads with Morgan Morris.
1. Rhys Barratt 6
Solid enough at the scrum and worked hard around the park.
Full of energy but not as many standout moments as we’ve become accustomed to of late.
Replacements16. Dafydd Hughes 6
Hit his target at the lineout and was busy around the park.
17. Danny Southworth 7
Southworth won one crucial scrum penalty and carried well in the tight exchanges.
18. Keiron Assiratti 6
Solid at the scrum.
19. George Nott 6
A lot of graft, and he put in some big hits.
20. Evan Lloyd 6
A few powerful surges in the final nine minutes.
21. Elijah Evans N/A22. Ellis Bevan 6
Controlled proceedings well and helped see out the game.
23. Ioan Lloyd 6
Solid.
Ospreys
Dejected Ospreys at full time(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
15. Jack Walsh 6
The Australian was on the back foot for large periods of the game but put in an assured performance with very good distribution.
Claimed the Ospreys’ second try.
14. Dan Kasende 2
Started well but received a red card for leading with his forearm to the throat of Callum Sheedy.
13. Owen Watkin 6
The Wales centre made some key defensive reads and carried the ball well.
Got sent to the sin bin in the first half.
12. Keiron Williams 8
Won a crucial turnover penalty while Cardiff were camped on the Ospreys line in the first-half.
Williams got over the gain-line for the visitors and scored a crucial try on the stroke of half-time.
A threat throughout the game.
11. Luke Morgan 5
The Ospreys wing did not have much opportunity with ball in hand but was solid enough.
Will be disappointed he let the ball bounce into touch from a restart after the Ospreys had scored.
10. Dan Edwards 7
The Wales playmaker was the architect of the Ospreys’ first try when he sliced through the Cardiff defence to put Keiran Williams over.
Took one for the team when he was sent to the sin bin for slapping the ball forward under pressure but did sneak over the line for the Ospreys’ third try.
9. Reuben Morgan-Williams 6
The 28-year-old was a threat around the fringes in the first-half.
Morgan-Williams kicked well throughout but it was difficult for the scrum-half who was forced to operate on the back foot for large periods of the game.
8. Morgan Morris 7
The powerful No 8 was one of the Ospreys’ better players making 13 carries and 12 tackles.
He never stopped going and it was his surge forward which laid the platform for Dan Edwards’ try.
7. Jac Morgan 7
The Ospreys’ best player.
Morgan was on the back foot for the majority of the game but managed to make 15 tackles and scrapped for everything on the floor.
Jac Morgan of Ospreys at full time.(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
6. James Ratti 6
Ratti worked hard throughout making eight tackles as he got through a lot of work.
The 28-year-old also carried well.
5. Ryan Smith 5
The Ospreys’ lineout did not function as well as they would have hoped while Smith wasn’t as prominent as in previous games.
4. Rhys Davies 5
The Ospreys pack did not get on the front-foot often enough and the front-five have to take responsibility for this as a unit, although yellow cards did not help.
Davies worked hard as always but struggled to impose himself.
3. Tom Botha 5
The South African scrummaged very well, putting the Cardiff scrum under pressure.
Not much impact around the park.
2. Sam Parry 5
The Ospreys lineout finished with an 82% success rate which needs to be higher.
Parry carried well and put himself about as always but the Ospreys pack did not dominate as expected.
1. Steffan Thomas 6
A last-minute replacement for his cousin Gareth Thomas.
The former Scarlets prop scrummaged well enough but put in a huge shift around the park making 12 tackles.
Replacements16. Efan Daniel 5
Put in some big hits but the Ospreys lineout wasn’t clean enough.
17. Cameron Jones 8
What an impact!
Jones looked strong in the scrum but a stunning break from the halfway line to the 22 set up a try for Jack Walsh.
Very prominent.
18. Ben Warren 6
Scrummaged well and worked hard around the park.
19. Huw Sutton N/A20. Ross Moriarty 5
Tried hard but not much of an impact.
21. Harri Deaves 5
Deaves tried his best to turn the tide but the Cardiff backrow were on top.
22. Kieran Hardy 5
Solid enough.
23. Max Nagy 6
Solid under the high ball, and he put in some good defensive work.