United Rugby Championship: Connacht 38-19 Cardiff - Irish province book play-off place

Connacht won the league title in 2016

Connacht booked their United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off place with a convincing bonus-point six-try win against Cardiff in Galway.

Tries from Diarmuid Kilgallen, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Conor Oliver, Mack Hansen and Kieran Marmion enabled the home side to consolidate sixth place.

Cardiff flanker Thomas Young scored two tries with Seb Davies also crossing.

This defeat, and Ospreys losing at Edinburgh, means there will again be no Welsh side in the URC play-offs.

In contrast, all four Irish provinces have qualified with Connacht celebrating a sixth successive league victory to ensure a triumphant final home game for director of rugby Andy Friend as he prepares to leave the province following a five-year stint.

Seven of the eight sides who will compete for the URC play-off places have been confirmed before the final round of regular matches with Ireland quartet Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster joined by South African sides Stormers and Bulls, with Glasgow also qualifying.

Sharks are destined to be the eighth team ahead of Benetton, although a highly unlikely mathematical miracle could still see the Italian side sneak into the top eight.

For the second successive season there will be no Welsh side in the URC top eight play-off places. The only thing left to play for next Saturday is who will win the Welsh Shield by finishing as the top Welsh region, with Cardiff and Ospreys battling it out at Principality Stadium.

Ospreys are four league points behind Cardiff, who Scarlets cannot finish above because of the amount of matches Dwayne Peel's side have won.

Welsh sides fill four of the bottom six places in the URC going into the final regular round of league fixtures, with Cardiff 11th, Ospreys 13th, Scarlets 14th and Dragons 15th. In 68 league games this season, the quartet of Welsh sides have won 22.

With playing budgets and contracts being reduced next season and top players leaving Wales, there are no signs of any uplift in 2023-24.

Corey the Centurion

Cardiff lock Seb Davies has played 17 internationals for Wales

Prop Corey Domachowski became Cardiff's latest player to make 100 appearances, while locks Lopeti Timani and Seb Davies returned to the starting side.

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams was named captain while Jason Harries replaced injured wing Josh Adams.

Connacht had six players returning including captain Jack Carty, who had missed the last three games with a hamstring issue. Finlay Bealham, Denis Buckley, Jarrad Butler, Josh Murphy and Diarmuid Kilgallen also came back into the starting side.

The hosts opened the scoring after a fine break from centre Tom Farrell released wing Kilgallen with Carty converting.

Wales flanker James Botham was shown a yellow card for an illegal tackle on Oliver. The home side capitalised on the numerical advantage when hooker Tierney-Martin was driven over from a maul.

Scrum-half Caolin Blade created the third try for Connacht as he bumped off a tame tackle attempt from opposite number Williams to feed flanker Oliver for the score. Carty converted to ensure Connacht scored 12 points when they had the extra man.

When Botham returned, Cardiff managed their first try through lock Davies after hooker Liam Belcher and centre Max Llewellyn went close.

Timani was forced off the field and replaced by regular captain Josh Turnbull before Ireland duo Bundee Aki, who was named player-of-the-match, and Hansen combined for Connacht's bonus-point score as they led 26-7 at half-time.

Connacht lock Josh Murphy avoided any sanction for a high challenge on Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau after the officials decided not to review the incident despite apparent head contact.

Cardiff shrugged this off with flanker Young burrowing his way over, but the visitors' attempts to continue a concerted resurgence was hampered by a malfunctioning line-out.

Cardiff wing Owen Lane was take off on a stretcher after a heavy fall following an aerial collision. After the lengthy break for treatment, Connacht responded with a penalty try with Cardiff flanker Young shown a yellow card for a cynical offence.

Connacht's final word went to replacement scrum-half Kieran Marmion who fittingly signed off his final home match with a try as he prepares to end his 11-year stint in Galway by joining Bristol next season.

Young returned to the field to sprint over for his second score following a clever Rhys Carre offload but it was only a consolation try.

Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty (capt), Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham, Josh Murphy, Niall Murray, Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Jarrad Butler.

Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Peter Dooley, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Shane Jennings.

Cardiff: Ben Thomas; Owen Lane, Mason Grady, Max Llewellyn, Jason Harries; Rhys Priestland, Tomos Williams (capt.); Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti, Lopeti Timani, Seb Davies, James Botham, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Rory Thornton, Josh Turnbull, James Ratti, Lloyd Williams, Harri Millard.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistant referees: Dan Carson & Tomas O'Sullivan (IRFU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU).