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Cardiff Blues 29 Connacht 7
Connacht coach Andy Friend confirmed that tight-headed prop Finlay Bealham and hooker Dave Heffernan will follow return-to-play protocols after sustaining head injuries during Saturday’s Pro14 loss in Cardiff.
The two players were selected into Andy Farrell’s Ireland team for the upcoming rescheduled Six Nations Championship matches against Italy and France. Friend explained: “Just a couple of EIS, probably Finlay at the beginning, five or six minutes (inside), Dave about 12 minutes into the game. They will only have to go through the EIS protocols.
“I thought Jack Aungier did really well, it’s 75 minutes of football.” He also explained why another member of the Ireland team, Jack Carty, was replaced in the 58th minute. “We know we are about to lose him (to Ireland) so it was an opportunity for (Conor) Fitzgerald.”
Three attempts in the last quarter of the game put a shine on the final score for the Cardiff Blues, their victory deserved if not the margin against a tired Connacht team. It was a disjointed display on the part of the visitors, marked by mistakes, indiscriminate kicks and a weak defense, but despite all those shortcomings, they created opportunities but were unable to seize them.
The pack worked hard for one man with replacement Augier, Eoghan Masterson, Conor Oliver, Quinn Roux and Jarrad Butler, accomplishing a great volume of work, but some of the transport was a bit telegraphed and easy to defend, particularly when Connacht was able to duplicate the carrier’s equipment.
Conor Oliver of Connacht scores a try against Cardiff. Photography: Inpho
Kieran Marmion and Carty plumbed the fringes, Alex Wootton turned the leftovers into something more palatable while Sammy Arnold and John Porch stood out for their contact footwork. Cardiff started brilliantly, Jarrod Evans took a penalty in the sixth minute, but it wasn’t until the 35th minute that they managed to reward their dominance with a try from Hallam Amos.
Connacht cut the deficit to 10-7 in the 56th minute with a try from Oliver after a good job from Arnold, but it was Cardiff who responded more positively at a time when they were one player down (the tight-headed prop Dillon Lewis was in the trash) when center Ray Lee-Lo pushed his way through a pair of flimsy tackles that tried to send Amos for his second try.
Another missed tackle allowed Josh Adams to enter the game at Connacht 22, and while trying to stop a three-on-one, Connacht wing Peter Sullivan dropped the ball; the result was a yellow card and a penalty try. Replacement hooker Kristian Dacey crossed for the extra point attempt in 73 minutes converted by Jason Tovey.
Scoring sequence – 6 minutes: Evans penalty, 3-0; 35 minutes: Amos attempt, Evans conversion, 10-0. Halftime: 10-0. 56 minutes: Oliver try, Carty conversion, 10-7; 63 minutes: Amos attempt, 15-7; 70 minutes: Penalty test, 22-7; 73 minutes: Dacey’s attempt, Tovey’s conversion, 29-7.
Cardiff Blues: M Morgan; J Adams, R Lee-Lo, W Halaholo, H Amos; J Evans, L. Williams; C Domachowski, K Myhill, D Lewis; S Davies, C Hill (captain); S Lewis-Hughes, O Robinson, J Botham. Replacements: K Dacey for Myhill 24 minutes; R Carré for Domachowski 58 minutes; D Arhip for Robinson 58-64 minutes; B Murphy for Davies 69 minutes; J Tovey for Evans 69 minutes; G Smith for Halaholo 69 minutes; Arhip for Lewis 69 minutes; A Lawrence for Botham 75 minutes; L Jones for Williams 75 minutes.
Connacht: J Porch; P Sullivan, S Arnold, B Aki, A Wootton; J Carty, K Marmion; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; G Thornbury, Q Roux; E Masterson, C Oliver, J Butler (Captain). Replacements: J Aungier for Bealham 8 minutes; S Delahunt for Heffernan 17 minutes; U Dillane to Thornbury 50 minutes; C Fitzgerald for Carty 58 minutes; J Duggan for Buckley 64 minutes; P Boyle for Oliver 64 minutes; S Kerins for Marmion 75 minutes; T Daly for Wootton 75 minutes.
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy).
Yellow card: D Lewis (Cardiff) 54 minutes. P Sullivan (Connacht) 70 minutes.
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