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Connacht lose it in the last 10

Coach Bradley
By ldtt October 13 2007
Two late tries from Blues wing Tom James gave his side a bonus-point victory over Connacht at the Arms Park. The Blues led 14-9 at the break with Ben Blair and Martyn Williams cancelling out three Tim Donnelly penalties. Conor O'Loughlin's try had given Connacht a second-half lead which Donnelly converted.

But two Nick Macleod penalties and then two tries from James gave the Blues a vital Magners League victory. The Blues got off to a slow start with Donnelly sending over an early penalty after wing James had tackled Ofisa Treviranus off the ball.

But Blues full-back Ben Blair soon settled home nerves to score and then convert their first try of the evening. The home side dominated the early stages of the game but failed to take their chances and Donnelly punished them with two further penalties.

Just before the break Blues flanker Martyn Williams restored the lead, powering through John Fogerty's tackle to dive over under the posts to give Blair and easy conversion. Connacht got back into the game though, with replacement scrum-half O'Loughlin finishing off Gavin Duffy's 50 yard break, which Donnelly converted for 14-16.

Gareth Thomas was introduced into proceedings to make his Cardiff Blues debut after signing from Toulouse. But it was Macleod who got the Blues back into the game with two penalties. And then with ten minutes remaining young wing James got his first try of the evening.

Duffy and Keith Matthews collided as they went for a high kick. As a result the ball was spilled to James who dribbled 60 yards before touching down. And then late-on James was again on hand to score his second and the Blues' fourth try to secure the bonus point. Martyn Williams was sin-binned in injury time but nothing was added to the scoreboard.

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Tom James scored two tries for the Blues
Blues 30 (14)
Tries: Blair, Williams, James (2)
Cons: Blair (2)
Pens: Macleod (2)
Connacht 16 (9)
Try: O'Loughlin
Cons: Donnelly (1)
Pens: Donnelly (3)

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Cardiff Blues: Blair, R. Williams, Selley, Shanklin, James, Flanagan, Rees, Jenkins, G. Williams, S. Roberts, Jones, Tito, Morgan, M. Williams, Lewis.
Replacements: G. Thomas for R. Williams (50), Macleod for Flanagan (50), Spice for Rees (50), R. Thomas for G. Williams (65), Filise for S. Roberts (60), Davies for Tito (71), Molitika for Lewis (71).

Connacht: Duffy, Treviranus, Deane, Wynne, Matthews, Donnelly, McPhillips, Wilkinson, Fogarty, Morris, Swift, Gannon, Ofisa, J. O'Connor, J. Muldoon.
Replacements: O'Loughlin for McPhillips (45), McCarthy for Swift (60).
Not Used: Browne, Durcan, Rigney, McGowan, Merrigan.

Att: 6,921

Ref: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland).

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