Cardiff managed to secure a narrow victory over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship, but the win was overshadowed by a serious ankle injury to Wales lock Teddy Williams. The Blue and Blacks ended a five-game losing streak against Connacht, with Tom Bowen scoring two crucial tries to seal the deal.
The match started off with a scrappy exchange between both teams, with Connacht opening the scoring with a penalty from center Cathal Forde. Cardiff quickly responded with a try from Tom Bowen, who had already impressed with a hat-trick in their previous match against Munster. Despite their dominance in possession, Cardiff struggled to convert their opportunities into points throughout the first half.
The game took a turn for the worse for Cardiff when Williams sustained a significant ankle injury in the first half, leaving the team without one of their key players. However, Bowen stepped up once again in the second half, intercepting a pass from Connacht and racing away for his second try of the match. The victory was sealed with Ioan Lloyd converting the try, although Connacht managed to secure a losing bonus point with a late try from Dave O’Connor. Overall, it was a hard-fought win for Cardiff, who had to cope with the absence of head coach Matt Sherratt due to his involvement with the Wales management team.
Not really sure why this matters, but Cardiff will be relieved to have finally broken their losing streak against Connacht, even though the victory came at a cost with Williams’ injury. The match was a tale of missed opportunities for both teams, with Cardiff failing to capitalize on their dominance in possession and Connacht squandering chances to take the lead. In the end, it was Bowen’s heroics that made the the difference for Cardiff, securing a much-needed win in the United Rugby Championship.
