Today's rugby news as Welsh side decimated by injuries and star ends up in hospital

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday, October 6.

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday October 6.

Welsh team decimated by injuries

Cardiff have been left decimated by injuries - with 15 of their squad currently being treated by the physios.

The Blue and Blacks are operating with a senior squad of 38 this season, with their academy products taking them up to around 47 players.

However, a number of those are currently out injured - leaving coach Matt Sherratt with a bit of a headache ahead of their clash with the Scarlets at the Arms Park next week. Get the latest Welsh rugby breaking news by signing up to our free daily newsletter here.

Friday night's defeat to Glasgow saw a few more players pick up knocks. Hookers Liam Belcher and Evan Lloyd were forced off, as were Wales props Corey Domachowski and Kieron Assiratti.

Cardiff already have Test players in Josh Adams, James Botham, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau, Alex Mann, Seb Davies and Jacob Beetham on the sidelines, while the likes of Theo Cabango, Rory Jennings and Gwilym Bradley are also injured.

The hooker situation will be a concern, given Efan Daniel is also nursing a hamstring injury.

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South African star ends up in hospital after hiding illness

Vodacom Bulls prop Simphiwe Matanzima ended up in hospital after failing to alert the South African side's coaching staff that he was ill.

Director of Rugby Jake White revealed that Matanzima suffered from a viral infection that affected his heart, having failed to tell his coaches he was unwell.

White added that Matanzima might have felt pressure to play through his illness after Wilco Louw withdrew from the team to face Edinburgh last week.

“He didn’t tell anybody, he just wanted to play,” White said. “After the game, when he was sent in by the team doctor, the heart surgeon said he must stay in hospital.

“Instead of him saying to us he’s feeling a bit down, he just went on and played. Afterwards he said to the doctor that he was struggling to breathe. In hindsight, I wish he had told the doctor because we would’ve looked after him sooner rather than later.”

He added: “When someone mentions a heart issue here, we jump and make sure he is OK. The doctor was quite disappointed that he didn’t tell him.

“I don’t want to get melodramatic, but we’ve had prop forwards die at Loftus Versfeld because of heart attacks. It just shows how young and naive the youngsters can be.

“He got a bit of a fright and he’s not playing for at least the next two weeks. He’s been given the care that he needs and deserves.”

Late defeat hard to swallow - Flanagan

Dragons coach Dai Flanagan admitted that the late defeat to the Sharks was 'hard to swallow' after a first South African scalp in over four years slipped from their grasp.

The Rodney Parade side were leading when the clock went red, but ended up conceding after the Sharks eventually crossed after nearly 20 phases - leaving the Dragons heartbroken.

“There is lots to be optimistic about, but it was that 10-minute blip and some skill set that cost us the outcome at the end,” said Flanagan.

“It’s a step forward, we took a few more chances this week and the kicking game first half was spot on. It gave us entry and energy. It’s just hard to swallow when you lose that late on. It’s the other side of it after we beat Ospreys late on.

“We didn’t have to put ourselves in that position if we had been better after half-time. That is the learning for us.

“The try before half-time was a little too easy for them to score, after just scoring ourselves. If took them four minutes with the last play to get the win and we are a bounce of the ball away from finishing it off.

“Aneurin (Owen) makes a good read, but the ball bounces the wrong way, and we lose the game. If it bounces another way, we are another five points on the board.”

Cardiff move top of Super Rygbi Cymru after dominant thrashing

By Hamish Stuart

Cardiff went top of the table with a dominant six-point haul, including two bonus points, despite going down to 14 men in the first-half against Carmarthen Quins at the Arms Park.

Although they were a man down, losing flanker Nathan Hudd shortly before half-time, they let the ball do the work to score eight tries, combining forward pressure with pace out wide with man-of-the-match Steffan Emanuel pulling the strings at outside half in the 50-0 win.

It was an impressive and entertaining performance which lays down a marker in the new Super Rygbi Cymru competition, a remarkable turnaround after losing the opening game at Carmarthen Park this season.

It means they took over at the top from Bridgend following their Thursday night victory over Swansea 38-10, also picking up six points. Cardiff dominated the early exchanges but it was into the second quarter of the match before they finally put points on the board.

Having played so expansively, the try was a more pedestrian effort through the forwards with prop Marc Thomas going over from short range. Outside half Emanuel converted. They extended their lead when second row Sean Moore charged down a kick from the base of a ruck, regathered and had the strength to almost reach the line where his pass inside allowed hooker Gavin Parry to score. Emanuel added the extras.

The third try came from within their own half, taking Carmarthen Quins by surprise with a quick lineout on the right, spreading the ball left where outside centre Luke Pollock was able to slice through to score. Just when things were going smoothly for the home side, a massive spanner was thrown into the works shortly before half-time.

Cardiff flanker Hudd and Carmarthen hooker Sion Jones got into a squabble, but it was Hudd who overstepped the line and was red carded. They may have been down to 14 men, but Cardiff went straight on the attack at the start of the second half, a penalty earning a five metre lineout and replacement prop Joe Cowell scored from close range to earn the first bonus point. Emanuel added his fourth conversion.

Hooker Gavin Parry scored his second try from a driving lineout maul, then replacement back rower Benji Williams also went over from close range after a flowing move had got Cardiff up to the Carmarthen try line. Emanuel then got into the try scoring act, finding some space out wide to cut through in the corner to get his side’s seventh try.

Even though they were a man down, Cardiff were always able to cut through the Quins defence and after prop Cowell was put clear it was left wing Dewi Cross who came to the rescue with the pace to go all the way for the eighth try.

Newport and Aberavon had quite a tussle, with the Gwent side just coming out on top by 29-19. Aberavon had taken an early grip on the match through tries by Ashton Evans and Carwyn Lewis.

Newport skipper Ben Roach saw yellow and then scored a try in the first half to retake the lead, after Nathan Evans had scored to get the home side back into the game. Henry Palmer for Newport and Frankie Jones for Aberavon exchanged tries as it remained a one score game.

However Newport sealed the match and a bonus point when replacement back rower Kyle Taylor scored. Loosehead prop Tom Workman was the man-of-the-match in this hard fought contest.

Pontypool enjoyed a dominant first half performance against RGC, leading the North Wales side 29-13 at half time thanks to tries from Ieuan Jones, Dan Hills, Connor Chapman and Joel Mahoney.

RGC had taken the lead with an Ethan Fackrell try and also had a 65 metre penalty from Sam Earl-Jones. The North Wales side fought their way back through centre Danny Cross, but Pooler kept their noses comfortably in front with a Kieran Meek penalty which proved to be the last score of the match as it ended 32-20 to the home side at Pontypool Park.