Sports
Connacht Rugby host Exeter in Challenge Cup
Connacht Rugby face Exeter at the Sportsground on Sunday (3.15pm) in the first of two games in six days, which will define their season in Europe.
Pat Lam’s men face La Rochelle in France on Saturday week but this weekend’s match against the English Premiership outfit is pretty much a ‘winner takes all’ clash in Pool 2 to qualify for the quarter finals.
Still smarting from last Friday’s 16-13 defeat to Edinburgh, the wounded pride of Connacht Rugby should be enough to produce a backlash, regardless of the strength of the starting XV that is announced at noon today.
The Challenge Cup has lost its lustre, as automatic qualification to the Holy Grail of Champions Cup cannot be achieved even by winning it. But Connacht Rugby will still be anxious to get back to winning ways at the Sportsground, where they were unbeaten in eight games (seven wins and one draw) until Edinburgh brought that record to a shuddering halt last weekend. Another defeat on home soil could lead to a slippery slope.
The loss to Edinburgh was bitterly disappointing but not surprising given that Connacht Rugby didn’t approach the game with the passion and energy that has defined their displays, particularly at home, this season.
They were bullied in the scrum and at the breakdown – where they coughed up far too many penalties – and they lost a few vital line-outs on their own put-in.
Getting back to basics of scrummaging and lineout drills must have been a priority in training this week.
The Edinburgh game proved costly in terms of injuries. Centre, Bundee Aki, damaged his ankle in the closing stages of the match and has been ruled out until at least February. There was better news midweek with the return to action of Nathan White, who played for Connacht Eagles in their win over Leinster A at the Sportsground on Wednesday; while out-half Craig Ronaldson was back training this week after suffering a concussion.
Connacht lost the away leg to Exeter in October, 33-13, but the Englishmen’s form has dipped considerably since then, and they are there for the taking, having lost their last four games.
After the La Rochelle game on Saturday, January 24, Connacht have a much-needed break until February 15 when the league resumes for them with an away trip to Scarlets.
In the All-Ireland league, Galwegians record an 18-15 win away to UL/Bohemians to stay top of the Division 1b table, but city rivals Corinthians are experiencing life at the other end after a 39-10 defeat at home to Garryowen saw them slip to last place.
Click HERE for a chance to win a Connacht Rugby match-day hospitality package this Sunday
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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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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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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