Now the Wales U20 full back is hoping to back up that performance in the final shoot-out with Llandovery at the Arms Park on Sunday, 21 May (kick-off 5.15pm) to give himself a pre-Junior World Cup boost before heading to South Africa with the Welsh age grade side.
If the 20-year-old can leave these shores with two medals in his pocket, then his confidence should be sky high before meeting the Junior All Blacks at Paarl Gymnasium on 24 June.
“We’ve got some tough games coming up in the World Cup this summer, facing New Zealand, France and Japan. We’ll need to be on our best form to be able to compete in those games,” said Winnett.
“I’m still young so I still feel like I need a lot of experience at this stage of my career. The experience of playing in big games like the cup final against Newport or the semi final last week will be really good for me later in my career,” said Winnett.
“Sunday will be the same again. Getting games like these under my belt can only be good for me. Llandovery play a dangerous and exciting brand of rugby and I can’t wait to face them. Home advantage will be massive for us
“The semi-final against Newport was an intense game with a lot of ball-in-play time. It was nice to top the league during the regular season but we know that we need to do in the play-offs.
“We now need to show why we were top of the league and why we should be winning the play-offs and lifting the trophy.”
Winnett is joined in the Blue & Blacks side by three other current Wales U20 players in Harrison James, who starts at No 10, and back row duo Mackenzie Martin and Lucas de la Rua, who are on the bench.
Mackenzie Martin in action for Wales U20
All bar Winnett are still teenagers, while Steve Law has picked a bench that features seven current Cardiff Rugby Academy players.
“It was a class experience in the cup final, to be walking out on the Principality Stadium pitch. It gave me goosebumps and it was a nice experience to play there,” said Winnett.
“I try to take everything that I can from being around the seniors, especially watching players in the same position. You also pick up the way they conduct themselves around the environment.
“Those learnings, no matter which squad I’m involved with – the RFC, Wales U20 or the first team at Cardiff – have been good for me to learn from. I need to continue doing that.”
Cardiff will start as favourites to hang onto the title they won last year and are aiming for the league and cup double for the first time. It was their 21-7 win over Newport that set up the home final against the Drovers, who overcame Merthyr 16-13 to make it a straight shoot-out between the top two teams in the regular league season.
But while Llandovery head coach Euros Evans concedes his side will travel as underdogs, he knows his players have already beaten the Blue & Blacks twice this season – and five times in the past 10 clashes.
