Blues go top as Connacht lack the cutting edge

CARDIFF BLUES knocked Munster off their perch at the top of the Magners League table with a comfortable victory over Connacht.

Casey Laulala scored the game’s only try but the boot of Dan Parks and Leigh Halfpenny were enough to see Cardiff edge past Munster on points difference.

Both teams are level on match points but the Blues have a better points difference, by five, than Munster who play Leinster on Saturday night.

Improved Connacht remain in fifth place thanks to their impressive start to the season but coach Eric Elwood will be disappointed at their worst performance yet of the campaign.

Ian Keatley kicked a penalty in either half but given they lacked a sharpness in attack, that rarely looked enough to get the better of a Cardiff team also in fine form.

Keatley said the scheduling of the tie, which Connacht coach Eric Elwood had criticised earlier this week, had affected his side.

“It was a tough match for a number of reasons. It was a quick turnaround for in five days after the Ulster game and we had to stay out in Swansea because of the Ryder Cup. But we can’t use that as an excuse, Cardiff played well in front of their home fans and we lacked a cutting edge and intensity.

“That was a disappointment after the start we’ve made to the season, but I think we’ve been doing alright and we’ve all bought into the new Connacht style. It’s never nice to lose but things are still looking up for Connacht.”

Connacht were forced to rest hooker Sean Cronin due to the IRFU’s Player Welfare Programme but the Irish province started with all the confidence that came from just one defeat – an injury-time loss at Scarlets – in their opening four games of the campaign.

Ray Ofisa thrived on the ground in the tackle area, robbing Xavier Rush and others of possession, and Fionn Carr was full of running, bursting through midfield before being chased down by Leigh Halfpenny. However the intent was there and Keatley rounded it off with his opening effort for an early lead on five minutes.

Connacht and in particular Jamie Hagan, also did an effective job on disrupting Cardiff’s set-piece, and that resulted in a stop-start affair. But once their initial burst had subsided, the visitors spent the bulk of the first half on the back foot. Parks kicked two penalties from three inside 15 minutes and stroked over a drop goal.

Frank Murphy was guilty of an horrendous forward pass after Connacht blew a four on one overlap while Keatley threatened with an opportunist break, though could not out-run the clutches of Halfpenny.

The fly-half was caught horribly ball-watching when Laulala ghosted through for the game’s opening try on the half-hour mark.

Connacht recovered but only had themselves to blame for not cutting into Cardiff’s 16-3 lead by half-time. Keatley kicked the opening points of the second half, but if Connacht’s defence was tightening, they lacked composure in attack.

Instead Parks re-established Cardiff’s ten-point lead and Halfpenny belted over the penalty from a metre inside his own half to seal the result.

Scorers for Cardiff: C Laulala try; D Parks con, 3 pens; L Halfpenny pen.

Scorers for Connacht: I Keatley 2 pens.

CONNACHT: G Duffy, T Nathan, N Ta’auso, K Matthews, F Carr, I Keatley, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, A Flavin, J Hagan, M Swift, A Browne, M McCarthy, R Ofisa, M McComish.

Replacements: J O’Connor for McComish (h/t), M Nikora for Matthews (49), R Loughney for Wilkinson (53), B Upton for Browne (64m), R Sweeney for Hagan (68), C Willis for Murphy (69).

CARDIFF: B Blair, L Halfpenny, C Laulala, D Hewitt, C Czekaj, D Parks, G Cooper, J Yapp, R Williams, T Filise, B Davies, D Jones, M Paterson, S Warburton, X Rush (capt).

Replacements: T Shanklin for Hewitt (37), A Pretorious for Paterson (56), G Jenkins for Yapp (61), S Andrews for Filise (61), P Tito for Jones (61), K Dacey for Williams (70), C Sweeney for Laulala (73), K Baller for Cooper (76).

Referee: N Paterson (Scotland).