MAGNERS LEAGUE Connacht 18 Cardiff 16:IF CONNACHT were looking for a turnaround in fortunes, then they will hope last evening's victory will ignite their season.
This was a win achieved on the back of a spirited pack, a tenacious and well-organised defence and the desperate need to redeem themselves after their hammering at the hands of Edinburgh.
And the attack, limited in previous games, was not found wanting with two tries posted to Cardiff’s single effort in the opening five minutes.
It now gives Connacht much-needed confidence as they head into the first of the interprovincials against Ulster in what coach Michael Bradley has always regarded as a critical fixture.
If this match proves a catalyst for the season, then Connacht’s 60th-minute try proved a defining moment.
Behind 10-8, Connacht forced the penalty from the ruck which resulted in Cardiff flanker Ma’ama Molitika sent to the sinbin. From a penalty kicked to touch, Connacht found themselves camped on the line. Drive after drive was repelled by the Cardiff pack before Frank Murphy sent the ball out on the short side to centre Troy Nathan.
Forced into touch inches from the line, he managed to fling the ball out to Ian Keatley, who did well to control and set up the forwards again. Finally, when Murphy opted once again to go blind, Brian Tuohy delivered to Fionn Carr who finished off in the right corner. When Keatley added the conversion, it gave Connacht the lead for the first time.
It was a deserved reward after an opening half in which Connacht had failed to capitalise on three penalty attempts before replacement outhalf Ian Keatley struck a 36th-minute effort.
An opening try from the Blues also had Connacht on the back foot. Within five minutes fullback Ben Blair crossed in the left corner, the direct result of a wheeled scrum. The scrum proved something of a pick’n’mix all night – either popping up or collapsing – and on this occasion it was at Connacht’s expense as Blair found Jamie Roberts and Chris Czekaj before squeezing in at the corner himself, and converting.
But Cardiff never looked like scoring again. Their kicking strategy did keep Connacht pinned back, but the three-quarters dealt with everything that came their way, while the defensive efforts of Keith Matthews, Carr and Nathan kept Roberts and co at bay.
Instead it was Connacht who found some rhythm, keeping the ball alive through several phases to win a penalty. Miah Nikora, in his first game for Connacht, missed the 38-metre penalty, and the left-footed kicker missed a simple effort some four minutes later, after a surging run from flanker Ray Ofisa.
Although Ben Blair struck again in the 24th minute to stretch the lead, Connacht continued to control much of the proceedings and were rewarded when Keatley posted a penalty before the break.
Connacht withstood a second-half attack from Cardiff when John Muldoon forced the turnover just yards from the line. It gave the home side the momentum to regain the initiative, and when Carr once again opted to hack ahead, this time from an attacking position, he won the race to the ball to grab his first try.
Connacht then struck again with the try of the night to set up a grand-stand finish. Cardiff wrested control and two penalties from Blair had them within two points after 73 minutes. But it was not to be their night.
CONNACHT: G Duffy; B Tuohy, T Nathan, K Matthews, F Carr; M Nikora, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, J Hagan, A Browne, B Upton, J Muldoon (capt), R Ofisa, M McComish. Replacements: I Keatley for Nikora (25 mins), M McCarthy for Browne (54 mins), J O'Connor for Ofisa, A Flavin for Cronin (both 71 mins), R Loughney for Hagan (73 mins).
CARDIFF BLUES: B Blair; L Halfpenny, C Czekaj, G Thomas, J Roberts; C Sweeney, R Rees; J Yapp, G Williams, T Filise, B Davies, P Tito (capt), M Molitika, S Warburton, X Rush. Replacements: G Evans for Roberts (h-t), TR Thomas for G Williams (63 mins), S Norton-Knight for Sweeney (60 mins), D Jones for Davies, A Powell for Molitika (both 65 mins), G Cooper for Rees (70 mins).
Referee: N Paterson(SRU).
