Cardiff 19

Connacht 28

Nathan Johns reports at the Cardiff Arms Park 

CONNACHT SECURED THE top seed in the Challenge Cup last-16, and with it a home run to the competition’s semi-finals, thanks to a bonus point victory on their travels in Cardiff.

Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Byron Ralston and Matthew Devine found the necessary scores as Connacht survived a second half yellow card for Conor Oliver, withstanding a bout of Cardiff pressure before pulling away in the final quarter.

In a first half defined by errors, Bundee Aki was a lone source of slick handling, his decision making on the ball crucial to Connacht’s scores. His clever front door pass to Josh Murphy sent the second row under the posts to break the deadlock. Later on in the half, Aki’s fend and offload combination inside the 22 resulted in Joyce giving the visitors the lead at the break.

Those scores came at either end of a half in which both sides were guilty of coughing up possession. Cardiff were also a disruptive force at the breakdown, while their lone moment of attacking joy came when hooker Evan Lloyd finished off a break from fellow frontrow Rhys Barratt in between the Connacht scores.

Despite the errors, the Irish province looked far more assured in attack, particularly with their first phase strike moves.

They were on the back foot, though, early in the second half as Conor Oliver was sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on. Cardiff capitalised immediately, Thomas Young spotting a gap close to the ruck to level under the posts.

Connacht survived the rest of their time down a man thanks largely to a pair of botched Cardiff lineouts. Josh Ioane, a constant running threat behind Aki’s pull-backs, hit the post with a penalty just before Oliver returned. Cardiff spilled the rebound, offering Connacht a scrum five metres out. Back to 15 men, they used the platform well, Aki, Ioane and Santiago Cordero displaying beautiful hands to send Ralston over in the corner.

Cardiff continued to make Connacht work for the result, Young’s attempted grubber taking a wicked deflection into the arms of Ellis Bevan who returned the ball to the backrow to cross for his second. Ben Thomas missed the wide conversion as Connacht remained two points ahead as the clock ticked into the final quarter.

The game’s defining moment came with 15 minutes to go. Cian Prendergast punched through a weak tackle close to the 22, finding Matthew Devine on the inside support line. JJ Hanrahan, in his first game back since a serious knee injury, kicked the conversion to stretch the lead to nine.

Bonus point secured, that was the game’s final score as Connacht held out their hosts in the final 10 minutes. They will find out their last-16 opponents once the weekend’s Challenge Cup action concludes.

Cardiff scorers:

Tries: Evan Lloyd, Thomas Young (2),

Conversions: Ben Thomas [2 from 3]

Connacht scorers:

Tries: Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Byron Ralston, Matthew Devine,

Conversions: Josh Ioane [3 from 3], JJ Hanrahan [1 from 1]

Penalties: Josh Ioane [0 from 1]

Cardiff: Jacob Beetham; Gabe Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo (Cameron Winnett, 71), Rory Jennings, Tom Bowen; Ben Thomas (capt), Ellis Bevan (Johan Mulder, 60); Rhys Barratt (Efan Daniel, 60), Evan Lloyd (Danny Southworth, 60), Kieron Assiratti (Rhys Litterick, 60); Josh McNally (Seb Davies, 53), Teddy Williams; Alex Mann, Thomas Young (Rory Thornton, 67), Alun Lawrence.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero (JJ Hanrahan, 62); Chay Mullins (David Hawkshaw, 58), Piers O’Connor, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy (Matthew Devine, 60); Peter Dooley (Jordan Duggan, 64), Dave Heffernan (Eoin de Buitléar, 67), Finlay Bealham (Jack Aungier, 60); Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce (David O’Connor, 62); Cian Prendergast (capt), Conor Oliver (Sean Jansen, 58), Paul Boyle.

Yellow card: Conor Oliver

Referee: Morne Ferreira (SA)