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There is so much going on in the sporting world it's hard to keep up. The football championship is in full swing, the Euros are around the corner, the passing of Muhammad Ali has grabbed all the front and back pages and then there is the not so small matter of the Mayo hurling team's fantastic win in the Nicky Rackard Cup last Saturday evening in Croke Park. Things look very rosy in the Mayo GAA world and we are still only in the second week in June and yet we have two national titles in the bag.

Pat Lam - coach: "I knew it was going to be a challenge, a different style. I know people mentioned old dogs don't learn new tricks, that's wrong, I'm old too and I'm learning right through and I am excited about where I might be in five years' time."

It has already been a phenomenal season, but Connacht will certainly have a bigger pep in their step this week after securing a first Pro 12 home semi-final.

Who is ever going to forget Mayo Day 2016? Not one Mayo GAA fan that's for sure after the heroics of our U21 team in reaching the promised land and claiming the county's fifth All-Ireland title at this level. Was I confident before throw in? Not really, we knew Brian Reape was out and I heard on the grapevine that fullback Seamus Cuniffe was very doubtful because of a hamstring, and that our most influential player Diarmuid O'Connor might not be able to give his all because of a fractured finger sustained against Dublin in the semi-final. We couldn't possibly win with three key players missing or not at 100 per cent was my gut instinct. I was relieved to see Cuniffee and O'Connor taking their positions for the throw in. The buzz in Cusack Park was surreal, Mayo fans making up at least 7,000 of the almost 8,000 crowd.

It is now down to the top two teams, Connacht and Glasgow, to fight it out in this final round for a prized home semi-final in the Guinness Pro 12 League.

Connacht Rugby head to Italy this week with a new set of goals for this last phase of the season.

Galwegians Senior XV have a chance to claim silverware this season when they meet Cork Constitution in the final of the Bateman Cup in an action-packed afternoon at Crowley Park on Saturday (12.45pm).

For those of you who have ever been to Old Trafford to watch Man Utd I am sure you are familiar with the song about “never dying” in honour of the club’s resurrection after the tragic Munich Air disaster. I know there has not been such a tragedy in Mayo football terms but such a song would be very appropriate about Michael Solan’s Mayo u21 team. They never give up. They never die.

Win on Saturday, and Connacht will achieve their seasonal ambition to qualify for next season's Champions Cup. That is the huge carrot for Pat Lam's men when they host Munster in this vital Guinness Pro 12 fixture in the Galway Sportsground (7.15pm). And Lam says his squad is an a "great space" to do just that.

Win on Saturday, and Connacht will achieve their seasonal ambition to qualify for next season's Champions Cup.