Sports
Connacht get few breaks in tough assignment
Newcastle 29
Connacht 5
There’s a story to be told here and it’s not directly related to the outcome. For sure, a 29-5 loss should be no great surprise, a Newcastle team back to close to full strength administering revenge on a Connacht side that were heavily depleted after another spree of knocks, bumps and bruises.
Yet that can’t be the only tale that permeates from a blustery Kingston Park on Sunday. This result, the first half and yet another example of sub standard officiating from leading officials might be nothing more than a tiny footnote in Connacht’s season but it is worth starting the report at half time to at least ensure that the mood at that very moment isn’t completely lost from the memory banks.
The sides were locked at five points apiece as Ben Whitehouse blew for halftime. With the wind at their backs Newcastle had offered little or nothing to indicate they were going to have enough to win this game, Connacht were the dominant force. A west of Ireland team jam packed full of emerging players but shorn of some of the key components of this hugely successful start to the season.
It was hair raising stuff from the get go. Where Connacht of old would feel their way into a contest after making this many changes and missing that many experienced leaders, the Connacht of new arrived with a familiar ‘why not have a go’ attitude. So in the manner of what was on show at Thomond Park, the Liberty Stadium or Krasnoyarsk before, the westerners served up more ball in hand, heads up, expansive rugby from the first phase and it barely let up until half time.
Now there were mistakes too. A lack of direct runners was a key omission, some ponderous phases when they reached the edge of the 22 and a couple of other misfires in the 22 including a lineout and maul that was well read by the home pack and a bad defensive mix up, with more than a hint of blocking, that allowed the twinkle toed Marcus Watson to dance through a gap on the ten metre line and sprint home for a soft try.
All untidy and frustrating for sure but they were just a handful of negatives from a half that was brim full of positives for the young Connacht side. Eoghan Masterson seemed to have scored a perfectly legitimate try in the opening minutes after a barnstorming break but Whitehouse felt he had been held and executed a double movement and his seemingly lifeless assistant referees showed no interest in helping.
The evidence was far from compelling on first view and the lack of a TMO meant there was no second glimpse. Connacht were denied but not deterred. Caolin Blade was getting good front foot ball and using it well, any Newcastle attacks were foiled by strong counter rucking and turnovers, Eoghan Masterson and Rory Parata had two stand out ones along the way.
Full match report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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