Teenage winger Tom Bowen scored two more tries as Cardiff ended a five-match losing run against Connacht to move up to fourth in the URC table.

Having claimed a hat-trick away to Munster last weekend, the 19-year-old added a double in front of an animated Arms Park crowd.

After an enthralling and nail-biting contest, Bowen sealed the outcome four minutes from time with a long range interception try.

It was a deserved victory for Cardiff overall as they had the better of the game in terms of territory and possession.
But they did have to defend heroically at times, particularly in the second half, with Callum Sheedy producing a crucial try-saving moment.

The downside of the evening was an ankle injury to Wales lock Teddy Williams who was stretchered from the field before the break.

Cardiff showed four changes in personnel, plus one positional switch, from the side that secured two bonus points during the narrow defeat to Munster out in Limerick last weekend.

Tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti and flanker Ben Donnell came into the pack, while fit-again full-back Cam Winnett and teenage centre Steff Emanuel joined the back line.

With Winnett returning, the versatile Jacob Beetham moved from 15 to the wing, occupying the berth left vacant by an injury to Josh Adams, while former Dragons lock George Nott made his competitive debut as a replacement for the unfortunate Williams.

When the game got underway in front of a crowd of 7,092, it was the visitors who opened the scoring with a penalty from centre Cathal Forde.

But then, on 14 minutes, Cardiff went in front with Bowen crossing again to add to his hat-trick in Limerick.

From a Williams take at an attacking lineout, the ball was moved into midfield for Emmanuel to make the initial surge.

Then came a succession of forward carries before the trigger was pulled behind with Callum Sheedy putting in a pinpoint cross kick for Bowen who stepped inside full back Sean Naughton to dive over.

Sheedy slotted the conversion and then looked as though he was going to set up another score for Bowen as he sliced through from his own half and delivered the inside pass, but the hurtling teenager was unable to take the ball at speed.

Then came the injury to Williams.

After winning another close range lineout, he hopped away from the resulting maul and it was immediately obvious he was in trouble.

He underwent lengthy treatment on the sideline, receiving oxygen, before he was stretchered away down the tunnel to a big ovation.

Cardiff continued to pile on the pressure, but couldn’t quite convert it into points. First Winnett was unable to take Sheedy’s short pass as a gap opened up and then Alun Lawrence was held up over the line.

It looked as though Connacht may rub salt in the wounds as they broke away just before the break, but a superb tackle from Sheedy and a jackal penalty from Beetham saved the day.

So an enthralling first half ended with Cardiff leading 7-3.

Both sides began to make changes as the second period progressed, with home props Rhys Barratt and Javan Sebastian entering the fray ahead of fellow front rower Daf Hughes.

Around the hour mark, the game moved into an extended kicking contest as the aerial battle took centre stage.

It looked as though Connacht were going to take the lead 11 minutes from time, but replacement Finn Treacy was denied by the corner-flagging Sheedy who knocked the ball out of his hand just as he was about to touch down. It was a vital try-saving intervention.

Then, four minutes from time, came the clinching moment.

It was Connacht who were on the attack, but when skipper Cian Prendergast was unable to hold on to a pass from Hugh Gavin, Bowen was in like a flash.

Pocketing the deflection on his own 10 metre line, he scorched away and there was to be no catching him as he completed his double with a swallow dive.

Replacement fly-half Ioan Lloyd landed the conversion ahead of the visitors earning a losing bonus point when replacement lock David O’Connor went over in the final play.