Cardiff claimed their 22nd successive league win over the Dragons to move up to second in the URC table.

It was a nail-biting Boxing Day encounter in front of a 12,125 sell out at the Arms Park with the game going deep into stoppage time.

But despite being down to 14 men following a yellow card for Josh McInally, Cardiff held out in the face of a prolonged late onslaught to take the spoils.

It had been 12-12 at the break with prop Javan Sebastian and flanker Alex Mann touching down in between Che Hope crossing twice for the visitors.

Wales wing Josh Adams then went over to put the hosts in front early in the second half ahead of the dramatic finale.

Cardiff showed four changes from last weekend’s narrow defeat to the Scarlets, all up front, with Taulupe Faletau, Mann, Rhys Barratt and Rory Thornton promoted from the bench.

It was the same amount of rotation from the Dragons with former Cardiff favourite Thomas Young and Wales No 8 Aaron Wainwright coming in among four switches from the eye-catching 48-28 victory over Connacht.

The visitors went into the game buoyed by having claimed back–to-back wins for the first time since 2022 and that confidence was evident as they applied early pressure which was rewarded with a try on seven minutes.

Following a spillage by Mason Grady, Tongan centre Fine Inisi burst down the touchline and gave an inside pass to Rio Dyer who delivered the scoring offload from the deck to scrum-half Hope.

Cardiff gradually began to work their way into the contest and struck back as they took the lead with a converted try off a tap penalty. After carries by Liam Belcher, Barrret and Aled Davies, it was tighthead Javan Sebastian who provided the finish as he stretched over the line.

They then went further ahead on 29 minutes after a sustained passage of attacking culminated in a try for Wales blindside Mann.

With the ball moved from right to left off a scrum, Grady – who was proving a real handful – made good ground down his wing, with Belcher and Sebastian both going close before Mann dived over.

But the Dragons swiftly responded with a try carved out by former Cardiff fly-half Tinus de Beer and finished off by Hope who claimed a brace for the second game in a row.

South African De Beer put in a neat left footed grubber to feed Dyer who once again gave a scoring pass to No 9 Hope, with full-back Angus O’Brien converting to make it 12-12 at the break.

When play resumed, Cardiff came flying out of the block and swiftly went back in front with a really well worked try for Josh Adams.

After strong carries from Grady and Faletau set the attack in motion, Harri Millard straightened in midfield, with co-centre Ben Thomas providing the delayed scoring pass to send Adams in at the left corner, ahead of Sheedy adding the conversion from wide out.

The hosts continued to keep the throttle down and their sustained pressure drew a succession of penalties which culminated in a yellow card for replacement flanker Harrison Keddie just before the hour.

The ten minute sin bin period went by without a score, but then Sheedy slotted a penalty to stretch the gap ahead of a nerve jangling conclusion.

Two minutes from time, De Beer took a quick tap and went for the line with the resulting TMO review seeing the award of a penalty try and a yellow card for lock McInally for not being back ten metres.

That set up a grandstand finish and some seven minutes of added time as the Dragons threw everything into attack.

But 14-man Cardiff held firm with Dan Thomas claiming the final jackal penalty to clinch the win.