By Andrew Collins
March 11 2006

The Blue and Black's claimed a huge win in the Welsh Premiership on Friday night, a single point were the difference in a briusing encounter between Cardiff and Llanelli.

Nick Macelod and Ben Evans joined up with the struggling Capital side for a game, which like every other, is a crunch match for Cardiff and coach Howard Stone. Macleod turned out to be the saviour come the final whistle, as his touch-line conversion inside injury time sealed the win by a single point.

Despite missing U21 and U19 players, the Blue and Blacks came out on top, having been 21-3 down at the interval.

The first half saw an array of handling errors as Cardiff tried to spread the ball wide and play through the backs, but a change in the 2nd half turned the game on it's head, with 'up your jumper' tactic proving very successful for the solid Cardiff pack.

2 Line-out catch and drive tried for Ryan Price, as well as 3 great Macleod penalties got Cardiff in front, but when Llanelli scrum half Rhidian McGuire went over, it looked like yet another case of so close, but yet so far.

Just as it looked as though the game was over, winger Elgan Jones squeezed over from close range to put Stone's men just 1 point behind, with no time left to play.

With stand in fly half Macleod to take the conversion, the weight of Cardiff RFC's future weighed on his shoulders. A win would lift the side, and will put Cardiff on level points with Ebbw Vale, one place above them. A loss would posibly signal an end to Cardiff's Premiership status.

With the 15 Llanelli players running at him, he began his run-up, only to silence the boo-boys and errupt the home crowd as the ball sailed straight between the uprights, as if there was any ever doubt!!!!!

cardiff are now joint bottom of the Welsh Premiership, but are on a 2 game winning streak going into next Fridays match against Cross Keys. Cardiff have just 9 games left to save themselves from relegation, lets see all the fans there to cheer on the side and maintain a proud history that the 129 year old club has.

Team

Leon Andrews,Elgan Jones,Jonathan Hill,Richard Davies,Francesco Brillante (Sub Nick Gill, 70),Nick Macleod,Dean Dewdney,Nathan Llewellyn (Sub Geraint Morris, 17),Ryan Price,Ben Evans,Robert Meredith,Chris Stamatakis,Mark Lewis,Gareth Gravell,James Malpas (Sub Neil Coles, 70)

Scorers : Tries Elgan Jones : 1 (88) Ryan Price : 2 (45,55) Conversions Nick Macleod : 3 (45,55,88) Penalties Nick Macleod : 2 (20,64)