Connacht Tribune
Returning Aki sets the standard in Connacht’s best display so far
Inside Track with John McIntyre
CONNACHT produced their best display of the new PRO14 campaign against the best team they have encountered so far at the Sportsground last Saturday. It was an occasion which marked the return of Bundee Aki to centre duties and the Irish international set the tone for the Westerners’ most cohesive and energetic display of the Autumn
Aki was in the zone from the start; mad for work; and relishing the contact zone. He has always been an understandable crowd favourite and it’s easy to see why when the New Zealander continues to repeatedly lay his body on the line for the Connacht cause. Aki helped to inspire a 33-20 victory over a strong Scarlets outfit which contained a host of Welsh internationals.
Having jettisoned Kieran Keane after just one year in charge as Head Coach, there was pressure on all the major stakeholders at the Sportsground for improved results under the new man in charge Andy Friend. To be honest, the jury was out after Connacht’s first three games in the PRO14, but Saturday’s performance was a major step in the right direction.
Having lost a comfortable lead in their opening outing against Glasgow; being hit and miss in their win over Zebre; and taking a physical buffeting in their seven-point away defeat to Edinburgh, Connacht needed to make a statement against their Welsh visitors. A crowd of nearly 6,000 turned up on College Road and they must have departed the venue delighted with what they saw.
Scarlets had headed to Galway in fine fettle after a home victory over Leinster. They were clearly up for the match and with the likes of Leigh Halfpenny in their ranks, brought some star quality to the Sportsground. They scored a couple of well-worked tries from Johnny McNicholl and Tom Prydie, but were still 13-points adrift at the finish.
That shows how good Connacht were. They turned on the gas early when a typical Aki break paved the way for his centre partner Tom Farrell to dive over from close range after just seven minutes. Subsequently Cian Kelleher showed an electric turn of pace down the left wing for his team’s second try which was again converted by in-form out half Jack Carty.
Connacht led at the interval by 20-13, but they still had to maintain a high level of intensity to complete the job. Scarlets were only six points behind five minutes from the end and trying to launch an attack when replacement scrum half Caolin Blade somehow retrieved possession and Sean O’Brien did the donkey work for Niyi Adeolokun to scamper clear and dot down between the posts.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
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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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht 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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