Sports
Buccaneers come up trumps in low key provincial decider
Buccaneers 28
Galwegians 14
ONE of the oldest trophies in club rugby in Connacht will be in the hands of Buccaneers for the next 12 months after they deservedly ended Galwegians’ reign in this competition, inflicting just a second defeat of the season on the Sky Blues in the process, at the Sportsground on Sunday afternoon.
The Senior Cup has long since lost its allure and the powers that be,at IRFU level, branch level and club level, are doing little to reinvigorate it. A little bit of lateral thinking would do a world of good, but after the wholly uninspiring AIL restructuring proposals were unveiled in September, most club rugby advocates have lost all hope of such innovation from their governing body.
As the new champions, Buccaneers advance to the All Ireland Cup semi finals in January following this four try to one victory in a game that was for the most part entertaining despite the fact that both sides were shorn of a number of key front liners, due to a combination of Connacht Eagles call ups and a perceived need to rest key components ahead of this weekend’s round of All-Ireland league action.
One could argue that the All Ireland semi final stage of this competition where the four provincial senior cup champions meet (the Bateman Cup) is a prime of example of innovation from the IRFU to boost these flailing, but historically significant provincial cups. That theory, however, is negated by the fact that the IRFU refuse to allow the final into a major national stadium, have struggled for years to find suitable neutral venues and last season just threw their hat at it and tossed a coin for home advantage.
Just compare that with the Welsh Rugby Football Union who open the Millennium Stadium each year for all their major club finals from senior down to junior. It’s adamning indictment of a union that are allowing the club game at senior level to continue on a path where the major clubs with the best amateur players in the regions are struggling to attract an audience or generate a buzz around games. The paltry crowd of well below 100 at the College Road venue on Saturday underlined as much.
Of course, it’s not all about the IRFU as the provincial branches and the clubs play their part in the process as well. The game didn’t have a whole lot of promotion which was in part down to a difficulty in getting the clubs to agree on the day for the final. Then there was the admission charge at the gate, which is becoming a key issue in club rugby. Collections make sense, but admission fees seem a relic of a bygone era when the very best players were competing at full pelt in such games.
Asking the public to pay a tenner, is basically asking the local rugby fan if he or she is serious about attending the game. It is making them make a firm commitment via their wallet. It’s a bit rich of the powers to do that when the firm commitment isn’t there from clubs or competition organisers.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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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