Sports
High flying Connacht men face toughest test of season so far against Munster
The season-proper starts now for Connacht. The first interprovincial of the year brings with it a first true measure of where this squad is ‘at’.
Is Connacht’s position at the summit of the Guinness Pro 12 a true reflection of their exploits since September, or is it an inflated standing, helped by their opponents’ weakened squads due to World Cup duties?
That latter point appears to be lost on some, in all the euphoric talk of a record start to the season. Judging by the vibes coming from the Sportsground ahead of this derby, at least the players and management aren’t getting carried away. Table positions now matter little come April if they’ve slipped back into mid-division. And Munster, particularly at Thomond Park, has a knack of dragging you back to earth.
This Saturday in Limerick (kick-off 5.15pm) is a real litmus test for Pat Lam’s men. In fairness, they jumped every hurdle so far, stumbling only at one: Connacht has won eight of the nine games (six league and two cup wins) they have played, and even in the loss to Glasgow away, they managed to scrape a losing bonus and a try bonus.
But this weekend is different. This is a top-of-the-table clash in a venue that Connacht hasn’t tasted success since 1986.
The aura that surrounded Munster teams over the past decade may be gone but they’re still a grisly outfit that pack a punch up-front and Connacht will have to win the ferocious forwards battle if they are to have any hope of an upset.
Munster look down their noses on Connacht and will garner enormous pleasure from beating the ‘other province’ and ‘putting them back in their box’.
As John Muldoon put it, Thomond has been a graveyard for Connacht. The vast majority of the current squad weren’t born when the westerners sprung a surprise down South almost 30 years ago and the handful that were, scarcely remember it: Fionn Carr and Ronan Loughney were still crawling, and the likes of Muldoon, Nathan White and George Naoupu were in nappies.
Connacht have made big strides in recent seasons but if they are to make the breakthrough this weekend they will need to seriously improve on the Brive display. Munster’s forwards will be licking their lips looking at the footage of the French team’s opening try Friday night.
Connacht’s scrambling defence just about recovered to bundle a Brive back into touch five metres short but Kieran Marion faffed about with the ball and failed to clear his lines from the lineout, which resulted in an attacking throw-in. From there, Brive’s pack steamrolled over with such consummate ease. It was like a 4×4 jeep driving over a card-board box. No contest.
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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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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