Bad Weekend for Connacht Clubs
The Christmas break is upon us in AIB League rugby and it couldn’t have finished on a worse note for Connacht sides. All four clubs lost but only Galwegians were at home so the string of defeats don’t necessarily indicated more bad days ahead.
Galwegians promotion hopes really did rest on them overcoming Young Munster at home in the same way they managed to topple League leaders Old Belvedere the previous month. The 16-9 victory didn’t flatter the Limerick side and keeps them well clear of the pack with the aforementioned Dublin club.
Buccaneers on the other hand can only dream of such comfort in the eight team league. They started badly this season before staging a revival of sorts with two wins in October only to fall away again. Saturday’s 27-5 defeat away to UCC leaves them bottom of the the table.
In Division 2, Corinthians were well beaten, 38-5, away to Lansdwone and are currently ninth in the table with four wins from seven. That is a perfectly acceptable return from their start to live in new surroundings and losing to Lansdwone was no shame as their opponents have won seven out of seven with five bonus points so far.
Finally Connemara are very much in bother at the moment. They are second bottom in DIvision 3 holding the relegation play off postion for now. They do have a games in hand and are only three points behind Naas who have played two more than them but the situation is far from comfortable.
The five points garnered so far have come from a fine and absolutely vital home win over Ards and a losing bonus point in a 3-0 home loss to Wanterers last time out. Away from home the defeats have been heavy to say the least. Sunday’s Well toppled them 26-5 last weekend.
The club are suffering more than many because of economic conditions, keeping young players in the region to play rugby is more difficult than ever and this has co-insided with a re-building period. The target for 2010 is survival and home form will be crucial.
The Wegians 2nd centre from New Zealand or Tonga or wherever he’s from wouldn’t tackle the leg of the kitchen table. He was shocking for a man who’s surely receiving a few quid for playing up here…… Wegians will safely remain a Division 1B team possibly even a Division 2 team should they continue to play with width and very little invention. They should take a walk out to the Castle Grounds in Monivea on Saturday and observe a lethal backline both offensively and defensively…… If Wegians are the best Senior Rugby team in Connacht then there’s hope for us all……..
Comment by Woodfordman — December 17, 2009 @ 12:06 am
ARE MONIVEA GOING TO LIGHT UP THE AIL OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS HEADING STRAIGHT INTO DIVISION ONE?????HARDLY, THEY ARE AT BEST A GOOD DIVISION 3 AIL SIDE. ANY TEAM WITH FERGUS FARRELL IN IT CANT BE THAT GOOD.
Comment by tight head — December 17, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
Its al hype dis mona talk same every year. We would have beating them if we didnt hav so many injurys . We didnt have enuf to field
Comment by Ben — December 17, 2009 @ 3:07 pm
Quite simply a lover of rugby who goes around all the provinces watching matches and Monivea have the best Junior backline I have ever seen. Not a Monivea man as the name suggests. However I stand by comments in relation to Wegians, was very disappointed by their efforts and at the centre on show. Derek Corcoran gave a Connacht player and Irish International a lesson in defence and in how to run with the ball….
Comment by Woodfordman — December 17, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
Wegians r streets ahead of any other club in connacht
Comment by Ja — December 17, 2009 @ 4:36 pm
woodfordman i remember a wegians 2nd team giving monivea a comprehensive beating in a junior cup final a couple of years ago. at least half of that wegians team such as nolan moran naughton o beirne mclearn shaughnessy etc etc are now playing on the first team in the ail whereas monivea are still in the junior league.sometimes contracted players have no interest in playing club rugby and can be more of a hindrance to a team.
Comment by tight head — December 17, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
your living in the past tight head!!!!!
Comment by anoM — December 17, 2009 @ 5:08 pm
Step into d present tight head ye were afraid to play us this year
Comment by Joe — December 17, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
Dat ja lad must b off his head! Wegians r a joke to every1 in connacht
Comment by Fact — December 17, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
wegians r laffn at all ye sh@t clubs below us at dis present time so start talkin sh@t bout us wen ur above us!!!!!
nd to all yee monivea smack talkers out der !! who in gods name wud be proud 4 der club ta b in the junor ranks year n year out??junior rugby is a joke!!!nd whoever says otherwise is foolin themselves!!
finally ta those who seem ta be moaning about wegians all the time!! grow up nd dnt be jealous dat u arnt r simply aint gud enuf to make d wegians ranks!and i bet if it was ur club playing in wegians spot u wouldnt be half as quick to moan!!!
Comment by haha — December 17, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
D hole of d junior league r ahead of ye so we al cn talk sht but ye! We wud hammer yer excuse 4 a senior team
Comment by Fact — December 17, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
I see on that Barry O Keeffe is to Referee the Monivea V City of Derry Game this weekend. Some of the lads will know him from the J-Interpro game last season against Munster in Headford. Best of Luck to Mona, The IRFU website has ye slight favourites, so it’s nothing you’re not used to. All the best.
Comment by Whistle-blower — December 17, 2009 @ 7:30 pm
my point is that a lot of that wegian team have made the step from junior rugby to division one ail in the last two seasons whereas monivea are still playing junior rugby. now dont get me wrong monivea are a good side but as to how good they are until they get into the ail and start winning games the jury is still out. how many current monivea players would get on a wegian or a corinthian ail team? in my opinion none.
Comment by tight head — December 17, 2009 @ 8:59 pm
Corinthians v Wegians saturday in glenina
Comment by jakey — December 17, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
junior league who cares
Comment by tight head — December 17, 2009 @ 11:01 pm
Junior League – rubbish!!! You’d swear from this site it’s the bloody Heineken Cup they’re playing in!!!
Comment by Attila The Hun — December 18, 2009 @ 12:22 am
By the way, Wegians are screwed. Don’t let their position in Division 1b fool you. A club that sold its soul a long time ago – shame on them. It’s only a matter of time.
Comment by Attila The Hun — December 18, 2009 @ 12:25 am
Weve r strongest team weve had al year on sat nd corinthians r goin 2 suffer
Comment by Jakey — December 18, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
For flips sake please can people stop using text speak to post on a messageboard!!! Muppets!!!
Jakey – you’ve only helped confirm my argument. Wegians can’t even see beyond this weekend, in what is a meaningless Mickey Mouse fixture anyway.
Comment by Attila The Hun — December 18, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
NOTHING BETTER THAN KICKING THE CRAP OUT OF CORINTHIAN PLAYERS
Comment by tight head — December 18, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
BY THE WAY ATTILA YOU ARE A PRIZE CLOWN WHO NEEDS A GOOD KICKING ALSO!!!
Comment by tight head — December 18, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
Careful now! Down with that sort of thing!!!
Comment by Attila The Hun — December 18, 2009 @ 3:55 pm
tight head your a tool!!!!!
Comment by anoM — December 18, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
Will see tight head!
Comment by True — December 18, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
As a corinthian man, I say fair play to weigens for the position they are in and wish them all the best for the season.
To mona i say the same, if they get promoted it would be great for connacht rugby and that should be the bottom line.
Just to haha, a bit more respect to the other teams should be showin, after all, who are feeder clubs to yours and also if you recall last year, you weren’t really up to scratch. I think fair comments about forigen players not performing is fair enough.
Comment by tic-a-boo — December 19, 2009 @ 10:40 am