Buckley pens new deal at Sportsground and targets Irish breakthrough

BY JOHN FALLON

Connacht resume their PRO14 campaign on Saturday at the Sportsground (5.30pm) when they take on the Cheetahs as they bid to continue their drive to make the Champions Cup next season.

The South Africans have improved after a slow start and are only two points adrift of Connacht in Conference A as the season heads towards the business end.

Indeed, just two points separate Ospreys in third from the Cheetahs in sixth place, with Connacht and Cardiff in between, and it looks like a battle to the wire between these four teams for the third play-off spot in the PRO14.

Of course, the Cheetahs can’t qualify for the Champions Cup so it looks like the other three will battle it out for the one automatic spot and the one play-off slot to make it to Europe’s competition next year.

And while there is also a quarter-final in the Challenge Cup against Sale Sharks next month to look forward to, another one of the bricks for next season has been secured with experienced loosehead prop Denis Buckley signing a new two-year contract this week.

Buckley said that winning a first Irish senior cap remains a primary goal after pledging his future to the province for another two years.

The former Irish U-20 player has been part of Joe Schmidt’s extended squad in the past, but a debut remains elusive for the man who has twice been named in the PRO14 Team of the Year after a string of impressive displays.

The Roscommon native said he has never given up on his dream of making the breakthrough for Ireland, and is hoping that consistent form for Andy Friend’s side will push him that bit closer to a senior cap.

“That is still my number one goal is to try and get some international caps. At the start of the year I was in camp with them and did reasonably well.

“In November there I spoke to Joe, I didn’t make it but I was close enough in the mix. I wasn’t as close with the Six Nations with missing one or two games over the Christmas period, and didn’t play my best rugby for a game or two as well which happens.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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