Aki leads the charge for

BUNDEE Aki led the way as Connacht strengthened their claim for a knockout spot in the URC and qualification for next season’s Champions Cup with an impressive win to mark Andy Friend’s final game in charge at the Sportsground after five years.

Cardiff never looked like getting the win they needed to lay claim to their play-off spot but had enough chances to get at least one bonus point.

Connacht had their bonus point in the bag by half-time when they went in leading 26-5 after a high tempo opening half when they had the wind.

Andy Friend stressed during the week the need for them to get an early foothold and they obliged 7 Penalties conceded 8 8 Lineouts won 6 0 Lineouts lost 4 7 Scrums won 6 0 Scrums lost 1 0 Sin bin 1 after 13 minutes when a superb break from centre Tom Farrell was finished by winger Diarmuid Kilgallen for his fifth try of the campaign.

A yellow card to Cardiff flanker James Botham for a high hit on Conor Oliver was duly punished when hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin scored after they went to the right corner with the penalty. The lead went out to 19-0 after 28 minutes when a snipe by scrum-half Caolin Blade was finished under the posts by Oliver.

Cardiff pulled back a try from second row Seb Davies three minutes later but Connacht finished the half strongly with Aki setting up his Irish teammate Mack Hansen to score under the posts, with Jack Carty’s third conversion making it 26-7 at the interval.

Connacht defended a 32-phase move inside their 22 after the restart and when they eventually conceded a penalty, Cardiff made a mess of the lineout and the ball was cleared.

They got it right after 49 minutes and got the