Cardiff edge out Leinster to boost play-off hopes — and more

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff (3) 8

Try: A Davies Pen: Sheedy

Leinster (0) 7

Try: McGrath Con: Tector

Cardiff took a huge step towards making the United Rugby Championship play-offs by ending Leinster's winning streak at a rain-lashed Arms Park.

The Blue and Blacks climbed to third in the table by recording their first win against the Irish province since January 2022.

The hosts led 3-0 at the break in horrendous conditions and went into the final quarter 8-0 to the good thanks to scrum-half Aled Davies' counter-attack try.

Leinster struck with a converted try by their scrum-half Luke McGrath in the 68th minute and suddenly Cardiff, down to 14 men after a yellow card for Jacob Beetham, were creaking.

However, they held on and killed the clock expertly to end the champions' winning run in all competitions at 11 games.

• URC: Cardiff beat champions Leinster - as it happened
• Thomas' reward after 'begging' for Wales release
• Dragons aim to avenge Benetton hammering

Cardiff are level on points with second-placed Leinster and crucially have a 15-point lead over those aiming to break into the top eight.

Testing conditions meant the only score of the first half came through the boot of Callum Sheedy, with the Cardiff fly-half knocking over a 19th-minute penalty.

The Blue and Blacks were left to rue the lack of a cutting edge in the 22, especially when Leinster had a spell down to 14 men courtesy of a yellow card for Charlie Tector for a high and late hit on Ben Thomas.

Tector had been introduced after just three minutes when the Irish province lost fly-half Harry Byrne, their only player released from Six Nations duty, to a head injury.

That was an enforced change but four of his fellow replacements – including former France tight-head prop Rabah Slimani and giant South Africa lock RG Snyman – were introduced by Leo Cullen with four minutes of the first half to play.

Cardiff continued to have the territorial edge at the start of the second half, despite playing into the wind, and Davies came up with a key score in the 54th minute.

Jimmy O'Brien failed to find touch with a clearance and the scrum-half ran a good supporting line to finish off the counter-attack, sparked by Cam Winnett and Mason Grady, from flanker Dan Thomas' pass.

Leinster trailed 8-0 and needed to respond, with their hopes boosted by a yellow card for Cardiff wing Beetham on 65 minutes after he was tempted into a deliberate knock-on.

Two minutes later the visitors were over when scrum-half McGrath finished off after a line break and neat offload by replacement full-back Andrew Osborne.

Tector added the simple extras to make it a one-point game but Cardiff held their nerve to earn a vital, and deserved, victory.

Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl said: "We adapted well to the conditions because it was easier to play without the ball, so the kicking came into play.

"Leinster are a quality outfit with what they have done over the years and it was good chance for us to measure ourselves. I was pleased with the game plan and how things unfolded."

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said: "I thought that Cardiff deserved the win.

"I am disappointed for our guys, there was lots of good effort and intent but we could get into the game. That was because Cardiff were better with their kicking strategy."

How they lined up

Cardiff: Winnett; Beetham, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Lawrence, D Thomas, Basham.

Replacements: D Hughes, Southworth, Assiratti, Thornton, E Rees, Mulder, I Lloyd, Bowen.

Yellow card: Beetham 65

Leinster: O'Brien; Kenny, Ioane, Henshaw, Moloney, Byrne; Gunne, Cahir, McKee, Sparrow, Spicer, Deeny, Deegan (capt), Penny, Culhane.

Replacements: McCarthy, Usanov, Slimani, Snyman, Ericson, McGrath, Tector, Osborne.

Yellow card: Tector 12

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (Wales) & Carwyn Sion (Wales)

TMO: David Sutherland (Scotland)

Draws will be on Tuesday Credits: João Gabriel Alves/CBF

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) will hold the draws for the Copa do Nordeste, Copa Verde, and Copa Sul-Sudeste on Tuesday (3), starting at 2 PM. The event will take place at the entity's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and will be broadcast by CBF TV.

COPA DO NORDESTE

A total of 20 clubs will compete in the Copa do Nordeste. In the first phase, the teams will be divided into four groups with five clubs each.

There will be 60 matches over ten dates, with a maximum of 10 dates for the finalists. The champion of the 2026 Copa do Nordeste will secure a spot in the third phase of the 2027 Copa do Brasil.

The 20 participating clubs will begin their quest for the title on March 25. The champion will be known on June 7, when the second leg of the final is scheduled.

COPA VERDE

The Copa Verde was created by the CBF in 2014. This year, the competition reaches its 13th edition. It will be the largest Copa Verde in history, with 24 clubs from the North, Central-West regions, and Espírito Santo, divided into two blocks with 12 clubs each: the Copa Norte and the Copa Centro-Oeste. The champion of each will secure a spot in the third phase of the 2027 Copa do Brasil.

There will be 70 matches over ten dates, with at least six games for 12 clubs, a maximum of 10 games for the finalists, starting on March 25 and ending on June 7, a period exclusive to the competition. The competition is divided into four phases: in the first, the 24 clubs are divided into four groups of six clubs, with two from the Copa Norte and two from the Copa Centro-Oeste.

COPA SUL-SUDESTE

Created by the CBF to be contested starting this season, the first edition of the Copa Sul-Sudeste will feature 12 clubs, with teams from the South and Southeast regions participating. The champion will secure a spot in the third phase of the 2027 Copa do Brasil.

There will be 42 matches over ten dates, with at least six games for 12 clubs, a maximum of 10 games for the finalists, starting on March 25 and ending on June 7, a period exclusive to the competition. The Copa Sul-Sudeste will have three phases: in the first phase, each club will play three home games and three away games; the semifinals and final will be decided in home-and-away matches.

PRESS ACCREDITATION

Journalists interested in covering the event must register via email: [email protected]. The message must include full name, CPF, company, role, and contact phone number. The registration deadline is until 2 PM this Monday (2). Incomplete and late requests will not be accepted.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Minnesota United vs. FC Cincinnati

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV
Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500
Weather: 18 degrees, overcast, 8 mph south wind
Betting line: MNUFC plus-105; draw plus-265; Cincinnati plus-210

Form: MNUFC (0-0-1, 1 point) earned a 2-2 draw with Austin FC in the season opener after Kelvin Yeboah scored in the 90th minute last Saturday. Cincinnati (1-0-0, 3 points) got two second-half goals for a 2-0 win over Atlanta United last week.

Big question: Will the stars play?

MNUFC midfielder James Rodriguez completed his first full week of training this week and head coach Cameron Knowles said the Colombian star will be available to make his MLS debut. Knowles said James’ first game for Minnesota is not inevitable this weekend and his possible role will be determined how the game plays out and what it needs. A role off the bench seems most likely.

Cincinnati midfielder Evander subbed out of the season opener with an apparent hamstring injury, but coach Pat Noonan didn’t rule out the one-name Brazilian for this weekend.

Context: It will be one of the coldest home games in Loons’ history and Knowles knows his team needs give fans a reason to bundle up and endure the weather.

“One, to be very difficult to breakdown, and two, to entertain,” Knowles said. “… It’s going to be cold. We want to give them energy as much as they give it to us.”

Check-in: For late February, Allianz Field’s natural grass surface got positive reviews from Knowles and captain Michael Boxall.

“The pitch is in fantastic condition considering the time of year,” Knowles said.

Comment: Knowles expressed support for former Loons manager Eric Ramsay, who was fired by West Bromwich Albion earlier this week. Ramsay was winless in nine total games for the club in the English second-tier.

“He’s a fantastic person and obviously a fantastic coach and hopefully his next opportunity is a good one for him,” Knowles said.

Scouting report: The Loons conceded two goals last week — one on a corner kick and one on a back-post finish. They will need to clean up its defensive issues against striker Kevin Denkey. The former Cercle Brugge player had 15 goals in MLS last season and one already this campaign.

Prediction: Cincinnati finished second in the MLS’ overall standings last season and appear to be ready for another top-tier season. But what the heck, let’s predict pure cinema: Minnesota gets a winning-goal contribution from James’ left foot in crunch time. Loons win 2-1.

Related Articles

• Minnesota United fans embrace rebel loon logo to help community hurt by ICE
• For 10th anniversary season, Minnesota United identifies 63 top moments
• Former Loons coach Eric Ramsay fired at West Bromwich Albion
• Kelvin Yeboah kept the faith to produce big goal in Loons’ season opener
• German soccer club calls off trip to Minnesota amid ICE raids

Much has been made about Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq's talent on the field, as he's far and away the top tight end in the 2026 draft class. Considering his athleticism, there's high anticipation and excitement for how he'll perform during testing, if he chooses to do so in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine.

But it's something else that's stuck out thus far during his time at the combine.

"He’s walking into interviews and explaining exactly what everybody else's assignment is," NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said. "I had one guy say 'it was the best interview I've ever had.'"

At the combine, players are picked apart by not only the media, but more importantly by NFL teams. Private interviews are conducted, where players meet with team coaches and executives. It's essentially a meet and greet with some high-level football analysis and film breakdowns mixed in.

Mike Garafolo on Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq’s interviews:

"He’s walking into interviews and explaining exactly what everybody else's assignment is. I had one guy say 'it was the best interview I've ever had.'" pic.twitter.com/fokf8zYV9F

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 27, 2026

And, per Garafolo's words, Sadiq's football acumen and IQ has been on full display, impressing teams along the way with his deep knowledge of the Oregon playbook. He has a quiet nature about him, but when prodded by NFL teams, it appears that Sadiq is blowing the interviews out of the water.

On Thursday, former Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman lauded the Oregon program for developing him in 2025 after transferring in after two standout seasons at Purdue. Though all of his counting stats dropped, his open-field tackling — a weakness in his game, per his own words — improved greatly, to the point where Thieneman feels like he excels at that part of the game.

Though Sadiq was at Oregon for all three seasons, it's clear that the program that head coach Dan Lanning is conducting is preparing players for the next level — with both on-field ability and the cerebral part of the game.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. 

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Kenyon Sadiq making a good impression among NFL teams at the combine

Andy Farrell has demonstrated a definite shift in mindset during the Six Nations, offering a clear path to ending his remarkable stint as head coach on an incredible high.