Connacht 15
Cardiff Blues 22
CONNACHT WERE UNABLE to give a winning send-off to their departing quartet of players at The Sportsground this evening.
Despite leading 15-3 after 45 minutes, after Matt Healy and Robbie Henshaw tries, Connacht conceded two quick scores to allow Cardiff Blues back into the tie. Dan Fish rounded off the Welsh side’s comeback with a try in the closing stages, meaning a disappointing farewell for Gavin Duffy, Dan Parks, Eoin Griffin and Frank Murphy, who all featured.
The home crowd were in vociferous form at kick-off and throughout a first-half that Connacht dominated. They hit the front with a Miah Nikora penalty, on 22 minutes, and went 10-0 up soon after when Matt Healy touched down a Kieran Marmion grubber kick. Gareth Davies scored a penalty on half-time to reduce the arrears.
There was further reason for home joy, on 45 minutes, as Henshaw burst through the visiting defence to score close to the corner. Nikora missed his conversion and worse was to follow. Hooker Jason Harris-Wright crumpled to the turf, after 53 minutes, and was stretchered off with a suspected neck injury.
When play resumed, after a lengthy stoppage for the Harris-Wright injury, John Muldoon did well to prevent a Blues maul from forcing a try but the pressure soon told and a penalty try was awarded. Blues scrum-half Lewis Jones’ break set up a score, on 58 minutes, and accelerated past the home defence to score.
All hope of a Connacht fightback was extinguished when Aly Muldowney was sent to the sin bin and Cardiff, exploiting their numerical advantage, scored through Fish. To compound matters, Eoin McKeon was then yellow-carded with five minutes to play.
No winning Sportsground farewell for Duffy, Parks & co. but the home crowd parked their deflation to give them a rousing send-off as they left the field.
Connacht: Darragh Leader (Gavin Duffy); Danie Poolman, Robbie Henshaw, Eoin Griffin, Matt Healy; Miah Nikora (Dan Parks), Kieran Marmion (Frank Murphy); Ronan Loughney (Denis Buckley), Jason Harris-Wright (Dave Heffernan), Rodney Ah You (Finlay Bealham); Aly Muldowney, Mick Kearney (Michael Swift); John Muldoon (c), Conor Gilsenan (Andrew Browne), Eoin McKeon.
