Sports
New signing Aki named in Connacht team for big clash with table toppers
THE cavalry has arrived for Connacht who are seeking to avoid another drubbing on the road when they face Ospreys at Liberty Stadium this evening (Friday, 7.35pm). Pacy and abrasive New Zealander Bundee Aki has been named in Pat Lam’s side to take on the Welsh table-toppers, who are unbeaten this season in the Guinness Pro 12 league.
Aki, the former Chiefs rising star, trained in Galway earlier this week and starts at outside centre alongside Craig Ronaldson, in a game Lam has described as Connacht’s “biggest challenge of the season so far.”
Having just arrived in Ireland 10 days ago, Aki wasn’t due to start until the next game against Zebre, but was keen to get going, according to Lam.
“He’s been very open to learning quickly in training and has made a big effort in getting to know his team mates. There’ll undoubtedly be a good bit of spotlight on him against Ospreys, but as always it is only a team effort that can lead to a positive outcome for us,” said Lam.
The 24-year-old’s Connacht debut is a timely boost as front-line players, Robbie Henshaw and Nathan White are tied-up with Joe Schmidt’s Ireland squad.
The other three players on international duty, Kieran Marmion, Darragh Leader and Rodney Ah You, have been temporarily released from the Ireland squad for this game.
Marmion and Ah You are named in the starting XV, and are among nine changes to the side that lost by 20 points in England at the weekend.
As well as Aki, captain John Muldoon returns to action this weekend, as does Eoin McKeon, and Quinn Roux, who were all rested for the away trip to Exeter Chiefs six days ago. Jack Carty is recalled at out-half, and Matt Healy comes in on the wing ahead of Fionn Carr, who is not named in the squad.
Though Leader was released by Schmidt, Lam has placed his faith in 22-year-old Shane Layden to deliver at full-back, in only his second start of the season.
Mayo-born prop Jamie Dever is named among the substitutes and could make his senior debut for the province and JP Cooney is also on the bench and is in line for his first appearance this season.
The 33-13 scalping suffered at the hands of the English outfit at Sandy Park on Saturday should focus the minds as Connacht look to back-up their fine start to the league – they lie fifth in the table, sandwiched between Munster and Leinster, on 18 points, after four wins from six games.
The league has to be a priority this season, given that qualification for the top competition, Champions Cup (formerly Heineken Cup), is not available even to the winners of the European Champions Cup.
Connacht has never won at Liberty Stadium and has beaten Ospreys just once in five years, a memorable 22-10 victory at home in February 2013.
The last time Connacht played Ospreys in Wales was last May, when they shipped six tries in a humbling 45-20 defeat. And having conceded five tries against Exeter, Lam insists his charges must improve defensively.
“We’re going down to play the top team in the league on their home ground. It is our biggest challenge of the season so far. Ospreys are a well-coached, well-drilled side with strike power all over the field. We know we will have to raise our standards considerably from last week, particularly in defence. But we’re all focused on the process of picking up as many league points as we can,” said Lam.
Connacht: S. Layden, N. Adeolokun, B. Aki, C. Ronaldson, M. Healy, J. Carty, K. Marmion; D. Buckley, J. Harris-Wright, R. Ah You, M. Kearney, Q. Roux, J. Muldoon, E. McKeon, G. Naoupu.
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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