Connacht player JP Cooney with Brendan McHugh in Tuam. Photo: Ray Ryan

Hectic christmas schedule for connacht rugby team

Published: Tue 23 Dec 2014, 10:55 AM

Last updated: Tue 23 Dec 2014, 10:59 AM

FOR the Connacht rugby team, Christmas is not really the season to be jolly ... or to take it easy.
It started with a heartbreaking League (Guinness Pro12) defeat away to Leinster last Friday evening; next comes the St Stephen’s Day trip to Belfast to play Ulster at 6.45pm, followed by the eagerly awaited clash with Munster at Galway Sportsground on Thursday of next week (New Year’s Day) at 5.00 o’clock.
And in January Pat Lam’s Connacht warriors will be at home to Edinburgh on Friday, 9th and at home to Exeter Chiefs on Sunday 18th in Round 5 of the European Challenge Cup at 3.15pm (live on Sky Sports).
In Dublin last weekend, Leinster defeated Connacht 21-11 but it was as close as 14-11 late in the game.
Connacht had conceded a try (converted) while down to 14, with second-row Aly Muldowney sin-binned, and Leinster’s clinching try came directly from an error of judgment by a Connacht player.