JJ Hanrahan kicks Connacht to victory in Cardiff

Cardiff could not overcome an early red card for centre Rey Lee-Lo as Connacht claimed a 16-12 United Rugby Championship victory at the Arms Park.

Lee-Lo was dismissed after just 15 minutes by Italian referee Andrea Piardi following a dangerous, high challenge on Connacht wing Shayne Bolton.

It left the Welsh team with a mountain to climb, but they led until the final quarter before Connacht finally overhauled them.

Fly-half JJ Hanrahan was the architect of Connacht's win, kicking three penalties and converting replacement prop Peter Dooley’s try.

Cardiff outscored Connacht on tries, with centre Ben Thomas and number eight Lopeti Timani touching down and fly-half Tinus de Beer adding a conversion, but Connacht had just enough in the tank.

Cardiff were boosted by Wales squad members Mackenzie Martin and Seb Davies being released from international commitments for the game, which started after a tribute to the club’s former Wales and British and Irish Lions fly-half Barry John.

His famed half-back partner Gareth Edwards led a moving ceremony in front of John’s family and many of his ex-club and international playing colleagues, placing a Cardiff shirt on a plinth next to a pair of John’s boots.

Connacht went ahead through a fourth-minute penalty by Hanrahan, and it looked bleak for Cardiff when Lee-Lo was sent off.

But the red card stirred Cardiff, and Thomas scored a well-worked try that De Beer converted, yet they finished the first-half temporarily down to 13 players after Timani was yellow-carded for a high tackle.

Connacht knew they needed to make the numerical advantage count, but they were restricted to a second Hanrahan penalty as Cardiff claimed a 7-6 interval lead.

The visitors could not erase their deficit, and Tomani