Inside Track: Galway need to be better in Leinster Hurling Final
SPORTING statistics can throw up no shortage of surprises. For instance, it's hard to credit that Galway hurlers have never beaten Dublin in the championship at Croke Park and that's not the ideal backdrop for the Tribesmen ahead of Saturday’s Leinster Final at GAA headquarters (6pm).
The teams have clashed six times previously at Croker and the Dubs have yet to fall on 'home' turf – 1920 (6-3 to 1-4); 1924 (5-3 to 2-6); 2013 (2-25 to 2-13); 2015 (0-20 to 1-17); 2021 (1-18 to 1-14); and 2023 (2-22 to 1-25). That unbeaten record does give Dublin a psychological edge, but nothing lasts forever.
Up to 2017 All-Ireland Final, Galway had never beaten Waterford in the championship, but what happened in their previous encounters didn't prevent David Burke and company from celebrating on the steps of the Hogan Stand after ending their Deise bogey. If anything, their poor past record against Dublin should hand the men in maroon a motivational edge.
Overall, the counties have battled it out 16 times in summer combat, with Dublin holding a 9-5 advantage, together with those two draws in 2015 and 2023. More critically, however, is the injury crisis which could result in half of Galway's first choice forward line missing the Leinster Final.
Cathal Mannion – the county's lone All Star in 2025 – and Rory Burke are both struggling to recover in time from leg injuries; while Aaron Niland didn't have unhindered movement after being introduced against Clare in last Sunday's U-20 Final in Thurles. It will place an extra burden on Conor Cooney, Conor Whelan, Tom Monaghan, and the busy Jason Rabbitte to pick up the slack.
Since their opening round thumping of Kilkenny – a result which now looks less laudable given the Cats' subsequent struggles – Galway haven't played with the same verve or fluency as underlined when trailing minnows Kildare by 10 points at half-time and falling 3-9 to 0-5 in arrears to a moderate Wexford outfit.
However, Galway went on to achieve comfortable victories in both those matches, but they can't afford to give Dublin such leeway or there might be no coming back. Their defence has looked vulnerable when ran at and it's up to Padraic Mannion and Daithí Burke to set the tone from the off. The jury is out on Cillian Trayers as a full-back given that his style is more suited to the half-line where he features for Turloughmore.
The likes of Gavin Lee, Tiernan Killeen and team captain Darren Morrissey all need big displays for an encounter against a Dublin team which will be on a high following only their second championship win over Kilkenny since 1941. It was no dead rubber as the Noresiders were battling for their championship lives. In the end, they fell seven points short and it could have been more.
Both Liam Rushe and Eoghan O'Donnell missed that game, but Paddy Smyth and Chris Crummey ensured the Dubs didn't cough up too many goal chances – a habitual problem when previously facing Kilkenny. Furthermore, Donal Burke is back in free-scoring form; while they also have top notch performers in Conor Donohue, the fleet-footed Brian Hayes and last year's All-Star Cian O'Sullivan.
There is also that physical battering ram in John Hetherton, while another big unit, Ronan Hayes, has been paying his way off the bench. Both of them caused big trouble when introduced in the round-robin tie against Galway at Pearse Stadium when Brian Hayes had the guts to bury a stoppage-time winning goal.
Remember, this is a Dublin team which took down an admittedly misfiring Limerick in last year's quarter-final, so they haven't come from nowhere and the Galway challenge will hold no fear for them. Frankly, I believe they should be favourites to claim a 25th provincial crown but most neutrals – erroneously – believe the Tribesmen should nearly always have Dublin's number.
It's difficult to get a handle on Galway's capabilities, but they are going to have to be better than in recent matches or else it will be nearly impossible to avoid a ninth Leinster Final defeat in 12 appearances. Another grim record which makes their prohibitive odds of 4/7 even harder to reconcile.
Final Loss
In 2023, a highly-regarded Galway minor hurling team blitzed their way into the All-Ireland Final only to surprisingly come a cropper against Clare at Semple Stadium. Three years later, the Banner confirmed their superiority with an impressive 10-point win in the U-20 decider at the same venue last Sunday.
The Banner again blew some lofty reputations apart and they possess no shortage of players who look destined to make a mark at senior level. In contrast, Galway were nearly always on the backfoot, with only Jason Rabbitte and Brian Callanan making a major impact. Injuries may have disrupted their campaign and though emerging as Leinster's leading force, on Sunday's evidence they wouldn't have been mapped in Munster where Clare survived a series of close calls.
Connacht
THAT was an heroic effort from Connacht in their URC quarter-final clash against table-toppers Glasgow Warriors at a venue they have never won before on Friday. They fought to the bitter end with Finlay Bealham showing scant regard for his personal safety when scoring a second-half try. Losing by 12 points to a team which contained nearly all the Scottish pack was no shame.
Under head coach Stuart Lancaster, Connacht have become much more secure in defence and with new recruits – headed by Leinster's Ciaran Frawley – coming on board next season, rugby's future looks bright out West.