Connacht 32 Cardiff Blues 17

Guinness Pro14, February twentieth 2021.

Connacht 32 Cardiff 17

The Sportsground, Galway @ 7:35pm

Referee: Andrew Brace (IFRU)

A primary-half brace of tries from Alex Wootton despatched Connacht properly on their solution to their first house win since early December. The house facet had been struggling to search out their rhythm previous to his first searing rating. Nonetheless, after that they by no means seemed again. He added a second three minutes later as a shellshocked Cardiff facet went into the the dressing room at half time questioning how they had been all of a sudden ten factors in arrears. Cardiff did reduce that hole to a few factors simply after the hour mark. Nonetheless, an instantaneous reposte from captain Jarrad Butler dispelled any notions the guests had of a comeback. Abraham Papali’i bonus level attempt close to the loss of life was the icing on the cake for Andy Good friend’s males.

Pre-match information

Dai Younger was pressured into late adjustments to his Cardiff facet. 18-year-old Mason Grady had been named to make his first begin for the membership in yesterday’s workforce announcement. Nonetheless, an unsure COVID take a look at return meant that each Grady and Ben Thomas had been unable to journey. Harri Millard got here in to the staring line-up, whereas Max Llewellyn and Dan Fish joined the replacements.

Connacht received the toss and selected to play from the faculty highway finish, in direction of the Bohermore finish within the first-half. The robust southerly breeze was coming throughout the pitch and never notably favouring both facet.

Early motion

Cardiff drove over for the video games first attempt on 11 minutes. Rhys Carre was on the top of drive off the again of line out. Jason Tovey added the extras. Connacht responded 4 minutes later with three factors from Jack Carty from an offside penalty.  The hole was lowered to a single level on 22 minutes, when Carty despatched over a penalty from 18 yards straight in entrance of the posts. 

Simply earlier than the half hour Jason Tovey re-established a 4 level lead for the Blues after Connacht had been pinged for not rolling away. 

4 minutes earlier than the break Alex Wootton lit up the sport. He discovered a spot in midfield and turned on the afterburners to carve trough the Cardiff reargaurd. He took an arcing run previous the quilt to hurry in untouched. Carty added a fantastic conversion from the lefthand facet. 

Wotton repeated the trick simply three minutes later. This time on the other facet of the sphere. Gavin Thornbury fed Wootton and as soon as once more he eased tru a spot to race clear over the quilt from simply exterior the Cardiff 22. The conversion from Carty gave Andy Good friend’s facet a ten level lead on the interval

Half-time: Connacht 20 Cardiff 10. 

Jason Tovey noticed his penalty rebound off the put up six minutes into the second-half. Cardiff had been awarded that after Bundee Aki was adjudged to be off his ft on the breakdown. Cardiff did add to their tally on 63 minutes when after a slick looped transfer off a line-out they recycled the ball from shut in a mauled over for the rating. Dan Fish who changed Tovey 5 minutes earlier added the conversion to carry Cardiff again inside three. 

Connacht responded to the Cardiff rating inside three minutes. A maul off a 5 yard lineout noticed captain Jarrad Butler drive over. Carty failed so as to add the additional’s into the enamel of the wind. Substitute Abraham Papali’i rounded off a fantastic evening for the Homeside when he powered over for the bonus level rating. Which got here off a 5m scrum that was awarded when Reynold Lee-Lo carried the ball over his personal line as he slid to collect a kick downfield from Connacht’s Tom Daly.  Carty’s conversion introduced his private tally to 12 factors for the evening.  

Pro14 standings

Munster nonetheless paved the way in Convention B. Their win away to fifth positioned Edinburgh sees them prime the desk on 46 factors. Connacht consolidate second place within the group as they transfer as much as 37 factors, whereas Scarlets leapfrog their Welsh neighbours Cardiff and climb to 3rd after their 41-17 win over Treviso earlier at this time. 

Groups

Connacht: 15. John Porch, 14. Alex Wootton, 13. Tom Daly, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Matt Healy, 10. Jack Carty, 9. Caolin Blade, 1. Jordan Duggan, 2. Dave Heffernan, 3. Finlay Bealham, 4. Ultan Dillane, 5. Gavin Thornbury, 6. Eoghan Masterson, 7. Jarrad Butler, 8. Paul Boyle. Replacements: Shane Delahunt for Heffernan 57’, Denis Buckley for Duggan 47’, Jack Angier for Bealham 57’, Oisin Dowling for Thornbury 47’, Abraham Papali’i for Boyle 72’, Kieran Marmion for Blade 57’, Sean J O’Brein,  Tiernan O’Halloran for Porch 65’. 

Cardiff: 15. Matthew Morgan, 14.Owen Lane, 13. Harri Millard, 12. Reynold Lee-Lo, 11. Aled Summerhill, 10. Jason Tovey, 9. Lloyd Williams, 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Liam Belcher, 3. Dimitri Arhip, 4. Seb Davies, 5. Rory Thornton, 6. Shane Lewis-Hughes, 7. Ellis Jenkins, 8.Josh Turnbull. Replacements: Kirby Myhill for Belcher 55’, Corey Domachowski for Carre 55’, Kieron Assiratti for Arhip 58’, Ben Murphy for Davies 65’, Gwilym Bradley, Jamie Hill, Max Llewellyn for Millard 55’, Dan Fish for Tovey 58’.

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