JHW wasn't yellowed last week, though, but I agree he needs to work on his discipline. Three of Connacht's eight yellows this year have been his, but to be honest that's par for the course for front rows

But we've improved our discipline as a team quite well, the yellow last night was the first in six pro12 games, which is pretty good.

Just a few random thoughts on the game:

JHW got a yellow card again. While he's a great player for us that's his second yellow in as many weeks. He needs to temper his aggression/impulsiveness with more intelligent play otherwise he'll just constantly pick them up.

8th is a not a bad position to be in and if the HEC ever sort themselves out and the RABO goes to the top 8th qualifying we could be looking at qualification off our own backs most years to come which is what we all want.

Reading in the papers today Brian Murphy had at least one great break that set Faloon up for a try which is heartening to see. Hopefully he becomes a good player for us as I think we'd all like him to succeed. He's being racked by injuries so we haven't really got a chance to see what he can do. Touch wood he gets a injury free run and gets to show us.

The swing from complete pessimism to ott optimism in a couple of weeks is whats great about sport. However, lets not fool ourselves and go getting into a delusional state we are not going to finish above Munster!!! :lol:

Munster have their work cut out to get top 4 with some tough matches lieing ahead but they will win at least 4 and I would think 5 of their remaining games.

The challenge for Connacht is to keep picking up results and hopefully it can get us to a minimum of 8th place and with a few things going our way maybe 7th. There is hope for more wins for Connacht on the run in but as I said after the game yesterday evening the last two weeks will count for nothing unless we are 100% professional and get the win against Zebre next Friday, maybe then we can see how we lie. The benefit going into that match is we will have 2 extra days rest and they will be missing a few I'd imagine. The HC game should serve as a wakeup call, they were the better team in the 2nd half and could easily have beaten us.

Next week needs to be given the same respect a HC game or interpro would. The team must be fully tuned in. If we win the table will look a lot more positive than 3 weeks ago, if we lose then its 1 step forward and 2 steps back.

nice crisp fresh morning and swift4prez has a big smile after that win.
we needed that and we got it. we are moving forward..

ok now lets start dreaming......
a munster team with a broken o gara trying to pull the strings.
there is 13 points gap and they have a game in hand but we can dream.
interesting fixtures for both.

treviso (9th) vs munster could go either way
munster vs ospreys (4th) fancy ospreys
MUNSTER VS CONNACHT (8th) 50/50!
glasgow (2nd) vs munster. glasgow
munster vs leinster (3rd) leinster
dragons (11th) vs munster 50/50
zebre (12th) vs munster munster but....

connacht vs zebre (12th) connacht
MUNSTER (6th) VS CONNACHT 50/50!
treviso (9th) vs connacht. could and should win
edinburgh (10th) vs connacht. could win and should
connacht vs ulster (1st) we have good record at home vs ulster
connacht vs glasgow (2nd) losing bonus point maybe

I'll write up a bit of a report when I get home from here. But Falloon was awesome

Fantastic away win! great for the psyche of the players seems we can win anywhere lads :silly:

Fabulous fabulous win!! Great stuff from the lads - lets keep this going now !!

They deserve this after all they have put into this season......

Made my weekend already!!!

great win. bonus pt win potentially puts us 7th given cardiff are away to glasgow next week and looked very good for their bp over ulster tonight inspite of not having a kicker of any sort on the field. townsend is a lucky boy!

Any idea who did well for Connacht tonight - man of the match faloon ??

Speak of the Devil :evil: :

A double from Willie Faloon handed Connacht back-to-back RaboDirect PRO12 victories for the first time since April as the province prevailed 26-22 against Cardiff Blues.

Faloon's two tries, added to Danie Poolman's early effort and 11 points from Miah Nikora, secured just a second away win of the season for Eric Elwood's side, who are now up to eighth in the RaboDirect PRO12 table.

It's a third win in 20 matches over the Blues for Connacht and a first at the Arms Park since 2001. For the Blues, it's now just one win in seven at their home ground in the RaboDirect PRO12 this year.

Poolman again demonstrated he is a fast starter and two weeks after scoring against the Scarlets inside the first minute, it took him just two to open Connacht's account.

The South African burst over for his fifth try of the RaboDirect PRO12 season but fly-half Nikora, a late replacement for former Blue Dan Parks, failed with his conversion attempt.

Cardiff were shell-shocked and the visitors took full advantage, scoring their second try of the night with the match just five minutes old.

This time it was flanker Faloon who scored his second try in as many matches before Nikora nailed the conversion to hand Connacht a healthy 12-0 lead.

Slowly but surely the Blues worked their way back into the match and Rhys Patchell opened the hosts' account with a seventh-minute penalty.

With a foothold in the match, the Blues came back at Connacht and trimmed the deficit to just four midway through the first half with winger Harry Robinson finishing off the try following a scrum on the visitors' five-metre line.

But ten minutes later, Connacht stretched their lead again when Blues indiscipline handed Nikora the simplest of penalties in front of the posts, just ten metres out - and the Kiwi duly converted.

Patchell was then given a tricky chance to respond in kind from the halfway line but the 19-year-old's kick was short and wide, ensuring Connacht went into the half-time interval 15-8 to the good.

Cardiff began the second half the stronger and were handed a route back into the match when Connacht hooker Jason Wright-Harris was shown a yellow card on 47 minutes after he was penalised for being offside.

Patchell was on target with his second penalty of the evening to again bring the Blues to within a score of the lead and the Blues set about making their numerical advantage count.

Five minutes later, Patchell brought his side to within just a point of the visitors as Connacht's defence - stoic in the first half - became desperate in the second.

Much to the annoyance of the Cardiff Arms Park faithful however, Nikora was the next on the scoresheet after the Blues were pinged at the scrum inside their own 22 on 56 minutes before Patchell missed another for the hosts soon after.

But with 20 minutes remaining, Robin Copeland forced his way over and dotted down to give Cardiff the lead for the first time in the match, only for Patchell to miss the conversion, meaning the hosts' lead was just one.

Back came Connacht however and they retook the lead when Faloon grabbed his second score of the night on 64 minutes before Patchell slotted a penalty three minutes later ensuring Connacht led by a solitary point.

But with four minutes remaining, up stepped Nikora to nail a superb penalty, giving Connacht the breathing space they needed to close out the victory.

So Happy! Wish this game had being on instead of the Ulster one which was dire. Can't wait to read the match report. Fair play to the lads.

It would be great to get three league wins in a row. It's been a while since that has happened. That winning habit could be starting to take hold in Connacht.

Looking ahead to next week, a win against Zebre would put Connacht in much better shape. Looking at the games of the teams around us they are unlikely to get much. Tonights a big night in Connacht's season only if we can back it up with a win and a professional display next Friday. Hopefully this result will boost the crowd for the next night.

Brilliant, brilliant - what a victory, really sets us up for the remaining games and a move up the table

Pity it wasn't on tv

Great win, fair play to all the lads for stepping up. Any word on how Murphy played?

Soo delighted! Long time since I had to wait for a tracker result!