Bowen double helps Cardiff beat pointless Ospreys

Cardiff secured a convincing 26-0 victory over Ospreys in a Welsh derby at St Helen's, lifting themselves back into the top half of the United Rugby Championship. The visitors achieved the away bonus point through two tries from wing Tom Bowen and contributions from Josh Adams and hooker Tom Howe. Ospreys had previously failed to score in a 23-0 defeat against Munster in October 2024.

Cardiff's centre, Steffan Emanuel, was a creative force and could become an option for Wales if they face any midfield injuries in the upcoming month. The game, played in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,592, was marred by the referee's whistle and was dour in nature. Ospreys suffered another setback when flanker Ross Moriarty suffered a head injury and was replaced by Morgan Morse.

Cardiff finished the first league block in seventh, while Ospreys ended up in ninth. While there have been discussions about an Anglo-Welsh league, the URC match schedulers should reconsider their fixture choices, given that a significant Welsh derby was played just before the international campaign, devoid of key Wales stars.