Connacht come off the rails in Wales

CONNACHT’S sparkling start to the season was halted in Wales on Thursday as the Blues dug out an important win on home soil.

Cardiff had a brighter first half hour where they built up a 16-3 lead thanks to poor handling from the visitors and a key error in the defensive line, but those mistakes were half the story as the Blues’ clinical finishing can’t be ignored.

Dan Parks had put them 9-3 ahead with two penalties and a drop goal in response to an early Ian Kealtey strike and Casey Laulala got the try beating Niva Ta’auso in the line and driving through the gap.

The positive for Elwood and Connacht will be in the way they picked up their game and fought back after half time. For most of the third quarter of this contest Connacht were much the better side coming back to 16-6 and having chances to add a much needed try.

Taking those chances was the issue, however, and the Blues slowly grew in confidence as a result of this.

Late long range penalties from Dan Parks and superb strike from Leigh Halfpenny took the losing bonus point out of reach late on.

In the end, though, the home side managed just the one try, Connacht have conceded just two in three games now which backs up the clear impression that Connacht’s defence has improved immensely on last season.

There were other major positives, like for example the performance of Adrian Flavin and Andrew Browne who came into the side for their first starts. Then there was the immensely impressive return of Johnny O’Connor after half time.

The ridiculously short five day turnaround and logistical nightmare of a getting to Cardiff during the Ryder Cup added to the mitigating factors, but Elwood and his team will regret a number of missed chances in the contest.

In the first half, Connacht lived off scraps and didn’t retain possession nearly enough but they had numerous counter attacking line breaks with Fionn Carr at the heart of most of them.

Right on half time a tap and go penalty from Frank Murphy should have yielded a try but ended with a dropped pass in a move that summed up the so near/so far feel to the attacking play of the westerners.

Overall though, a mid-table placing and 12 points from five games represents a brilliant start for Elwood and co.

A trip to Prato in Italy next weekend awaits in the Challenge Cup with Bayonne at home the following Friday before Leinster visit the Sportsground on October 23.

Elwood has made no secret of the fact that the Challenge Cup is second in his priorities this season and that Leinster game will loom large but the draw offers a real chance to start with two wins and have a go at Harlequins in December.