{"id":23197,"date":"2021-09-24T17:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T21:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23197"},"modified":"2021-09-25T10:09:45","modified_gmt":"2021-09-25T14:09:45","slug":"sin-binnings-prove-costly-as-connacht-fall-to-five-try-cardiff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23197","title":{"rendered":"Sin-Binnings Prove Costly As Connacht Fall To Five-Try Cardiff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Connacht’s Kieran Marmion scores a try (INPHO\/Ashley Crowden)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trailing 21-16 past the hour mark, the visitors’ challenge fell apart after\u00a0Jack Carty\u00a0and\u00a0Mack Hansen\u00a0were sin-binned in quick succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tries from player-of-the-match Owen Lane and replacement Liam Belcher sealed Connacht’s fate, although\u00a0Kieran Marmion\u00a0squeezed in his second score in response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Rhys Priestland’s competitive debut for Cardiff was cruelly cut short by an accidental collision with\u00a0Finlay Bealham.<\/strong>\u00a0The prop won a subsequent scrum penalty, allowing Carty to kick Connacht ahead in the third minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardiff’s quick hands caused problems for the visitors out wide, though. After\u00a0<\/strong>John Porch\u00a0conceded a five-meter scrum, center Halaholo carried well before a long pass put Amos over for replacement Jarrod Evans to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The early scores kept coming, a\u00a0Jarrad Butler\u00a0turnover leading to a sharp break by\u00a0Conor Oliver\u00a0who fed the supporting Marmion to go in behind the posts. Carty’s conversion made it 10-7 after 14 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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’ defense held firm out wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved accuracy in attack, which included a slaloming run from prop\u00a0Matthew Burke,<\/strong>\u00a0preceded Carty’s second successful penalty, four minutes before the break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porch threatened a breakaway score early on the resumption, with Halaholo doing really well to haul him down and win the turnover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connacht’s defense was worn down decisively in the 50th minute, Cardiff getting over the gain-line and releasing big winger Lane for the left corner despite\u00a0Cian Prendergast’s\u00a0despairing tackle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game appeared to turn in Connacht’s favor 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connacht’s only consolation was a spritely last-minute surge,\u00a0Stephen Fitzgerald\u00a0arrowing through a gap from first-phase. Fellow replacement\u00a0Sam Arnold\u00a0was tackled short but released Marmion to reach over to the left of the posts.<\/p>\n

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