Shane Delahunt has timed this run well.
The Birr native had his best game of the season in Connacht’s final involvement in 2016/17.
Kieran Keane’s men had long been condemned to another season of Challenge Cup rugby by the time Leinster arrived in Galway for the last match of the regular Guinness PRO14 season. By the end of the game, with Leinster sent packing, two more Connacht players had done enough to suggest their seasons may not be over.
Kieran Marmion, Bundee Aki and Ultan Dillane will all be hoping to be included in Joe Schmidt’s Ireland squad for the June tour to Australia. Were Schmidt to use the tour Down Under as an opportunity to look at a few decent outside bets, he could well do with calling up Delahunt and Tom Farrell.
Farrell has had a fantastic season out west, leading the PRO14 stats tables for carries and offloads and featuring high up in ‘defenders beaten’ charts. He has made 21 appearances this season and chipped in with six tries from outside centre. Against Leinster he was pure class and punctured their defence regularly.
Delahunt was man-of-the-match and no denying. He had two line breaks that led to tries – for Niyi Adeolokun and Kieran Marmion – two turnovers and he teed up Adeolokun for his second score with the best offload The Sportsground may have ever seen.
😯 That offload 😯
A fine move from @Connachtrugby brings up the bonus-point. A sensational pass from Shane Delahunt finds @UncleNiyisy for his second of the afternoon 🔥#GUINNESSPRO14 #CONvLEI
📺 Catch this one right now on @SportTG4📺 pic.twitter.com/SenZpmolGD
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 28, 2018
Delahunt, as a former Leinster underage player, was well up for the game against his home province. At different times in Connacht’s 47-10 victory, he got in the faces of James Tracy, his opposite number, and Ross Byrne.
Following the match, Keane spoke about Connacht needing new talismen to step forward now that captain John Muldoon was hanging up his playing boots. Could Delahunt be one of the talismen?
“Del boy?” Keane replied. “I love Del Boy!
“I loved his little flick pass, he practices it all the time. He’s actually done it twice – which he won’t be shy about telling you. He’s a delightful bloody human being, he had a great game today, a really good game.
“He got the position against two really good players who have had their moments throughout the season. I was chuffed for him.
“He’s a cheeky bugger as well.”
There was a touch of the Malcolm Marx and Dane Coles about the 24-year-old hooker in the match and, from those that have followed Connacht closely this season, at regular intervals. This was not just a flash in the pan. He has already bumped two very good players, in Tom McCartney and Dave Heffernan, out of the Connacht starting XV.
Considering that he was up against Tracy and Sean Cronin, who both may tour with Ireland this summer, this was quite the calling card. Cronin and Rory Best are getting no younger so it may be worth bringing the Connacht No.2 to Oz this summer.
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