DAI YOUNG‘S Cardiff Blues never recovered from the concession of a brace of tries from Connacht wing Alex Wootton just before the break at the Sportsground.
The Blues saw a 10-6 lead turned around into a 20-10 interval deficit as the on-loan winger raced in for two tries inside five minutes.
Skipper Josh Turnbull said that left them chasing the game: “We lacked execution at key moments and that cost us dearly. Those tries before half-time came from our errors andwere costly.”
Cardiff did all the early running. With 83 per cent possession in the opening ten minutes they eventually hit the front when a superb break down the left by Aled Summerhill led to a penalty which they kicked to the corner. Several drives later loosehead Rhys Carré got over for his first try for the Blues and if you’re looking to try something new, visit Playamo.com.
Jack Carty pulled back a couple of penalties for Connacht but Cardiff hit back and extended their lead 15 minutes from the break. Connacht hooker Dave Heffernan did not release tighthead Dimitri Arhip in the tackle and Tovey converted the easy penalty for 10-6.
But Connacht took over from there. A brace of tries from Wootton in a blistering five minute spell pushed them 20-10 in front by the break and left the Blues chasing the game.
The 26-year old, soon to make his loan move from Munster permanent, got his ninth try of the season when he came off his right wing to score in the left corner.
And then just before the break Irish squad members, lock Ultan Dillane and hooker Dave Heffernan, combined and Wootton stepped inside several tackles to score with Carty continuing his flawless kicking to add both conversions.
Tovey hit the post with a penalty from 25 metres seven minutes after the restart but with Connacht unable to make good possession count, Cardiff got right back into contention when they went to the corner with a penalty.
After several phases replacement loosehead Corey Domachowski got over. Matthew Morgan converting to leave it 20-17 with 15 minutes remaining.
Connacht struck back two minutes later when they were rewarded by going to the corner with skipper Jarrad Butler getting over for their third try and Abraham Papali’i secured the bonus point two minutes from time.
Connacht v Cardiff Blues – player ratings
CONNACHT: Porch 7 (O’Halloran 65, 6); Wootton 9, Daly 7 (O’Brien 78, 6), Aki 6, Healy 6; Carty 7, Blade 7 (Marmion 59, 6); Duggan 7 (Buckley 47, 6), Heffernan 6 (Delahunt 56, 6), Bealham 7 (Aungier 58, 6); Dillane 7, Thornbury 7 (Dowling 47, 6); Masterson 7 (Papali’i 72, 6), Butler (c) 7, Boyle 6
CARDIFF BLUES: Morgan 8; Lane 7, Millard 6 (Llewellyn 54, 6), Lee-Lo 6, Summerhill 7; Tovey 7 (Fish 59, 6), Williams 7; Carré 7 (Domachowski 54, 6), Belcher 6 (Myhill 54, 6), Arhip 6 (Assiratti 47, 6); Davies 7 (Murphy 66, 6), Thornton 6; Lewis- Hughes 6, Jenkins 7 (Bradley 68, 6), Turnbull (c) 7
Not used: Hill
REFEREE: Andrew Brace
Star man: Alex Wootton – Connacht
