Rhys Carré was proud to see Cardiff’s hard work on the training ground pay dividends during Sunday’s thrilling bonus point win over Cell C Sharks in Durban.
A controlled performance in slippery conditions saw Dai Young’s men claim maximum points in their first win outside Wales since March 2021. It was also the first time in 50 years that the Durban-based outfit were kept scoreless at home.
24-year-old Carré was once again in the heart of the action at Kings Park, and he was proud to see buy-in from the whole matchday squad, as they became the first Welsh side to claim victory on South African soil in the current BKT United Rugby Championship format.
“We put everything that we wanted from the week into action. The boys put in a massive shift and it’s something we’re all really proud of,” explained the prop.
“When we set out on Tuesday, it’s what we wanted to do. There was no doubt in our minds that we could have beaten this team.
“We showed that tonight. We came out of the blocks, which is a big starting point out here.
“Every time we’ve come out here before we’ve let the opposition get into the game, but tonight we put our foot down straight away and executed the game-plan perfectly.
“A bit of Welsh weather out here helped but the boys put in a massive shift and we deserved to win.
“The last couple of games we struggled, especially defensively, so during the international break we’ve been hammering that home.
“We had three weeks leading up to this game, we worked really hard and that showed.
“We had that 100 per cent buy-in from everyone – from one to eight and the replacements that came on.
“We showed tonight where we can really assert our dominance against a good Sharks pack.”
Carré has enjoyed a real purple patch for the Blue and Blacks in recent months, impressing on both sides of the ball and earning plaudits for his performances.
The loosehead admits it’s a real honour to be representing his boyhood club, but remains fully focused on building on Sunday’s win ahead of next week’s clash with Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria.
“I’ve said all along, Cardiff is my local club growing up, and playing for the club is something I’ve always wanted to do,” added the 17-cap Welsh international.
“It’s an honour to be putting that jersey on week-in, week-out. It’s something I’m not taking for granted. I still want to go and work on myself, my game and also what I do off the pitch for the club.
“Going forward we’re in a really good place, especially ahead of next week. We’ve put our best foot forward and put a real marker down.
“But we need to keep building on our performances. We had a good first half against Edinburgh but let it slip.
“We had a good first half tonight but this time kept our foot on the pedal after half time, and that showed in the end.
“If we keep doing that now, especially next week against the Bulls in Pretoria, I think it’ll be massive.”