Rugby in vogue as Connacht and Ireland deliver

Date Published: {J}

RUGBY in Ireland, together with the interest in the sport, has probably never been stronger. With the international team staying on course for the knock out stages of the World Cup in New Zealand and the Irish provinces having dominated the Heineken Cup and what used to be known as the Magners League in recent seasons, the game has certainly never experienced a higher profile.

Ireland winning only the country’s second ever Grand Slam two years ago may have been overdue and was only backing up the achievements of Leinster and Munster, especially in the Heineken Cup, but it still represented a huge breakthrough and rugby has undoubtedly now become the fashionable sport for youngsters to take up in most parts of the island.

Connacht, for instance, has really bitten the rugby bug. Qualifying for the Heineken Cup this season gave the local game a massive lift and it is to the province’s credit, both on and off the field, that there is a steely determination for this achievement to be built upon and that it doesn’t become only a benefit in the short term.

The Sportsground has already undergone a significant revamp which not alone has increased the venue’s capacity, but also the comfort of Connacht’s growing band of supporters as evidenced by the massive jump in season sales, while on the field, the notable weekend Grand Slam triumph of the province’s U-20s shows that there is a talented supply line being developed out west as well.

Of course, another timely lift was Connacht’s admirable comeback from a ten point interval deficit against the Dragons at the Sportsground last Friday night. Having been somewhat unlucky to fall to Edinburgh the previous weekend, there was pressure on Eric Elwood’s squad to quickly get back into the winning groove, especially as most of their Rabo Direct Pro 12 opponents are currently short their international personnel due to the World Cup.

Well, it didn’t look good for a subdued Connacht at the interval as a Nathan Williams try helped the Welsh visitors into a 13-3 half-time advantage. 15 minutes into the second-half, they still had made no inroads into the Dragons lead, but with Elwood making vital replacements, not least the introduction of Matthew Jarvis at out-half, there was at least a renewed sense of urgency about the team’s efforts.

It was fitting that two local young players were at the heart of Connacht’s opening try, Tiernan O’Halloran doing the spadework for Eoin Griffin to cross over in the 56th minute. From there to the finish, the men in green were on the front foot and after excellent toil by John Muldoon, team captain Gavin Duffy finished off in style. With Jarvis converting both tries, Connacht edged in front and were unlucky not to stretch that advantage in the closing minutes.

Though expected to beat the Dragons, whose away form is extremely poor, the fact that Connacht did it the hard way gives the result greater pertinence. With three victories and a losing bonus point to their credit from the team’s opening four matches in the Rabo Direct Pro 12, rugby’s Western outpost is flying high in the league table. Fait play to all concerned, especially after losing a quartet of key players at the end of last year’s campaign.

At international level, last season may not have been a great one for Ireland after their tremendous exploits in the one before that and when Declan Kidney’s charges lost all four of their pre World Cup warm up matches against Scotland, England and twice to the French, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that Brian O’Driscoll and some of his team-mates were in decline. Several of the squad were already in their thirties and it appeared that their bodies were starting to show some wear and tear.

Ireland’s unimpressive World Cup debut against Eddie O’Sullivan’s US Eagles hardly lifted the sense of gloom, and they were generally rated 12 point outsiders for their subsequent collision with Australia. That match, however, saw the Irish produce one of the country’s greatest ever performances in comprehensively beating their frustrated opponents by 15-6, the margin could have been more as Conor Murray had a late try disallowed and Tommy Bowe’s lung bursting run was only halted near the line.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.