Sin-Binnings Prove Costly As Connacht Fall To Five-Try Cardiff

Connacht were left to rue two second-half yellow cards as Cardiff cut loose to win tonight’s United Rugby Championship opener 33-21 at the Arms Park.

Match Photo Gallery: Cardiff 33 Connacht 21

Trailing 21-16 past the hour mark, the visitors’ challenge fell apart after Jack Carty and Mack Hansen were sin-binned in quick succession.

Tries from player-of-the-match Owen Lane and replacement Liam Belcher sealed Connacht’s fate, although Kieran Marmion squeezed in his second score in response.

Connacht had led twice through Carty’s boot and a smartly-finished 12th-minute try from Marmion, but converted efforts from Hallam Amos and Willis Halaholo put Cardiff 14-13 in front at the interval.

With both Cardiff out-halves forced off through injury, replacement scrum half Tomos Williams came on and had a crucial impact.

The Wales international provided two assists and kicked three conversions, as well as knitting together some of Cardiff’s best attacks with his inviting passes.

A Carty penalty lessened the blow of a Lane touchdown, but Dai Young’s men developed a match-winning cushion during the final quarter.

Rhys Priestland’s competitive debut for Cardiff was cruelly cut short by an accidental collision with Finlay Bealham. The prop won a subsequent scrum penalty, allowing Carty to kick Connacht ahead in the third minute.

Cardiff’s quick hands caused problems for the visitors out wide, though. After John Porch conceded a five-metre scrum, centre Halaholo carried well before a long pass put Amos over for replacement Jarrod Evans to convert.

The early scores kept coming, a Jarrad Butler turnover leading to a sharp break by Conor Oliver who fed the supporting Marmion to go in behind the posts. Carty’s conversion made it 10-7 after 14 minutes.

Midway through the first half, Cardiff suffered a further setback when Evans injured himself when contesting a high ball with Porch. Tomos Williams came on with Lloyd Williams switching to out-half.

The penalty count rose against Connacht and a lost lineout almost led to a Cardiff try. Josh Turnbull and Tomos Williams inspired a smart break, but the visitors’ defence held firm out wide.

Improved accuracy in attack, which included a slaloming run from prop Matthew Burke, preceded Carty’s second successful penalty, four minutes before the break.

However, Cardiff hit back on the stroke of half-time. The rampaging Porch was called back for a forward pass from Carty, and Tomos Williams sniped from the scrum to brilliantly play in Halaholo. Williams tagged on the conversion.

Porch threatened a breakaway score early on the resumption, with Halaholo doing really well to haul him down and win the turnover.

Connacht’s defence was worn down decisively in the 50th minute, Cardiff getting over the gain-line and releasing big winger Lane for the left corner despite Cian Prendergast’s despairing tackle.

Williams swept over a fine conversion, opening up an eight-point advantage, and Carty was just as accurate a few minutes later, pinging over a penalty with debutant Hansen beginning to get on the ball more.

Cardiff continued to have the lion’s share of possession, Jason Harries just knocking on as he attempted to score from his own kick through.

The game appeared to turn in Connacht’s favour when Cardiff lock Seb Davies saw yellow for not rolling away, amid a series of penalties. Frustratingly, the westerners’ lineout let them down when a try was in the offing.

It went from bad to worse shortly afterwards, as Carty dived in at a ruck and earned a yellow. Then, in the 69th minute, Lane was illegally impeded by Hansen as he chased his own kick and Connacht were down to 13 men.

The hosts needed no second invitation, Williams sending Lane over off the side of a maul. With their bonus point secured, Cardiff added a fifth try when Belcher burst through from another lineout drive.

Connacht’s only consolation was a spritely last-minute surge, Stephen Fitzgerald arrowing through a gap from first-phase. Fellow replacement Sam Arnold was tackled short but released Marmion to reach over to the left of the posts.

Giving his reaction after the game, Connacht boss Andy Friend said: “We have to be much, much better at seizing those moments when we put ourselves there and we didn’t do that.

“It was frustrating to work so hard and get ourselves in that position (for the lineout a few metres out) and come away with nothing.

“If we take nothing else out of this game it is that we know the work we have been doing and the systems we have in place will work. We have just got to trust them.

“I believe – and have real confidence in – the fact that all the work we have been putting in is going to be enough for us to get good wins, but we just need to manage those key moments.”