The Blues began a little casually and were punished when a Ben Blair clearance was charged down and visiting fly-half Tim Donnelly kicked to the corner, where Samoan wing Ofisa Treviranus was tackled off the ball by opposite number James.

There might have been a case for a penalty try, but referee Peter Fitzpatrick called play back for off-side and Donnelly had to settle for an easy kick in front of the posts.

The Blues produced a scintillating handling move, out of touch with the general tone of the evening, the ball flowing right and left before full-back Blair scuttled in for a try he then converted.

The home side dominated territorially, but were unable to capitalise, while Connacht's rare ventures into the Blues' half produced two more penalties for Donnelly.

It was first-half injury time before the Blues scored again.

Good work by prop Scott Roberts and centre Tal Selley seemed to be leading nowhere until returning World Cup star Martyn Williams broke hooker John Fogarty's tackle to go under the posts and give Blair an easy conversion.

Both sides continued to kick away possession and Blues fly-half Dai Flanagan was guilty of a particularly aimless effort, collect by Ireland World Cup representative Gavin Duffy, who raced 50 yards before replacement scrum-half Conor O'Loughlin dived over. Donnelley's conversion gave Connacht the lead.

Blair and replacement fly-half Nick Macleod each missed long-distance penalties, while acting Blues' captain Paul Tito knocked on in the act of touching down after a mazy run by James.

But Macleod finally slotted over a penalty when Treviranus was guilty of slowing the ball down, an offence which earned the winger a yellow card.

Another soon followed, when Fogarty used his hands in a ruck, and Macleod again kicked the goal.

Then disaster struck the visitors. Duffy and Keith Matthews collided as they went for a high kick, spilled the ball and allowed man of the match James to dribble 60 yards to touch down. Macleod's kick hit the post.

Within minutes James was on hand again to finish a neat handling move by crossing for the bonus point try.

The Blues allowed Connacht to apply late pressure which earned a series of penalties.

Martyn Williams was sin-binned but nothing was added to the scoreboard.

Blues 30 (14)
Tries: Blair, Williams, James (2)
Cons: Blair (2)
Pens: Macleod (2)

Connacht 16 (9)
Try: O'Loughlin
Cons: Donnelly (1)
Pens: Donnelly (3)

Cardiff Blues: Blair, R. Williams, Selley, Shanklin, James, Flanagan, Rees, Jenkins, G. Williams, S. Roberts, Jones, Tito, Morgan, M. Williams, Lewis.

Replacements: G. Thomas, Macleod, Spice, Filise, R. Thomas, Davies, Molitika.

Connacht: Duffy, Treviranus, Deane, Wynne, Matthews, Donnelly, McPhillips, Wilkinson, Fogarty, Morris, Swift, Gannon, Ofisa, J. O'Connor, J. Muldoon.

Replacements: Browne, Durcan, O'Loughlin, Rigney, McCarthy, McGowan, Merrigan.

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)