Cardiff Blues battled bravely at a man disadvantage for nearly an hour but were eventually beaten by Montpellier in the Heineken Cup this afternoon.
Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams was sent off in the first half for a fierce spear tackle, leaving Cardiff to continue with 14 men.
Montpellier quickly took advantage to score the opening try through Pierre Berard, who ran into the corner unopposed.
Cardiff stayed alive until the closing stages thanks to Rhys Pathcell, who kicked seven penalties in a mature display beyond his years.
Montpellier made the numbers tell in the final 15 minutes, scoring two more tries through Mamuka Gorgodze and Timoci Nagusa.
A disappointing defeat leaves Cardiff with just one point from their opening three pool matches.
