Sports
Connacht’s blushes saved by a thunder and lighning storm
CONNACHT’S dismal start to their defence to the Pro12 title was all set to continue, but for a much needed reprieve from Mother Nature in Italy last Friday night.
Zebre were leading the game 22-10 when a thunder and lightning storm hit the Parma area at half-time and after a 20 minute delay to proceedings, Welsh referee Ian Davies decided in the interest of player safety to abandon the game.
Connacht have previously never been defeated by their Italian counterparts but the signs were ominous for Pat Lam’s men with Zebre landing three first half tries to the defending champion’s one.
They opened the scoring with a try from Tommaso Boni but Connacht quickly responded when Tiernan O’Halloran went over after good work from Jack Carty who converted the try, which should have been the platform base for Connacht to build upon.
However, this score was followed by inexplicably poor handling errors and an inability to build any phases of play which meant they were constantly turning over the ball. Communication also appeared to be a big issue for Connacht with huge gaps appearing numerous times throughout their defence.
The Italian underdogs scored two more tries either side of a Jack Carty penalty, courtesy of flanker Maxime Mbanda and Jacopo Sarto with Carlo Canna converting the second try. Zebre full-back Edorado Padovani landed a mammoth penalty from just inside the halfway line to leave the gap at 12 points at the interval.
While some may point to Connacht’s injury problems at present, it’s hardly sufficient excuse for a side that are defending champions having to be let off the hook by weather conditions against the Italian minnows. Zebre were well on their way for a historic bonus point win and will be bitterly disappointed at their misfortune.
Speaking after the game Connacht coach Lam was appreciative of the official’s decision: “It was the correct decision, safety is the first priority. Nobody expected the lightning and the rain and the hail and then once it went past 20 minutes, it was out of the control of both teams.”
“But safety has to be the first call, we all know that. So it’s a matter of refixing the game and going from there. Sometimes these things are out of your control.”
For the result to stand the game would have needed to have been played for more than 60 minutes. Given this criteria wasn’t met it is now up to the Pro12 officials to reschedule the game in due course.
Up next for Connacht is the away trip to Scarlets this Saturday (7.35pm) at the Parc y Scarlets Stadium. The Welsh outfit have also had a disappointing opening to their campaign with three straight loses, but will certainly fancy their chances against a below par Connacht who they defeated in the same fixture last year.
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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