City rivals to clash in CSL on Saturday

Galwegians 15 Buccaneers 11

Unbeaten in this year’s Connacht Senior League, Galwegians must now face city rivals Corinthians on Saturday in Cloonacauneen (3pm).

Wegians are in pole position to retain the title after maintaining their 100 per cent record with a sterling defensive display against Buccaneers on Saturday in Crowley Park.

A nervous start for the home side resulted in an opening penalty from outhalf Jack Carty for Buccaneers, but Wegians took the lead on 26 minutes, when a jinking break from outhalf Tadgh Leader and good support from fullback Ronan Burke put Ronan Moore into space about 40 metres out. The Portumna winger brushed passed the first tackle to score in the left hand corner. Leader converted for a 7-3 lead before adding a penalty four minutes later.

Buccs immediately replied when a loose clearance kick gave them the chance to counter attack and, after some good handling, Buccs’ No 8 Kolo Kiripati finished off for an unconverted try, reducing the margin to 10-8.

However the Blues upped the tempo and just before the break a couple of good recycles made room on the open side of the field. Hooker Conor Muldoon and prop Jason East combined before Muldoon score his side’s second try for a 15 - 8 half-time lead.

The visitors made good use of the breeze in the second half to keep the Blues pinned deep in their own half, and the pressure eventually led to another penalty from Carty to pull Buccs to within a score. Buccaneers then turned the screw and forced Wegians into some heroic defending which cost the home side a sinbinning for returning flanker Ivan Muldoon.

Just as they looked to have lifted the siege, second row Brian McClearn was also yellowcarded, but the home side kept their defensive lines intact for a hard-earned and morale-boosting victory.

Galwegians second XV got back to winning ways with an 18-5 victory over hard working Westport in Crowley Park on Sunday. A penalty from Wegian centre Dave Clarke was the only first-half score, before Westport grabbed a lead when Kevin Corcoran grabbed a try shortly after the restart. Clarke restored the Wegian lead with a 60th minute penalty before outhalf Ross Shaughnessy broke through the defence from his own 22 to score a great individual try. Winger Danny Carr then grabbed the killer try for Wegians’ second win in Junior League division 1A.

Galwegians Senior XV: R Burke, P Finn, D Butler, C Conroy, R Moore,T Leader,C O’Rourke,J Naughton, C Muldoon, J East, J Gardiner, B McClearn, M Duncan, I Muldoon, E Rooney. Replacements, B Lee, G O’Brien, M Towey, D Doherty, P Griffin.

Galwegians 2nd XV: D Quill, S Thompstone, D Symes, D Clarke, D Carr, R Shaughnessy, P Power, P Griffin, D Doherty, G Fahy, D Mulvoy, A Ryan, D Deegan, M Towey, K O’Shea. Replacements, M Connolly, R Fitzgerald, S Perkins, R Brennan, M Fox.

Schools rugby

Connacht U18 Schools took on their Munster counterparts in Musgrave Park in the opening game of the interprovincial series and went down by 23 - 15.

Although both sides were guilty of early season mistakes, it was a fiercely competitive match in which neither side was prepared to give an inch. Connacht were in contention throughout the game and were just a point in arrears when Munster grabbed an intercept try late in the half to seal the contest.