Monivea return to best form in Cup win over Skerries

Date Published: {J}

Rob Murphy

BACK they come again. Monivea just will not wilt. Season after season you think they’ve suffered one blow too many and each autumn, the revival begins, the hunger returns and the climbing starts all over again. Saturday’s one point All-Ireland Cup first round victory away to Skerries underlined their latest surge.

For a couple of weeks in September, the new look, youthful squad under the steady guidance of Limerick native Gerry Casey and forwards coach John Muldoon, looked like they were wavering. The fire wasn’t burning as bright, Westport caused them some trouble, OLBC kept them to a try.

However something sparked in the week leading up to Ballina and the team cranked up a gear, blitzing their closest rivals for the league title with six first half tries and adding two more in the second in a 52-10 victory. Brilliant rugby by a team that had rediscovered their swagger and, most importantly of all, rediscovered their hunger.

That set the tone for last weekend’s clash away to top four Leinster side Skerries where three Ger O’Connor penalties was enough to win a tight cup game 9-8 in the wind. While they won’t admit as much, the Connacht league is now a foregone conclusion, so meaningful and competitive games outside the province might be vital if they’re to deliver in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Missing from the home ranks were former Connacht players Chris Keane and David Hewitt at half back, Conal Keane at full back and their captain Joe Glennon, but Monivea were without try scorer in chief and long term injury concern Rory O’Connor and the powerful Cathal Divilly.

The game itself saw Monivea lead 6-0 at half time with the wind, only to be pegged back to 6-5 when replacement winger Kevin McGrath showed his undoubted class with a fine try. Monivea got back on the offensive and stretched the lead to 9-5 before David Quirke raised home hopes with a penalty in response.

The finish was frantic but Skerries ran out of ideas as a tenacious and attack minded defence stood firm for the visitors in a tension filled last ten minutes.

Monivea’s win was backboned by a tremendous front row display from Ger Fitzmaurice, Benny Ryan and Ronan Coughlan up against a strong trio led by James Ngatupuna.

Kieran Conarr’s late turnover deep in Skerries territory highlighted the tenacious and fiercely impressive work rate from the Monivea back row. Martin King was superb throughout while Eoin Rooney is as fired up as ever in the black and red at eight.

It was a day for forwards as the battle was won and lost in those exchanges. Monivea carried plenty of ball because they felt the corners were well marshalled by the home back three. Ger O’Connor at ten crowned an excellent display with three kicks from three, including one long range belter before half time.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.