Sports
Elwood returns ahead of Connacht’s critical derby tie with Leinster
ON the eve of one of Connacht’s biggest league games of the season, rugby in the province was delivered an early Christmas present with confirmation fans’ favourite, Eric Elwood, is returning.
Former head-coach Elwood, who caused shock with his announcement that he was stepping aside at the end of the 2013 season, has been appointed domestic rugby manager for Connacht.
He will be responsible for growing the game of rugby across the province at grassroots level and takes up his position in January. Elwood, who played out-half for Connacht and Ireland, was head-coach from 2010 to 2013, and was previously assistant coach to Michael Bradley. Elwood represented Connacht 168 times as a player and won 35 international caps, appearing in two Rugby World Cups.
After stepping aside from Connacht he changed direction and worked with pharmaceuticals company Omega Pharma for the past year but says he’s looking forward to returning to rugby.
Elwood said: “I’m really looking forward to starting in this new role in the New Year. It will certainly be different for me but that is what excites me about it. Connacht has been a huge part of my life and I have always understood the importance of the domestic game in the future of Connacht as a whole. I am looking forward to working with everyone in the domestic game in what is a truly exciting period for rugby in the West of Ireland.”
The appointment is a timely boost to rugby out-west, as Connacht’s flagship team set their sights on toppling Leinster in the first of three ‘Christmas-cracker’ inter-provincials in the coming weeks.
Pat Lam has made 14 changes to the second-string side that stunned Bayonne in France at the weekend as he carts out the heavy artillery for a mouth-watering clash with Leinster at RDS this evening (7.35pm).
Lock Aly Muldowney is the only survivor from the 29-27 triumph, although double try-scorer and man-of-the-match, Caolin Blade, the scrum-half from Monivea, is on the bench. Centre Robbie Henshaw – who Leinster are eyeing up with a view to ‘poaching’ and luring him east – has recovered from injury and tastes his first action since starring for Ireland in the November series. The 21-year-old international is partnered by Bundee Aki, who starts in his preferred position of inside centre for the first time.
All-Black Mils Muliaina – who will taste his first inter-provincial derby – is named at full back with dangermen Danie Poolman and Matt Healy on the wings. Jack Carty is handed the reins at out-half for his first game at the RDS and Ireland’s Kieran Marmion, who scored Connacht’s try at the Dublin venue last year, resumes duties at scrum half.
Up front, John Muldoon will captain the side in a back row featuring Eoin McKeon and George Naoupu. On-loan lock Quinn Roux partners Muldowney in the second row behind the front row trio of Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney and Rodney Ah You.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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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