Head coach Matt Sherratt says he is ‘proud’ of his young team after last night’s dramatic narrow loss to Bath in the Investec Champions Cup.
The two teams went toe to toe in front of a raucous Cardiff Arms Park crowd and combined for ten tries with the visitors coming away with a slender 32-39 victory.
Sherratt was pleased with the performance from his young team, which will only improve as they continue to play against the best sides and best players in Europe.
"When the game got unstructured and there was a bit of transition, I thought we were good,” said Sherratt.
"On the whole, I'm sure it was an enjoyable game to watch. Maybe not so much for me as a coach at times.
"But I'm proud of the players to go toe-to-toe with the best team in the Premiership at the moment. It's a credit to some of the boys out there.
"I knew we were going to get a good emotional response, it was just whether we could put enough quality action on the pitch that added to that emotional response. I think in the end we did. It was a one-score game again.
“Even last week, when you just look at the result it wasn't great reading, but when you looked at the experience for some of our younger boys, it's why you're in the game to get Toulouse away and to play against Dupont in the best stadiums, with the best crowds.
“Then tonight Finn Russell turned up here tonight and a Bath team stacked full of internationals and we weren't far off were we so I'm really proud of the players tonight.”
There were tremendous performances all across the pitch from Cardiff, and Sherratt was quick to pinpoint flanker Alex Mann, as well as several other young local players who have come through the Cardiff Academy.
“I've got to say Alex Mann has been outstanding this season, obviously Mackenzie because he has big moments, Lucas because of his age get a lot of credit and rightly so, but Alex Mann is excellent in terms of his technical stuff. His effort is always top-notch so I've been really pleased for Alex and the other two boys.
“It's a pleasure to watch and great that they're young Cardiff boys as well and I think you can feel here at the moment the fans have got an affinity with some of the players on the pitch.
“Our boys are all from the region, so front row all Rhondda boys, back row, Ely, Aberdare and Lucas, Cardiff lad, but they're all right in our region, so it's something we need to build up.”