Cardiff fell to a narrow 38 – 35 defeat against Benetton in the European Challenge Cup, despite producing a spirited fightback from 14 – 0 down, with Alun Lawrence reflecting on both the resilience shown and the frustration of a late, contentious decision.

The visitors made a difficult start, conceding two early tries to trail by 14 points, but grew into the contest. Lawrence pointed to the character within the squad as a key factor in shifting momentum.

“We showed a lot of heart to get back into that game,” he said. “Going 14 – 0 down early on, it would have been easy for heads to drop, but we stuck at it and worked our way back.”

Lawrence was candid in his assessment of where the game slipped away, pointing to errors on both a personal and collective level.

“There were mistakes, for me and for the team,” he admitted. “At this level, those moments add up and can cost you.”

While encouraged by the attacking output, he stressed the importance of accuracy in key passages, particularly during momentum swings.

“We put ourselves in a position to win it, which is pleasing, but we’ve got to be better in those small details,” he said. “If we tidy that up, we turn performances like this into results.”

Cardiff’s response saw them not only close the gap but take the game deep into a tense final quarter, with both sides trading scores in an open encounter that ultimately produced 11 tries.

“There were positives in how we attacked and how we stayed in the fight,” Lawrence added. “We’ve worked very hard on that side of our game, and I think that showed.”

Jacob Beetham scored his second try of the match from an interception in the 54th minute, forcing the two sides into a close fought final 25 minutes.

However, the closing stages were overshadowed by a controversial decision that denied Cardiff what they believed was a match-winning try. Lawrence did not hide his disappointment.

“We definitely felt we’d scored at the end there,” he said. “It’s tough to take when a decision like that goes against you, especially in such a big moment.”

Despite the disappointing finish and ultimate exit from European competition, attention quickly turns to the league campaign, with Cardiff still targeting a spot in the URC top 8.

“We’ve got four big games left now, including important ones against the Scarlets and the Ospreys,” Lawrence said. “If we can take the positives from this and tighten up a few areas, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”

While the final scoreline was a bitter pill to swallow, Cardiff’s response from an early deficit offered encouragement heading into the closing weeks of the season.