Saturday Round-Up

Blues leave it late: Cardiff Blues head coach Mark Hammett was left pulling his hair out last night as his side left it until the final ten minutes to string together a performance of any note, desperately managing to salvage a 24 points a piece draw with Connacht at the Sportsground. With the scores level at ten points a piece at the interval, with a try for either side, the match hung in the balance. However, a quick second half blitz from the hosts infront of over 5000 of their own support, seemed to have sealed the game with under 30 minutes left on the clock. First Kieran Marmion went over and then it was Nathan White who finished well in the corner with the attention of two Blues defenders to contend with. With the game looking like being in the bag, and Pat Lam seemingly on his way to another home win having put Leinster away last time out, the home side took their foot off the gas somewhat and allowed a period of sustained Blues pressure to occur. Back row forward for the Blues, Macauley Cook, was the first of two late try scorers as he evaded the attempted tackle of Aly Muldowney to crash over the line directly under the posts. With 7 points the difference, the Blues continued to press with an air of inevitability and after 32 phases, got their reward when replacement prop Scott Andrews dotted the ball down at the base of the post to hand flyhalf Rhys Patchell the opportunity to level it up. Patchell obliged from the tee with the simplest of conversions for a share of the spoils for both sides.

Toulon scrape by: Reigning French and European champions Toulon were made to fight until the last breath last night, as they narrowly overcame Oyonnax 21-18. An immensely physical encounter from start to finish, the home side turned out dominant in the tight exchanges with a particular advantage in the scrum, leading eventually to Xavier Chiocci spending ten minutes in the bin. With the sides level at 6-6, the game sprung into life just after the half hour mark as we headed to the interval. A searing break from David Smith up the middle set the platform for a perfectly executed Matt Giteau cross-kick with Springbok Juan Smith dotting down in the corner. A benjamin Urdapilleta penalty dragged Oyannax back into it with the 11-9 half-time scoreline favouring the visitors. Despite missing shots at goal earlier int he encounter, Urdapilleta seemed to be finding his feet in the second half and when he knocked over a drop goal following a well-taken penalty, the hosts were leading 15-11 with 25 minutes left on the clock. Once again however, former Wallaby star Giteau was the anchorman for the visitors and produced a sublime pass to send Drew Mithcell over for the game clinching try and send the Toulon galacticos outfit to the summit of the Top 14.

Ryan Sheady