Connacht delay selection for inter-provincial hurling final

Date Published: {J}

STEPHEN GLENNON

CONNACHT will be seeking their 12th interprovincial hurling title when they face the might of Leinster in this year’s decider at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny on Sunday (2pm).

The last time this competition was run – 2009 – Connacht and Leinster also met in the final, albeit it was in the somewhat more exotic setting of Abu Dubai. In the lead-up to that showdown, Connacht had beaten Munster 2-20 to 2-18, but, unfortunately, the Westerners were unable to replicate that victory when falling to their Leinster rivals on a scoreline of 3-18 to 1-17 . 

Although that game took place just three years ago, there are few survivors from the Connacht squad that fielded that day. Indeed, from that Abu Dubai excursion, only Craughwell’s Niall Healy and Sligo’s Keith Raymond featured in the province’s recent 3-19 to 1-15 semi-final win over Ulster, although current Galway midfielder Cyril Donnellan did make an appearance as a sub while Turloughmore’s Fergal Moore did field in the 2009 semi-final.

Raymond, Donnellan and Galway captain Fergal Moore are all expected to feature at one stage or the other this weekend; however, Healy will miss this clash after suffering another setback with a recurring hand injury.

The management is expected to keep the starting fifteen much along the lines as the Ulster game, although with the concluding stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup and a plethora of U-21 club championship games taking place over the coming days, they will not be able to announce their starting line-up until nearer the final.

However, Jamie Ryan should start in goals, with Niall Donoghue, Ger O’Halloran, Tony Óg Regan and Moore likely to backbone the defence. Up front, Eanna Ryan, Damien Hayes and Iarla Tannian should play some or all of the contest, although Niall Burke – man of the match in Galway’s NHL victory over Dublin – is in a race to be fit after picking up an ankle injury.

Again, though, with players like St. Thomas’ James Regan, Pearses’ Cyril Donnellan and Loughrea’s Johnny Coen involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup and others such as Sarsfields’ Joseph Cooney, Gort’s Jason Grealish and Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry’s Paul Gordon committed to U-21 club action, it unsettles Connacht’s preparations for this fixture.

Under these circumstances, you could argue this is a game Galway could do without. Selector Tom Helebert agrees, but adds: “The other side of it is that it is a game that gives us an opportunity to go up against decent opposition and it will be on a higher level than the Ulster game. So, it is certainly worth doing in light of testing the calibre of players we have on the county panel and on the fringe. Some guys haven’t had a lot of game time against tough opposition, but Sunday will be tough. It will be flat out.” 

Indeed, he says that it will give players who did not feature in the Dublin NHL match a chance to prove their worth while also giving game-time to those players who may not be at the required level of sharpness just yet. “So, it is back to this being the opportunity that some of these guys need.

“For players like Niall Donoghue and Barry Daly – both fellows who have not done the level of training as everybody else – it is a good chance for them to get more game time at a very competitive level. Niall is just back from Australia while Barry is not long back from a 12-week lay-off with a groin injury. So, it is valuable to us (Galway) in that context and, of course, valuable as we prep for that very important [National League] game against Tipperary in two weeks’ time.”

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