CONNACHT LEFT IT late to get back to winning ways with a dramatic 19-13 triumph at Cardiff Blues today.
The scores were locked at 13-13 heading into the final two minutes after the boot of John Cooney and a Matt Healy try had hauled the Guinness Pro12 champions back into the contest.
Nick Williams had burrowed over and Gareth Anscombe kicked eight points to move the Blues three points clear.
Jack Carty missed a late drop goal, but Tiernan O’Halloran showed him how it was done moments later to snatch victory.
And Craig Ronaldson’s penalty in the final act sealed a deserved victory for Pat Lam’s side.
Anscombe fired the Blues in-front with a penalty after Connacht’s Cooney had missed from the same range with his first attempt.
The New Zealand-born Wales international stretched his side’s lead to six points, before Williams burrowed over the line after a destructive break from Willis Halaholo.
Advertisement
Anscombe landed the conversion to make it 13-0.
Camerasport / Ian Cook/INPHO
Camerasport / Ian Cook/INPHO / Ian Cook/INPHO
But Healy pulled the Galway side back into the contest just before half-time. Hooker Tom McCartney broke free in midfield and almost got over the line himself before Carty found Healy in space for an easy run-in.
Cooney then landed a pair of penalties to level the scores at 13-13 with 17 minutes remaining.
They then spurned two golden opportunities to snatch victory when Niyi Adeolokun and Healy knocked on metres from the line.
The win looked to have gone when Carty missed a late drop goal, but O’Halloran struck before Ronaldson’s long-range penalty put the gloss on the 19-13 triumph.
Cardiff scorers: N Williams try; Anscombe con; Anscombe 2 pens.
CARDIFF BLUES: M Morgan, B Scully, R Lee-Lo, W Halaholo, R Williams (T James), G Anscombe, L Williams (capt) (T Williams), R Gill (M Thomas), K Dacey (M Rees), A Peikrishvili (S Andrews), J Hoeata (S Davies), J Down, M Cook, J Navidi, N Williams (S Bennett).
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran, N Adeolokun, S Ili (T Farrell), C Ronaldson, M Healy, J Carty, J Cooney (C Blade), D Buckley (R Loughney), T McCartney (D Heffernan), JP Cooney (F Bealham), Q Roux, J Cannon, S O’Brien (N Dawai), J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt).
Connacht pull off Cardiff comeback as Lam's men get back to winning ways
Cardiff Blues 13
Connacht 19
CONNACHT LEFT IT late to get back to winning ways with a dramatic 19-13 triumph at Cardiff Blues today.
The scores were locked at 13-13 heading into the final two minutes after the boot of John Cooney and a Matt Healy try had hauled the Guinness Pro12 champions back into the contest.
Nick Williams had burrowed over and Gareth Anscombe kicked eight points to move the Blues three points clear.
Jack Carty missed a late drop goal, but Tiernan O’Halloran showed him how it was done moments later to snatch victory.
And Craig Ronaldson’s penalty in the final act sealed a deserved victory for Pat Lam’s side.
Anscombe fired the Blues in-front with a penalty after Connacht’s Cooney had missed from the same range with his first attempt.
The New Zealand-born Wales international stretched his side’s lead to six points, before Williams burrowed over the line after a destructive break from Willis Halaholo.
Anscombe landed the conversion to make it 13-0.
But Healy pulled the Galway side back into the contest just before half-time. Hooker Tom McCartney broke free in midfield and almost got over the line himself before Carty found Healy in space for an easy run-in.
Cooney then landed a pair of penalties to level the scores at 13-13 with 17 minutes remaining.
They then spurned two golden opportunities to snatch victory when Niyi Adeolokun and Healy knocked on metres from the line.
The win looked to have gone when Carty missed a late drop goal, but O’Halloran struck before Ronaldson’s long-range penalty put the gloss on the 19-13 triumph.
Cardiff scorers: N Williams try; Anscombe con; Anscombe 2 pens.
Connacht scorers: Healy try; Cooney con, Cooney 2 pens; O’Halloran drop-goal; Ronaldson pen.
CARDIFF BLUES: M Morgan, B Scully, R Lee-Lo, W Halaholo, R Williams (T James), G Anscombe, L Williams (capt) (T Williams), R Gill (M Thomas), K Dacey (M Rees), A Peikrishvili (S Andrews), J Hoeata (S Davies), J Down, M Cook, J Navidi, N Williams (S Bennett).
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran, N Adeolokun, S Ili (T Farrell), C Ronaldson, M Healy, J Carty, J Cooney (C Blade), D Buckley (R Loughney), T McCartney (D Heffernan), JP Cooney (F Bealham), Q Roux, J Cannon, S O’Brien (N Dawai), J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt).
Referee: Marius Mitrea.
Subscribe to The42 Rugby Show podcast here:
Scotland’s Finn Russell conjured a bizarre conversion miss from in front of the posts earlier
Belvedere the team to beat as defending champions battle past Michael’s
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
back to winning ways Guinness PRO12 Connacht Late Drama Report Cardiff Blues