Scene set for rousing local derby between city rivals

THE club game has experienced something of a renaissance in Connacht over the last five years and healthy local rivalries between the province’s best clubs has played a key role in all of that.

On Friday evening at Corinthian Park, the Galway City derby takes centre stage as Corinthians host Galwegians in Division 1b of the Ulster Bank League at 7:30 in what is without question the game of the weekend in the province.

The rise of Corinthians over the last five years has happened quickly and resulted in them briefly overtaking their rivals in the pecking order last season as the sky blues were left in Division 2a looking for promotion, while Corinthians excelled in Division 1b.

But the clubs are back on equal footing this season and Friday’s showdown will be a fascinating reference point as to how things stand. In a span stretching back ten years, they have met only once in the All Ireland League.

That  encounter happened two seasons ago in a Division 2a campaign where Galwegians were slow to adjust to life in the third tier after relegation the previous season, finishing mid table, while Corinthians produced a memorable campaign under Phil Pretorius to gain promotion. However, the derby tie itself bucked the trend.

On a November night in Crowley Park, Galwegians produced their best display of the season against their old foes, keeping a firm grip on the contest from start to finish in a 31-13 victory. The Leader brothers stole the show with Tadhg scoring a brilliant try and kicking a total of 14 points, while Darragh notched three monstrous long range penalties to drive home the win.

Two years on, almost to the day, they meet again in the first of two showdowns this season with the return fixture on Friday, February 27 in Crowley Park. This should make for a better scenario this weekend as the one off nature of their last meeting made the contest tense and error strewn. There’s a feeling now that, weather permitting, this Friday will see these arch rivals having a real go in Corinthian Park.

Both clubs have new coaching teams at the helm this season as they each lost a hugely influential head coach during the off season. After two remarkably successful years in charge of Corinthians, Pretorius returned to South Africa leaving difficult boots to fill while at Galwegians Cory Brown left for work with the Connacht academy having transformed the sky blues side into a consistently strong Division 2a title winning side.

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