Connacht produced their best performance of the season but it wasn’t enough as the Blues secured a bonus-point thanks to wing James’s late brace.
Scrum half Conor O’Loughlin’s second half try had put the Irishmen 16-14 in the lead with less than a quarter remaining but two tries in three minutes by James maintained the Blues’ advantage at the top of the Magners League.
Michael Bradley’s side hadn’t won on Welsh soil in their last nine visits in the League but were on course to do so until Irish official Peter Fitzgibbon sin-binned wing Ofisa Treviranus and hooker John Fogarty in four second-half minutes to kill Connacht’s hopes of a shock victory.
Connacht made five changes for the trip to the Arms Park and welcomed back Ireland Rugby World Cup star Gavin Duffy to play at fullback while John Fogarty, Robbie Morris, Ray Ofisa and captain John Muldoon were drafted into the forwards.
Blues Coach Dai Young was able to include new signing Gareth Thomas from Toulouse in the 22 along with fellow Wales internationals Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams and Tom Shanklin.
Connacht opened the scoring through Tim Donnelly’s penalty after three minutes before Young’s men bounced back. Blues fullback Ben Blair scored the first try of the night on 10 minutes when he took Tal Selley’s offload to beat Duffy’s tame tackle to touch down. Blair converted the extras.
Connacht fought back with two penalties from Donnelly to give the visitors the lead on the stroke of half time.
But the Blues hit back immediately and flanker Martyn Williams threw a delightful dummy to create a hole in the Connacht defence to score under the posts. Blair’s conversion made it 14-9 at the break.
The visitors forced their way back into the match when O’Loughlin scrambled over before Connacht were reduced to 13 men thanks to yellow cards for Treviranus and Fogarty.
Blues:
Tries: Blair, M Williams, T James (2)
Cons: Blair (2)
Pens: MacLeod (2)
Connacht:
Try: O’Loughlin
Con: Donnelly
Pens: Donnelly (3)
Blues: B Blair; R Williams (G Thomas 52), T Selley, T Shanklin, T James; D Flanagan (N MacLeod 52), R Rees (J Spice 52); G Jenkins, G Williams (TR Thomas 67), S Roberts (T Filise 60); D Jones, P Tito (capt) (B Davies 72) ; S Morgan, M Lewis (M Molitika 72), M Williams
Connacht: G Duffy; O Treviranus, M Deane, A Wynne, K Matthews; T Donnelly, C McPhillips (C O’Loughlin 47); B Wilkinson, J Fogarty, R Morris (B McGovern 80); M Swift (M McCarthy 61), D Gannon; R Ofisa, J Muldoon (capt) (J Merrigan 68), J O’Connor
Replacements: C Rigney, P Durcan, A Browne
Yellow Cards
Blues: M Williams 80
Connacht: Treviranus 62, Fogarty 66Â
H-T: 14-9
Attendance: 6,921
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU)
