Cardiff edge out Connacht after Williams injury

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff (7) 14

Tries Bowen 2 Cons Sheedy, I Lloyd

Connacht (3) 8

Tries D O'Connor Pen Forde

Wales lock Teddy Williams suffered a serious-looking ankle injury in Cardiff's 14-8 United Rugby Championship win against Connacht sealed with two Tom Bowen tries.

The Blue and Blacks ended a five-game losing streak against the Irish province, although the loss of the Williams in the first half took some shine off.

The lock landed awkwardly on his right ankle after claiming a line-out and a lengthy lay-off looks likely.

Cardiff led 7-3 at half-time thanks to try by elusive wing Tom Bowen, who went over for a hat-trick to earn a pair of consolation bonuses at Munster seven days earlier.

In a game of wasted chances, the next score came in the 76th minute when Bowen snaffled a juggled Connacht pass in his own half and raced away for the clincher.

After starting with a bonus-point win against Lions and then leaving Limerick with a pair of points, Cardiff picked up another win as they cope with the loss of head coach Matt Sherratt to the Wales management team.

Connacht opened the scoring with an 11th-minute penalty from centre Cathal Forde after a scrappy start by both sides.

Cardiff responded swiftly with a seven-pointer when nine phases in the 22 were followed by Callum Sheedy finding Bowen on the left wing with a kick-pass, which the fly-half had used for two assists at Munster seven days earlier.

Sheedy then curled in his effort from the tee to make it 7-3, but the rest of the half was a tale of missed chances for the Blue and Blacks.

They wasted two trips to the Connacht 22 and then blew another opportunity after 26 minutes when Sheedy broke through, but Bowen could not hold on to his pass when a run-in looked likely.

Cardiff needed to make their dominance count on the scoreboard, but endured a blow in the 33rd minute when Williams sustained his injury.

The hosts kept hammering away at the line, but endured more frustration when number eight Alun Lawrence was held up over the line.

The second half was delayed because of a communications issue for the officials, but the same, scrappy pattern continued after the restart with play taking place between the 22s.

Connacht blew a shot at taking the lead in the 65th minute when they worked space down the left only for replacement back Finn Treacey to drop the pass just outside the 22.

They went even closer in the 70th minute when Treacey powerfully burst to the line down the right only to knock on inches short under Sheedy's tackle.

Connacht were suddenly looking threatening against a Blue and Blacks side clinging on and with scrum-half Johan Mulder as a makeshift centre.

Yet a juggled pass gave Bowen the chance to race away and seal the win, Ioan Lloyd converting, before Dave O'Connor earned Connacht a losing bonus at the death.

Cardiff: Winnett; Beetham, Millard, S Emanuel, Bowen; Sheedy, Mulder; Southworth, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, T Williams, Donnell, D Thomas, Lawrence

Replacements: D Hughes, Barratt, Sebastian, Nott, Basham, A Davies, I Lloyd, Darwin-Lewis.

Connacht: Naughton; Mullins, Hawkshaw, Forde, Bolton; Carty, B Murphy; Buckley, Heffernan, Aungier, Murray, Joyce, Predergast (capt), S O'Brien, Jansen.

Replacements: de Buitlear, Duggan, Illo, D O'Connor, Hurley-Langton, Devine, Gavin, Treacy.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR)

Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear, Lucas Yendle (WRU).

TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)