All Blacks prosper as Castlebar turn focus towards cup

Connacht J1A League 

Castlebar 23 

Connemara 47 

Stuart Tynan in Cloondeash 

In the penultimate round of the Connacht J1A League, a gallant Castlebar fell to a classy Connemara who shined brightest under the lights in Cloondeash last Saturday.

Played in conditions more suited to a night in front of the fire or on a barstool, free-flowing rugby proved difficult. But what lacked in that area was more than made up for with the heavy hits on show in what was an intense affair, which saw both Michael Brink and Eoghan Hughes withdrawn before the end of the first-half.

It was Brink who opened the scoring with a penalty on three minutes before he was replaced and Bryan O’Flaherty followed up with a monster penalty to establish a 6-0 lead early on for Castlebar.

The hard work by Castlebar defence in the opening quarter, however, was undone by tries through Ian Staunton and John O’Brien, Henry O’Toole converting on each occasion, to see the All Blacks lead by eight with ten minutes remaining the first half.

O’Brien was proving a difficult customer to handle for the Castlebar backline and he sent over his second try with a minute of the first half remaining. Castlebar would end a 23-minute wait for their next score just before the break with another penalty by Bryan O’Flaherty to keep Castlebar in touch and reduce the deficit to 19-9.

Castlebar were dealt a major blow shortly after the restart when O’Brien made it a hat-trick of tries, Ian Staunton slotting over the conversion. Castlebar responded well and produced their best sustained period of play in the game as a patient move was rewarded through a Luke Staunton try, O’Flaherty sending the conversion just inside the posts to reduce the gap back to ten, 26-16.

But any hope of Castlebar getting back into this contest was ended when Ethan Griffith and Barry Gibbons sailed over the try line, while Ian Staunton converted each for maximum damage, to put the Galway men 40-16 up.

Castlebar fought until the bitter and Matthew Staunton sprinted over the try line, with O’Flaherty converting once again. Yet it would be the league leaders who finished with panache as Shane Hathaway made it a magnificent seven tries, followed by another flawless conversion by O’Toole to make it six wins from six for the boys in black and put them within touching distance of the league title.

Castlebar will look to finish the league with a win, as well as build momentum for their upcoming Connacht Junior Cup quarter-final with Ballinrobe at the end of February, when they travel to Creggs next weekend.

Castlebar: Eoghan Hughes, Giorgi Totladze, Patrick Flannelly, Luke Staunton, James Balaski, Michael Brink, Zach Wright, Simon Staunton, Joseph Howley, Ronan Ipek, Carl Jackson, Sean Connolly, Bryan O’Flaherty, Matthew Staunton, David Staunton. Replacements: David O’Donnell, Damien Togher, Liam Hegarty, Donnacha Flynn, Sean Conway, Richard Sweeney.

Connemara: Henry O’Toole, Eoin Bourke, Ethan Griffiths, John O’Brien, Enda Conneelly, Shane Sweeney, Michael O’Toole, David O’Reilly, Barry Gibbons, Ian Staunton, Thomas Berry, Eugene Conroy, Diarmuid Roche, Tommy Mullen, David McDonagh. Replacements: Shane Hathaway, Peter Lee.

REF: Jack MacNeice.