Sports
High flying Connacht claim major scalp on Welsh turf
Ospreys 16
Connacht 21
THE momentum continues for Connacht and Pat Lam after Saturday’s enormously significant away win at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. It was just Connacht’s second victory in 15 attempts against the Ospreys and ended an 11-year run without a win in the west Wales venue but, most importantly, it keeps Connacht joint top of the table heading into another crucial weekend.
Edinburgh visit the Sportsground this Saturday (6:45 kick off) in the latest in a series of vital fixtures that could prove pivotal at the end of the season. The Scots will be close to full strength and still reeling from their surprise 19-11 defeat in Zebre, while Lam’s men are in a good place after their best performance of the season so far.
Bundee Aki stood out for most observers, nabbing the man of the match award and notching a crucial second half try. The number 13 role might well be a factor in freeing up the former super 12 try machine to do a lot more damage to teams.
In the pack, 20-year-old Shane Delahunt stepped up to cover for the injured Tom McCartney and produced a superb display both at set piece and in open play. The back row excelled with Eoghan Masterson key to that, but it was a day where you couldn’t find much to fault in the entire unit as they consistently delivered against the home side.
Having lost their first three games, the Ospreys were in better form coming into this one thanks to a win away to Treviso and seemed odds on to continue the revival with the returning Justin Tipuric back on the bench and a strong looking tight five starting. Connacht were higher up the table but the form had been mixed.
The first score of the game went to Sam Davies from a penalty after some good early pressure from the home side. Connacht responded well with sustained pressure leading to a penalty that Carty would miss on the right, but undeterred and influenced by the lively Kieran Marmion, they continued to probe and with a second chance, Carty made no mistake.
The first try went the way of the Ospreys with Eli Walker making a superb break before finding Dan Baker on the inside. The number eight charged over for a try that stood after a TMO review for a forward pass, the conversion tailed wide but the lead was 8-3.
The second quarter belonged to Connacht. Aki’s first big moment came soon after that try with a strong break in midfield. With Craig Ronaldson at 12, the former Super rugby star appeared much more of a threat throughout and his big gains caused real trouble. He was stopped just shy of the line and Ospreys centre Josh Matavesi was sin-binned for diving over the ruck and killing ball.
Carty opted for the three points to narrow the gap to 8-6 and Davies could not convert an opportunity to respond with a penalty soon after. That was merely a brief respite from the waves of Connacht attacks. After a Marmion break off the back of a five-metre scrum, wing Matt Healy was there to take the pass and cross over for an 11-8 lead with the touchline conversion missing.
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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