Sports
Connacht get the job done with facile win over French
Connacht 48
La Rochelle 12
Regardless of their fortunes elsewhere, Connacht have almost always been competitive against French opposition and they boast a particularly healthy record against the underclass of the Top 14, a league that likes to present itself as Europe’s finest.
Rarely, however, have they demolished opponents with such clinical precision as at The Sportsground on Saturday evening where they opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a victory of consummate ease against a hapless La Rochelle side.
Yet, laudable though Connacht’s attacking quality was in fashioning a seven-tries-to-two success despite the swirling gale, the stark reality is that they have encountered few teams of such dubious ability, organisation and resolve in the professional era, certainly not in the Guinness Pro 12 or in any of its previous guises.
With the bonus point and four tries in the bag by the 36th minute, an imposing 29-0 lead meant they could afford the luxury of withdrawing the game’s outstanding personality, scrum-half Kieran Marmion, at the interval to reserve his energies for more obdurate adversaries ahead.
On a superficial level, Connacht had been hugely impressive as Marmion, Darragh Leader and Robbie Henshaw tore holes through the middle of the tepid La Rochelle defence, but enjoyable though it was for 4,700 home crowd, no one is going to invest too much value in this performance.
Indeed, one must seriously question the merits of Europe’s secondary competition now that it has been downgraded by the structural changes that no longer sees the winner secure a place in the following season’s Champions Cup.
And, at best, it generates a lukewarm interest from the lesser-endowed French teams whose premier preoccupation is on avoiding domestic relegation.
Take La Rochelle, for example. They stand eleventh in the Top 14, having won three of their nine games to date (including victories over Toulouse and champions Castres), but for their trip to Galway left seven of their first team at home and made twelve changes in all from their previous outing.
But Connacht can only achieve what is required of them on the day and they performed with impressive efficiency as, initially, they pulverised the visitors up the centre of the field and, later, exposed them out wide to create tries for Henshaw (2), Jack Carty, Marmion, Ronan Loughney, Danie Poolman and Matt Healy.
Coach Pat Lam’s man-management has been exemplary this season and nowhere is it better reflected than in his nurturing of young Jack Carty at out-half where, though far from the finished article in terms of exerting a game-controlling influence, the Roscommon lad has thrived with the confidence bestowed on him and through consistency of selection.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.
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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