Matt Sherratt pointed to indiscipline as Cardiff slipped to a disappointing 29-21 New Year’s Day defeat to the Ospreys;.
The Blue and Blacks cruised into an 18-5 half-time lead thanks to tries from Owen Lane and Mason Grady but as the atrocious conditions continued to deteriorate the Ospreys fought back.
They controlled large periods of the second-half denying Cardiff of any meaningful territory or possession, with errors and indiscipline also proving costly.
A disappointed Sherratt said: “It's an easy one, there's an 8-2 penalty count against us. If you're on the wrong side of the penalty count in those conditions and you give Osprey's field position, you're going to go at some stage. It's as simple as that.
“At half time the message was pretty much trying to do the same again but we gave away some silly penalties like diving on a ball from offside, changing lanes on a kick receipt and against Ospreys team, you give them field position at some stage, same with any team, you're going to get punished.
“We talked before the game. In these conditions, on a field like that, it was going to be about three things, territory, effort, and discipline and our effort was there for 80 minutes.
“Again, I will say, we've got a point away from home against a decent Ospreys team. That's nine games now in the league. We've got something out of every single game, which I'm not sure if that's ever happened with the Cardiff side.
“So it shows that effort, but our discipline robbed us of territory in that half. So that was the story really.”
Cardiff now have a 12-day turnaround until their Investec Champions Cup clash with Harlequins. Tickets for the Arms Park encounter are available now by clicking here.