Pau keep Challenge Cup hope alive after beating Cardiff Blues 34-29

Pau 34-29 Cardiff Blues, Stade du Hameau
Scorecard

Pau kept their hope of progressing to the knock out stage alive as they edged out Cardiff Blues 34-29 in their European Challenge Cup clash at Stade du Hameau on Saturday.

This is Pau's second win from four games as they are positioned third in Pool 5 with 10 points while Cardiff Blues are at second place with 13 points.

Owen Lane kick-started the proceedings with a third minute try that was improved by Jarrod Evans to take Cardiff Blues to a seven-point lead. Nevertheless, the rest of the first half saw Pau dominate as they scored four tries to claim a bonus point.

Prop Mohamed Boughanmi helped the French side level the score with a 11th minute touchdown while Geoffrey Moise (16'), Pierre Nueno (32') and Bastien Pourailly (40') followed the suit as they ended the first half with a 24-7 lead.

Pau were quick to get off the block in the second half with Baptiste Pesenti crossing the whitewash but they let the game slip with Tom Taylor and Lucas Pointud sin-binned in the 54th and 59th minutes respectively and the Blues made full use of the numerical advantage with Hallam Amos (59'), Lane (64' and 68') scoring tries making the scoreline 31-26.

Just as fulltime was approaching, Clovis Lebail's penalty kick in the 76th minute stretched Pau's lead to eight points but they had a scare in the final minute when Giovanni Kueffner was yellow-carded following which Cardiff Blues replacement Jason Tovey kicked a three-pointer that ensured them a losing bonus point.