The Blues kept the Magners League alive for another 24 hours at least after wracking up their biggest away win of the season at Connacht. Gareth Thomas wrapped up an emphatic team performance with the Blues’ fifth score in the final minute to complete a job well done for Dai Young’s men in Ireland.
The bonus-point victory will surely be too late to effect the destiny of the title with Leinster needing just two points from Saturday’s clash with the Dragons, however, the win will ensure that the Blues finish as the top Welsh region in the Magners League, while giving their neighbours the Dragons a huge help-in-hand in their quest to finish above Connacht and qualify for the end-of-season Heineken Cup play-off.
Thomas sealed the win in the final minute after Tom James, Ben White, Xavier Rush and Gareth Williams earned the bonus point. A successful journey was marred only by a cynical yellow card for Thomas and an injury, though not serious, to Martyn Williams.
The Blues were made to wait before taking maximum points. Despite dominating possession, they struggled to make any headway against the combination of a tenacious Connacht midfield and the swirling Galway breeze whipping off the Atlantic while two early penalties from Kiwi outside-half Troy Nathan left them chasing a six-point deficit inside ten minutes.
Coach Dai Young named a near full-strength team for this potential banana-skin on the west coast of Ireland, with bragging rights to finish above their three back home at stake and it was not long before the Blues’ strength told. With little change out wide, Thomas and Rush engineered a change in tactics with a more direct approach, hammering away at Connacht’s door until Rhys Thomas made the telling half-break.
The hooker sucked in defenders and Jason Spice ensured Nick Robinson got the ball in his hands with time and space. Robinson released Tom Shanklin and Ben Blair before following up to deliver the scoring pass to James. Just seven minutes later and flanker Ben White, an early replacement for Martyn Williams, picked up and cantered under the posts following good work from Gethin Jenkins. Blair converted while Nathan missed the target twice to hand the Blues a 15-7 lead at half-time that they thoroughly deserved.
The Blues wasted no time in picking up where they left off at the start of the second half as Rush galloped over on 43 minutes. Ben Blair instigated the counter attack from half-way after Connacht cleared their lines. The full-back tore into the green shirts before Robinson took up the reigns, skipping through one tackle before checking his run to find the imposing figure of Rush thundering on his left-hand side. It was always going to more than wing Ofisa Treviranus to stop the giant former All Black from twenty metres out.
That should have opened the door for a bonus point but the Blues were forced to sit back for ten minutes while Thomas sat in the sin bin for a rash challenge on Andy Dunne. Thomas was utterly wrong-footed and kicked out as he went to ground, tripping the Connacht playmaker who was forced to leave the field minutes later.
When Thomas returned, the Blues regained momentum though it was not until hooker Williams pounced, after charging down Nathan’s clearance, that they got the precious fourth score. Thomas followed minutes later from Mamma Molitika’s off-load before an injury-time consolation score from Colm Rigny.
Connacht 11 Cardiff Blues 39
Connacht: G Duffy; M Mostyn (O Treviranus, 17), M Deane (T Nathan, 65), K Matthews (A Dunne, 22-25), D Riordan; T Nathan (A Dunne, H-T, R Shaw, 52), C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, A Flavin (J Fogarty, 55), R Morris (R Loughney, 52); D Gannon (M McCarthy, 54), A Farley (capt); J Muldoon, J O’Connor (R Ofisa, H-T), C Rigney
Try: C Rigney
Pen: T Nathan (2)
Cardiff Blues: B Blair; J Roberts (R Rees, 72), T Shanklin, G Thomas, T James; N Robinson (D Flanagan, 66), J Spice; G Jenkins, R Thomas (G Williams, 57), T Filise (J Yapp, 60), D Jones (B Davies, 33), S Morgan, M Molitika, X Rush (capt), M Williams (B White, 11, M Lewis, 68)
Try: – T James, B White, X Rush, G Williams, G Thomas
Con: – B Blair (4)
Pen: – B Blair (2)
Yellow Card: G Thomas
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
Attendance: 1,500
