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A slow Connacht suffered a wide 29-7 loss to the Cardiff Blues in their Guinness Pro 14 encounter at Rodney Parade.
The Westerners’ trip to Wales on match day seemed to play a role as they were slow in the first half with the Blues scoring through Hallam Amos and the boot of fly-half Jarrod Evans.
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Andy Friend’s men failed to register a point before the break, but did score through Conor Oliver in the second period.
They didn’t take full advantage of an opposition yellow card and Amos’s second was the crucial marker of the game before a penalty try and one from Kristian Dacey gave the Blues a bonus point.
The Blues looked sure to score in just the second minute when Matthew Morgan and Lloyd Williams ran clear, but the Welsh team conceded a penalty for illegally getting into the ruck.
Evans kicked an early penalty and Connacht lost prop Finlay Bealham early on, as the Irish team started in reverse and saw their first attack repelled by a strong Blues defense.
Irish hooker Dave Heffernan was Connacht’s next forward to limp off the field and his opponent Kirby Myhill soon followed him up the wing.
There was a lot of effort from both sides, but also an inability to retain possession for long periods and a lack of leading edge in attack.
Finally, the Blues broke through in the 36th minute and it was no surprise that when Josh Adams was involved, a try soon came.
Morgan had started well and made the initial break before finding Adams who passed into Amos and ended with ease. Evans was converted.
It meant the Blues went 10-0 and Connacht had it all to do.
Early in the second half, the Blues lost possession in their own lane and Connacht had a series of restart scrums.
Their forwards caught and went repeatedly, but once again they couldn’t hold the ball and they missed another golden opportunity. Williams cleared the danger for the Blues.
Connacht still had full field position and this time they used their lineout to reject kickable penalties.
Blues mainstay Dillon Lewis was given a yellow card for illegally trying to stop the set piece, but the try had to come and he did when wing Oliver jumped between the posts.
Jack Carty converted, but with one man less the Blues delivered a crucial blow when Rey Lee-Lo made the crucial break and Amos finished in the corner.
Evans failed to convert, but the attempt was crucial as the Blues once again held a 15 and eight point lead.
The Blues seemed sure to take a third try when they had a big overlap left. Dacey tried to find Amos for his hat-trick, but the ball was knocked down.
Referee Gianluca Gnecchi consulted the TMO, who rightly conceded a penalty try and Connacht forward Peter O’Sullivan, with a yellow card, for stopping what would have been a designated score with the deliberate knock-on.
The automatic seven points and a one-man lead for the Blues made the game safe and there was still time for Dacey to add shine to the scoreboard with Jason Tovey converting.
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