Sports
Depleted Connacht clip the wings of Falcons
Connacht 25
Newcastle 10
ALL things considered, this Friday night win in Galway was another milestone result for Connacht. The Pro12 is once again priority number one this season and these Challenge Cup fixtures could prove to be a distraction if they are not managed carefully, but so far they have been negotiated with precision by an ever changing young panel and that is another reason to be positive.
Leaving aside the fact that it was a home win against an English Premiership side, confirming Connacht’s place at the top of the pool, with Brive slipping up away to Enisei in Sochi, this was a milestone result because of the adversity they faced. Eleven changes from the previous week, just 23 fit players available and a very young backline meant expectations weren’t as high as normal.
Throw into the mix that Connacht’s bubble had burst in terms of their winning streak, after a run of eight straight victories, as in the past the recent loss in Cardiff would have led to a slide in form and confidence. Not here, not this time. They bounced back with a clean win, thanks to six Jack Carty penalties and a late deftly taken try from a fit-again Danie Poolman.
It wasn’t a stroll in the park by any means. When Newcastle scored off a lineout, catch and maul that the home side seemed powerless to stop, there was 15 minutes left on the clock and a two point gap on the scoreboard with Connacht ahead 12-10. Carty’s fifth penalty stretched the advantage to five, but there was more drama to follow as the tide continued to turn.
Young French referee Thomas Chabaras sin binned Rory Parata with 12 minutes remaining, apparently for persistent offside and Newcastle’s replacement out half Simon Catterick stood over a simple kick in the 22 to narrow the gap to just two points again. His miss stunned the Sportsground and his team-mates.
For the remaining nine minutes of the sin bin period, Connacht completely dominated, scoring ten points including another kick from Carty, who notched seven kicks from eight on a fine afternoon’s play, and Poolman’s try from a little grubber ‘kick and chase’ eight metres out from the line. The South African was only making his fifth appearance in an injury-hit season and that was his fourth try.
The half time margin had been 9-3. This was a Newcastle side much changed from their Premiership line up. They are struggling without a win in England’s top flight and have been forced to use this competition to blood some academy stars. They came to win however, experience heads like Scott Lawson at hooker, Mouritz Botha in the second row and Alistair Hogg at eight kept them on track and very much in the game.
Full match report 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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