Sports
Connacht fail to take their chances in tough contest
Wasps 32
Connacht 17
SINCE that glorious day in Edinburgh back in May, the news feed emanating from Connacht has not been good and we all need to acknowledge that at this stage.
Bar a few wonderful weeks in October – where they toppled Ulster and Toulouse and announced extended deals for Ultan Dillane and Bundee Aki – it has been one frustrating story after another.
Connacht arrived in Coventry on Sunday hoping to kick start a new narrative, a European Champions Cup story like never before. They are the first squad from the province to be a genuine quarter-final contender and the PRO12 champions took to the field in the Ricoh Arena rightfully bullish about their prospects, despite the home side’s glowing reputation.
It was a tough contest but by the 60 minute mark, all seemed well for the men from the west. They trailed by just three, owned the possession and territory stats and had sorted out the lineout which misfired badly for much of the first half. For a brief moment we wondered if this was to be the turning point in the campaign, what better way to push back against a tide of bad news than with a huge win in Europe’s major competition.
Alas, it wasn’t to be. Jack Carty missed a kick to level the game and within a couple of minutes, Wasps notched a try from their captain Joe Launchbury for a ten point swing. That was game over for Coventry based side, a bonus point fourth try was inevitable from there on and it came around the 70 minute mark from Josh Bassett.
Connacht trundled off the field in the end, well beaten and with a multitude of new injuries to contend with ahead of the return leg on Saturday. They’ve no out half left to back up Jack Carty, no fully fit experienced centre option outside of Rory Parata (who by the way, is covering ten too). Wingers are dropping like flies, plenty of flankers and second rows are unavailable too. Only Carty attempted kicks in the warm up.
The bad news just keeps coming, Tiernan O’Halloran and Bundee Aki are touch and go for the rematch with Wasps in Galway. The longer term list of injured backs now includes Cian Kelleher, Peter Robb, Craig Ronaldson, Shane O’Leary, Stacey Ili and most disappointingly of all key signing Marnitz Boshoff – out until least March with a serious shoulder injury.
Connacht are not converting scoring chances at anything like the rate they need to this year. In almost every away game this season they have had a shed load of possession and territory, but botched chance after chance. Fixtures against Scarlets, Leinster, the Dragons and now Wasps. All lost by more than a score, all marked by a failure to convert. The one exception came against the totally inept opposition Zebre in October.
It was a familiar tale Sunday as they burst out of the blocks with great moments of attacking play that underline why their supporters still fully believe the team can turn a corner. A bulldozing scrum against the head where the excellent Conor Carey drove into Matt Mullen and Denis Buckley completely overwhelmed ten-time capped Irish international Marty Moore set the tone.
Full coverage 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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