Connacht 11
Cardiff Blues 39

Connacht faded after a bright start at the Sportsground on Friday night in what turned out to be a typical end-of-season Magners League encounter.

The outcome all but secures second spot for Cardiff and more or less ends Connacht's hopes of making it to the Heineken Cup for another season.

The game had a real low-key feel about it with Connacht suffering an increasing casualty list as the game progressed.

Cardiff, anxious to be confirmed as the top Welsh side in the league, gained in strength as the game progressed and they earned the bonus point that temporarily maintained some pressure on leaders Leinster.

Connacht started brightly and had deservedly opened up a 6-0 lead after seven minutes when Troy Nathan slotted over a couple of penalties as Michael Bradley's men took the game to the Welsh.

But Connacht rarely threatened a try during that early period of dominance and as the half developed Cardiff got a foothold in proceedings.

Full-back Ben Blair reduced the deficit after ten minutes with a well-taken penalty from the left-wing and there was nothing between the sides approaching half-time.

But then Connacht coughed up possession from their lineout outside their own 22 and Cardiff worked the ball across the pitch and back again before Nicky Robinson delivered the crucial pass for winger Tom James to get over in the left corner.

Blair hit the woodwork with the conversion from the left but Connacht's hopes were not helped when Nathan was off-target with two penalties either side of Cardiff's second try.

Connacht will be furious with how that try as conceded as Ben White, a 12th minute replacement for the injured Martyn Williams, cut through with far too much ease to touch down under the posts, with Blair adding the easy conversion for a 15-6 interval lead.

Connacht needed a good start to the second-half but any such notions were killed off when Nicky Robinson split the home cover to send his captain Xavier Rush in at the right corner.

Blair again added the difficult conversion for a 22-6 lead and after that it was a damage limitation exercise for Connacht, not least as they continued to lose players to injury.