Friend in bullish mood ahead of big battle with Munster
Published:
-
-
Author: Keith Kelly
~ 3 minutes read
From this week's Galway City Tribune
TWO teams which have made wretched starts to the season will hope to kick-start their campaigns this Friday as Connacht host Munster when they meet in the Sportsground (7.35pm).
The visitors have at least got a win under their belt, flattering to deceive against perennial basement side Zebre in a 21-5 win in Cork last weekend, but Connacht head into the game propping up the table with nothing to show for their three games to date.
All three of those games have been on the road, as work continued on replacing the grass pitch at the Sportsground with a synthetic surface, and that is now ready to be unveiled on Friday for a game which Connacht simply have to win if their league season is not to be declared a write-off before the kids have even gone trick-or-treating.
“We want to be a team that plays fast and this [new synthetic pitch] allows us to be fast. This is a massive investment by Connacht Rugby, and I think a brilliant investment, and let’s hope Friday night is the first of many wins on it,” a bullish Andy Friend, Director of Rugby at Connacht, said in his pre-match press conference this week.
It has been a tough start to the season for Connacht: they were trounced 36-10 in Belfast by Ulster on the opening weekend of the season, and followed that with two defeats in South Africa, losing 38-15 to defending champions, the Stormers, and then going down to a 28-14 defeat to last year’s runners-up, the Bulls.
That has left Connacht as the only side in the table without a point, with all three of their opponents to date picking up the maximum five points on offer. Friend knows that has to change, and fast, and he feels there is no better game than the visit of their southern neighbours to get the season off to a belated start.
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.
More like this:
EU Boost for Galway Port and Athenry-Claremorris rail line projects
A major boost is in store for two transport projects in Galway after they’ve been added to ...
Galway Gardaí to warn food delivery cyclists over unsafe road behaviour
Food delivery cyclists in Galway are to receive a warning from Gardaí over what’s been desc...
Calls for more recycling options in West of City
There are calls for more recycling options in the West of Galway City. Councillor Alan Curran has...
United aim to improve on dismal run against champions
ANY time it has been put to Ollie Horgan this season that Galway United’s game against so-and-so ...
Macnas bursaries to aid careers
Sixteen creative practitioners have been chosen for the Macnas Career Development Bursary scheme,...
Posters are integral to Galway’s free elections
Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column by Dara Bradley Mike Cubbard, the Independent Counc...
Councillors clash over ‘too PC’ name — but Droichead an Dóchais voted through
By Denise McNamara The new Droichead an Dóchais was slammed as the wrong name in a time of no ...
United take valuable point from scoreless derby clash
Sligo Rovers 0 Galway United 0 IT ended honours-even in the Showgrounds on Monday night in ...
Fine weather brings a spike in drink drive arrests
The first shot of sustained sunshine so far this year on Sunday brought with it an unwelcome side...