Ballyhaunis ready for their biggest challenge yet

Ballyhaunis RFC manager Gabriel Gallagher knows their biggest obstacle awaits on Easter Monday in the Connacht Junior Plate Final, but overcoming those obstacles has become a theme throughout their run to the decider.

Whether down by six with five minutes to go against Monivea or down by three with four to play against Sligo 2nds, Ballyhaunis, who play in the J1B league have come back from the brink on more than one occasion. But even those powers of recovery will be tested to their limits against Ballina, who had a 100% record in the league phase in J1A before their defeat in the semi-final.

Early on in the year, we said we’d love to have a good run in the Plate,” Gallagher told the Western People. “We got beat by Corrib, which we would have expected to beat at home in Ballyhaunis, in the cup. We found ourselves in the Plate, away to Monivea, and with five minutes to go in that game, we were down by six, and we ended up winning by seven or eight. We scored three tries in the last five minutes.

“Then we got Sligo in the second round, which would have been a tough enough game as well, Sligo 2nds. And we also found ourselves down in that game with only three or four minutes to go, we were down by three. We scored a try very, very late on to win that, then we felt we had some momentum in it.

“We got over Loughrea fairly OK. But Ballina would definitely be the biggest challenge of the whole lot. Ballina is a different kettle of fish.

“Monivea, Sligo and Loughrea would have been in our own league and teams who we would have played regularly. Ballina, to my mind, we've only played them ever once or twice. They would have always been a division above us or in the AIL. They wouldn't be a regular team we'd be playing.” Gallagher added: “If it gets away from you against a good team like Ballina, it can turn out to be very tough, especially in the Dexcom too on an artificial surface which would probably suit Ballina.

“Games can take on a life on their own, very tough very quick if we're not ready for this from the get-go.

“If we can keep this nice and tight and close and keep it to a forwards-type game, we will be in it. Our guys are well up for the battle. They've been used to being in tough games, and they're excited to play in this.

“They won't be afraid of the challenge, but we respect Ballina and we understand how good of a team they are. They'll be going for silverware, a big club like Ballina. They won't want to finish their season without something either. But we're not there just to make up the numbers. We're confident we can do something here, so we are.” From the Ballyhaunis perspective, the season has been one of real progress. The arrival of Rowan Gouws as head coach last year after a period where several key players departed proved key.

They won four of the first five league games to consolidate their place in J1B next season. Hopes for a league semi-final were ended by defeat to Ballinrobe but Ballyhaunis had one of their most poignant days back in November when defeating NUIG to win a maiden Curley Cup, the trophy named after club stalwart Hugh Curley.

“For the first few years, when it came out first, we actually missed it. We were in the Cawley Cup them years. Then we got demoted back down, we were into the Curley Cup. We got to a final one year [in 2022] and Ballinrobe beat us in it.

“With Hugh Curley from being for Ballyhaunis, it was a cup we really, really wanted.

We had done so well in a few years but just missed out on finals or semi-finals. To finally get it done this year was a huge relief. We were in probably the toughest group that was in it. We had Galwegians, Corrib and Ballinrobe in our group. To come out and top that group, we were delighted.

“[We] got Corinthians into the semi-final, then NUIG in the final. We played NUIG three times this yea,r which is a very tough ask, to beat the same team three times, but we did.”