Inside Track
Connacht would have better opportunity in the Amlin Cup
Inside Track with John McIntyre
ON the surface, virtually everything is falling into place for Connacht rugby next season. With new Head Coach Pat Lam already in situ at the Sportsgrounds, former New Zealand U20 captain Jake Heenan winging his way West and a third consecutive Heineken Cup campaign looming, the province’s flagship team is unrecognisable in almost every positive sense compared to just a decade ago.
With vastly improved facilities at the College Road venue, season ticket sales surging, a continuing enhanced profile and increased competitiveness on the playing field, the Connacht brand is now well established and they are undoubtedly the ‘in team’ when it comes to attracting support on the terraces in Galway. To be honest, I never thought we’d see the day when people wearing Connacht jerseys would be a familiar sight around town, particularly in the lead up to match days.
The night-time action at the Sportsground, during the winter months especially, provides a compelling atmosphere and local heroes like John Muldoon, Tiernan O’Halloran, Eoin Griffin and Robbie Henshaw have developed a passionate following similar to that of Joe Canning with the Galway hurlers. Connacht have admirably worked hard, on and off the field, from humble beginnings to establish themselves as a force in the professional era.
With what at times still appears begrudging and qualified financial support from the IRFU, Connacht have made such significant strides against the odds that the team has really cornered the city sporting fan base, a scenario which will make it even more difficult for any version of the proposed new Galway United soccer outfit to attract decent crowds to Deacy Park if, and when, the club finally gets back into the League of Ireland
With one of the three French rugby giants, new Heineken Cup champions, Toulon, Clermont or Toulouse, bound for Galway next season in Europe’s premier club competition, the hype about Connacht is going to be at least maintained in the short to medium term. The sport has never been more popular locally as underlined by the sight of seemingly hundreds of juveniles going through their paces at Corinthian Park and in Galwegians on Saturday mornings.
Furthermore, in another endorsement of what is happening at the Sportsground, scrum half Kieran Marmion and full back Henshaw have been recently called up to the Irish squad for the summer tour of the USA and Canada, while Eoin McKeon, Griffin and O’Halloran have been included in the Emerging Ireland squad which will compete in the upcoming Tbilisi Cup in Georgia. Ireland’s international coaches can no longer be accused of ignoring emerging talent in the West.
The departure of indigenous heroes, Eric Elwood and Johnny O’Connor, may rob Connacht of two of its greatest ever servants and most familiar faces going forward, but CEO Tom Sears and his staff have already kicked on. Lam has a strong and experienced coaching pedigree and the Kiwi’s arrival is bound to give the existing squad of players a fresh impetus. He will bring his own tactical style and the fact that individuals will have to prove their worth to Lam should ensure some vigorous performances during the early part of the new Head Coach’s tenure.
But there is a rider to all of this positive commentary – Connacht will again be playing in the wrong European competition. Sure, all the glamour is associated with the Heineken Cup, the capacity of the Sportsground will be tested next season and the players would naturally want to be participating against Europe’s top teams but, on all known form, they haven’t a prayer of reaching the knock-out stages.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Inside Track with John McIntyre
WELL, is anyone out there tempted to back Galway to pull off the All-Ireland hurling and football double for the first time ever? In nearly 43 years at the Tribune, the thought has never crossed my mind before until now.
Given that the hurlers have only won five All-Ireland senior titles and the footballers have captured the Sam Maguire Cup on just nine occasions, it is asking a bit much for the county’s two elite teams to finally click in the same year.
It’s only happened once before that the Galway hurlers and footballers have both reached the All-Ireland final in the same year. In 2001, Noel Lane’s troops came up short against Tipperary, but John O’Mahony’s charges delivered silverware against Meath.
For those of you tempted to splash the cash on the prospect of an historic double maroon triumph, odds of around 25/1 are being quoted, with Padraic Joyce’s team (around 4/1) rated to have the better chance of going all the way. Boylesports have the hurlers chalked up at 13/2 for ultimate glory.
All we can say for the moment is that both teams are still standing. The footballers have been the more impressive, without hitting top gear in their recent victories over Tyrone and Westmeath. Their bench is stronger, while there is a great mix of strength, quality, and athleticism in their squad.
Given that they were only four points short against Kerry in last year’s All-Ireland and that margin flattered Jack O’Connor’s team, Galway’s reputation as serious challengers is already proven. Cian Hernon, John Maher, Peter Cooke, and Ian Burke have increased their options since; Johnny McGrath has emerged as a tight and mobile corner-back; while most of their seasoned performers remain in good form.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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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.
Inside Track with John McIntyre
In the wake of Limerick’s thumping victory over Kilkenny (2-20 to 0-15) in the National League Final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh in early April, a collective groan emanated from the other elite hurling counties, together with widespread resignation that the Shannonsiders wouldn’t be stopped in their quest for four consecutive All-Ireland titles.
Fast forward a little less than two months and the hurling championship has arguably become the most unpredictable ever, a scenario underlined by the weekend happenings in both Leinster and Munster. As it stands, it would take a brave individual to nail their colours to the mast about where the Liam McCarthy Cup will be residing this winter.
The way things are going, anything could happen. Take Wexford for instance. Just a week after embarrassingly losing a 17-point lead to minnows Westmeath, they came out and defeated Kilkenny to preserve their Leinster championship status, despite conceding five goals to the Cats. When did Kilkenny last lose a game after rattling the opposition net so many times? Possibly never.
Over in Thurles on the same day, a winless Waterford team already out of the championship and missing key players like Conor Prunty, Michael Kiely, Austin Gleeson and Jamie Barron due to injury, also upset the odds against a previously unbeaten Tipperary team who thought that they were already as good as in the Munster final.
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.
Inside Track with John McIntyre
By the time the Munster hurling championship is over, the three teams which eventually come through will be punch drunk from beating the daylights out of each other in what has been another merciless campaign down south.
But over in Leinster, Galway and Kilkenny are in cruise control, continuing to stand head and shoulders above everyone else, ensuring they will both be much fresher if not quite as battle-hardened for the All-Ireland series compared to their Southern counterparts.
It’s potentially a big advantage even though Munster have a stranglehold on the Liam McCarthy Cup for the past five years – four All-Irelands for Limerick and one for Tipperary over a period when Galway and Kilkenny teams haven’t been far away but unable to deliver the knock-out blows.
For all the brilliant and high intensity hurling in both Ennis and Thurles on Sunday, the big drama from the weekend action was Westmeath’s sensational comeback from a 17-point deficit to overhaul struggling Wexford in their own backyard. We know even double-digits leads are no longer safe in hurling, but this heroic comeback stretched the bounds of believability.
Leading by 2-15 to 0-5 at the interval, Wexford were virtually home and dry, but they collapsed without trace on the resumption and were outscored by a staggering 4-13 to 0-7 in a humiliating and embarrassing day for the Slaneysiders. Things haven’t been going well for them this year, but this represents surely an all-time low against a team which had suffered a 34-point hammering from Galway in their previous outing.
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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