Sports
Connacht Rugby trounce Zebre
Crowds came to College Road for fireworks, and fireworks is what they got as Connacht Rugby defeated Zebre 43-3 on Friday night in the Guinness Pro12.
Pat Lam’s men picked up a try-bonus in their biggest win of the season, running in five tries in total, as they cut loose in the second half.
The main attraction was, of course, Mils Muliaina, Connacht Rugby’s first All-Black, whose significant pulling-power brought out almost 5,500 supporters despite the rainy conditions. He didn’t disappoint.
Capped 100 times for New Zealand, the World Cup winner made a few line breaks, and provided the assist that set-up winger Danie Poolman for the home side’s first try of the night in the right corner.
Afterwards, the 34-years-old was full of praise for the Connacht Rugby fans, and the electric atmosphere they created during his debut.
“The atmosphere was awesome. The supporters here are really passionate, especially in weather like this and to still have 5,000-odd crowd that turns up. We’re pretty pleased and we’re stoked about turning it on for them,” Muliaina told reporters.
Zebre, missing 13 internationals, were always going to struggle. But desperate discipline really punished them, and they conceded several tries when three of their players were sin-binned.
The fourth try was scored by scrum-half John Cooney, in his first start at the Sportsground, after a powerful break from George Naoupu from the base of the scrum on halfway. Substitute out-half Jack Carty finished the scoring with a break-away try.
Just as Muliaina was causing a stir in Galway, up the M6, on Saturday, another star of Connacht Rugby was lighting up the international stage at Lansdowne Road.
Robbie Henshaw, lining out in the number 13 jersey, put in a decent shift for Ireland, who clung on to beat Australia 26-23.
Improving with every international game he plays, the young Athlone centre was solid without being spectacular alongside Gordon D’Arcy. He kicked well, and made some yardage, while defensively Henshaw was a rock.
Henshaw’s performance against Australia, which backs up his impressive display against South Africa a fortnight ago, galvanises his starting position ahead of the Six Nation’s campaign in Spring and the 2015 World Cup.
He should be available for selection this weekend as Connacht Rugby welcome Scarlets in what is a completely different ball-game to Zebre.
Connacht are sixth in the league table, with 23 points, and are within striking distance of Leinster (24 points), Glasgow (27 points) and Munster (28 points).
The Scarlets are in seventh place in the table, just a point behind Connacht, and this mouth-watering clash is effectively an eight-pointer, in the scramble to secure European Cup qualification. Kick-off is at 7.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are available from the usual outlets.
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.
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.
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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