Sports
Flattering Connacht men collapse in Thomond Park
Munster 42
Connacht 20
A solid beating in Munster isn’t going to derail a Connacht season, no matter what the objective. This won’t have been on the target list and a result of any kind on Saturday would have been a bonus but nevertheless, for the umpteenth time. Connacht cowed away from Thomond Park at the weekend tails between their legs.
For a neat encapsulation of the Munster dominance in this fixture, take Donncha O’Callaghan. He trudged off the field on 64 minutes like a boxer after a sparring match. He had toyed with Connacht (and the officials) throughout the afternoon. He has never been among the world’s best in his position and he knows that but he’s a nuisance, and if he gets into your head, he can dominate. Each and every time he takes to the field against Connacht on his home soil, he dominates.
Players like that are why Connacht have now played 39 away games against inter-provincial opposition in 13 years without winning a single match. Watching him jog off and shout some parting words at his speechless opponents underlined why he’ll retire with plenty of stand out memories of Connacht games.
A new generation of players will carry that mantle forward too. Take Billy Holland for example, he’s played in 17 of Munster’s 18 Pro12 games this year in the second row. He’s the new generation and it has taken him four years to really establish himself. He epitomises the Munster way, dogged, determined and unrelenting despite plenty of setbacks. Their number six, Dave O’Callaghan is another quietly effective war horse, Tommy O’Donnell too.
This was a game where – and cover the paper a little if you’re reading in Limerick – Munster actually lost the front row battle. Denis Buckley once again proved his calibre in edging Stephen Archer in every department. Rodney Ah You backed up a season’s best display against Cardiff with another one here and hooker Tom McCartney once again highlighted why he is a high quality acquisition, despite some errant lineouts.
Add to all that the fact that the usually dominant CJ Stander at eight had a relatively quiet game (by his high standards) after he was hit by a thunderous Ah You tackle 20 minutes in that put him firmly on the back foot. He toiled and harried but never dominated. Not like his back row and second row colleagues. It was here and in the half backs that Munster reigned supreme, but not until the final quarter.
We’ve got a long way into this story without mentioning a single one of the eight tries the larger than usual Thomond Park crowd were treated too. That’s because most of them came at the end. Here was a game that clearly highlighted why the notion that lots of tries guarantees entertainment is complete nonsense.
Full 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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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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