Cardiff U18 kept their Regional Age Grade Championship title hopes alive with a bonus point win over Scarlets in Llanelli.
Chadd Mutyambizi’s side secured maximum points for a second consecutive match as they now turn their focus to the final two fixtures of the campaign.
Elijah Evans and Jaden Wilkins crossed the whitewash in a dominant first half display, where Cardiff took a 17-3 lead into the break.
However, a resurgent Scarlets threatened to fight back in the second half, but further tries from Lucas de la Rua and centre Evans ensured all five points for the young Blue and Blacks, who will host Dragons at the Arms Park later this month.
Cardiff found themselves immediately on the attack from kick off, and almost found an early breakthrough after Wilkins sliced open the home defence. The blindside flanker looked for support from Josh Pearce on his shoulder, but the attempted offload was knocked on in the tackle.
However, moments later Cardiff made no mistake with their second opportunity of the night.
Luke Evans claimed the line-out ball and the Blue and Blacks set up a drive on the edge of the Scarlets’ 22. Scrum half Pearce eventually fed a rampaging Elijah Evans, who swivelled past three defenders to open the scoring with a finely taken try.
Harri Wilde’s slotted the resulting conversion, with assistance from the posts, but Cardiff continued to threaten after the restart with Tom Bowen and Kodie Stone making inroads out wide.
The latter’s skilful chip almost set up Cardiff’s second score of the evening, but the bounce of the ball and pressure from the covering defence forced number nine Pearce to knock on.
Centre Evans also played his part in defence, thwarting a rare Scarlets attack. Cardiff would double their advantage on the 20 minute mark after a period of sustained pressure.
A line-out in the Scarlets 22 gave the Blue and Blacks a platform to attack. Saul Hurley was stopped short from the resulting maul, but Mutyambizi’s men patiently went through the phases, and flanker Wilkins was on hand to slip over.
Stone was a continual live-wire with ball in hand but the visitors couldn’t make the most of his surging runs from deep as they looked to build the score.
The visitors finally had to settle for a Wilde penalty, who streched the lead to 17 points with a well struck effort from distance, before Scarlets finally registered their first points of the evening on the verge of half time.
Tiaan Sparrow was in the right place to take advantage of a deflected kick and his bustling run took the hosts into the 22, where they earned a penalty for Steffan Jac Jones to convert.
The penalty injected life into the Scarlets side after the break, and crossed within a minute of the restart, with number eight Keanu Evans on the end of a line-out move that came straight from the training ground.
Jones’ conversion narrowed Cardiff’s lead to seven points, but the Blue and Blacks quickly responded to restore a two-score advantage.
Number eight de la Rua, who returned to the side for the first time since the win over Dragons, showed an impressive pace to round off two Scarlets backs to cross in the corner.
With 15 minutes remaining, a lengthy Cardiff attack saw the likes of Stone, Owain Paskell and captain Harry Beddall going close before Evans finally scampered over for his brace.
Despite the bonus point being secured, there was late disappointment for Cardiff when they lost Wilde and Stone to injuries.
Free flowing rugby from the hosts’ backline paved the way for replacement scrum half Cian Jones to dot down, for what proved to be a mere consolation score.
After two games in four days, Cardiff face a break before welcoming Dragons to the Arms Park on February 15.
Cardiff: Scott Delnevo; Tom Bowen, Elijah Evans, Tom Hughes, Kodie Stone; Harri Wilde, Josh Pearce; Cameron Tyler-Grocott, Saul Hurley, Owain James, Luke Evans, Gethin Howell, Jaden Wilkins, Harry Beddall (capt.), Lucas de la Rua
Replacements: Charlie Manship, Max Bignell, Harrison Rock, Don Kipola, Owen Conquer, Owain Paskell, Ethan Rudyj, Matty Young
Cardiff Under-18 Men Fixtures*
Sunday, December 11 - RGC 7 v Cardiff 17 - Stadiwm CSM
Monday, December 19 - Cardiff 21 v Scarlets 12 - Cardiff Arms Park
Wednesday, January 11 - Dragons RFC 5 v Cardiff 7 - Ystrad Mynach
Wednesday, January 18 - Cardiff 27 v Ospreys 33 - Cardiff Arms Park
Sunday, January 29 - Cardiff 45 v RGC 24 - Cardiff Arms Park
Wednesday, February 1 - Scarlets 17 v Cardiff 29 - Parc y Scarlets
Wednesday, February 15 - Cardiff v Dragons - Cardiff Arms Park
Wednesday, February 22 - Ospreys v Cardiff
*Subject to late changes