Tovey’s late penalty keeps Cardiff alive and kicking

JASON Tovey slotted a last gasp penalty to secure a pair of losing bonus-pointsfor Blues following a hat-trick by Owen Lane.

The capital region scored 84 points in the doubleheader with , and head coach John Mulvihill said: “We need to have a really good win against Calvisano and then go away and get something at in January to have a chance.

“We got caught up in a mauling game but pushed them all the way once we got our attacking shape.” With the PRO14 derbies up next Mulvihill added: “We owe the one next week. They've beaten us twice the last few times, albeit in close games.” The man Blues supporters call the ‘Lane train' got over for the first of his treble in the fourth minute.

Josh Turnbull received a high ball, found the wing in support and watched him weave his way to the line to silence the crowd. Jarrod Evans landed the conversion with the help of the upright for a 7-0 lead.

But the early scare sparked the powerful Pau pack into life. Mohamed Boughanmi was shunted over from a short-range lineout drive before loosehead prop Geoffrey Moise powered over at the back of a maul to make it 12-7.

A try out of nothing stretched Pau's lead when Ben Smith caught the defence napping. He popped out of a midfield ruck and handed the ball off for centre Pierre Nueno to sprint clear for a try.

The hosts snatched the bonus-point score before half-time when fly-half Tom Taylor sent a perfectly weighted grubber through for wing Bastien Pourailly.

The Blues pack were in reverse gear again after the restart, conceding a succession of scrum penalties before lock Baptiste Pesenti shoved his way over.

Just when it looked as if Mulvihill's men would fold, they rallied to secure a pair of losing bonus-points.

Pau playmaker Taylor saw yellow to allow the Blues to mount a sustained spell of pressure. After a short range lineout, the ball was worked wide for Hallam Amos to score his first European try for the Blues.

It was quickly followed by Lane's stunning second.

The Blues broke out from deep with Amos, Matthew Morgan and Tomos Williams combining before Lane finished at the corner.

He completed his hattrick with a solo score after he raced onto Morgan's grubber and side stepped a Pau defender for the line.

Tovey converted but Clovis Lebail kicked a penalty to take Pau clear again before Tovey's late penalty clinched a vital second bonus-point to keep their qualification hopes alive.

REFEREE: Tom Foley (Eng)

ATTENDANCE: 4,322

Star man

Owen Lane – Cardiff

TEAMS

PAU: Smith 7 (Pinto 41, 5); Pourailly 7 (Debaes 64, 5), Nueno 6, Septar 6, Fumat 6; Taylor 8, Daubagna 6 (Lebail 51, 6); Moise 8 (Pointud 48, 6), Lespiaucq 8, Brettes 7 (Barka 59, 6), Boughanmi 6 (Fisiihoi 47, 5), Pesenti 8, Marchois 7, Erbani 7 (Puech 40, 6), Habel Kuffner 7, Whitelock 7

Not used: Metz

: Morgan 7; Lane 9, Lee-Lo 6, B Thomas 7, Adams 6 (Amos 40, 6); J Evans 7 (J Tovey 51, 7), T Williams 8 (L Williams 55, 6); Gill 5 (Domachowski 44, 5), Myhill 6, Andrews 5 (Assiratti 44, 6), Paulo 5 (Ratti 44, 6), Turnbull 7, Lewis-Hughes 6 (Lawrence 65, 6), Robinson 6, Boyde (c) 7

Not used: Belcher