Cardiff blanked Ospreys 26-0 at St Helen's, with a Bowen brace helping them climb back into the top half of the URC table.
Cardiff made the short trip west and came home with a statement result, shutting out Ospreys 26-0 in a gritty Welsh derby at St Helen's. The win lifts them back into the top half of the United Rugby Championship standings.
Bowen was the headline act with a double, giving Cardiff the cutting edge in a contest that was more about nerve than polish. Derby day rarely produces champagne rugby, and this one was no different: it was a tense, error-strewn affair in which the visitors simply made their chances count.
The real story, though, is at the back. Keeping a rival scoreless in a derby is a big marker of defensive discipline, and Cardiff held firm through the scrappy spells to leave Ospreys pointless on their own patch.
For Cardiff, it's a timely boost in a congested URC table, where every league point moves the standings. For Ospreys, a home blank in front of their own fans is a painful afternoon, and they will need to find answers in attack quickly.
