Despite losing Matt Mostyn to a third minute injury, Connaught exerted the early pressure, before a Blues breakaway which would have brought a try if Nick Walne had not been hauled down yards short with men each side of him.

The Blues then maintained their territorial advantage, but predictable attempts by Tom Shanklin and Rhys Williams to burst through the middle were swallowed by the Irish defence and a Nick Macleod penalty was the home side’s only reward.

The penny finally dropped as Macleod spread the ball wide for Shanklin to dive over at the right corner flag for an unconverted try.

Macleod and opposite number Paul Warwick swapped penalties before the interval.

The Blues showed a little more life at the restart and Rhys Williams wriggled over only for the final pass by Craig Morgan to be ruled forward.

Macleod kicked a penalty for offside among the Connaught backs, but the Blues slipped back into the careless handling and ball retention that had marred their first half display.

While Connacht’s tireless tacklers were constantly harassing the Blues, the Irish province showed little creative play prompting the introduction from the bench of 35-year-old Eric Elwood.

He was greeted by a break from centre Mark McHugh which earned a position for Warwick to land another penalty.

Suddenly skipper Martyn Williams, on his 100th appearance for Cardiff and the Blues, escaped from a ruck and sent name sake Rhys firing under the posts for Macleod to convert.

Scottish referee Malcolm Changleng angered the home crowd by sin-binning Blues lock Robert Sidoli for appearing on the wrong side of a ruck.

But despite the handicap, the Blues extended their lead when burly wing Morgan battered his way to the line and, with Sidoli back on, scrum-half Dean Dewdney crossed to secure the bonus point.