Tuam host Dunmore in derby

Creggs with home advantage against Corinthians

THE business end of the local club rugby season is upon us and both Gurraun Park and The Green will host eagerly awaited Connacht Junior Cup semi-finals on Sunday afternoon as Tuam and Dunmore collide in a high stakes North Galway derby and holders Creggs welcome Corinthians 2nds. Both ties kick off at 2.30pm.

Dunmore and Creggs have already set up a Junior 1A League final at the Dexcom Stadium on March 15 and enter the weekend as favourites to replicate that match-up and set up a repeat of their Junior Cup showdown from last season.

Tuam finished in the bottom half of the J1A table but, on a positive note, went unbeaten in their own backyard. They upset the odds in the last 16 when overcoming seven-time winners Ballina by 25-12 and went on to defeat more Mayo opposition in Westport by 27-26 at the last eight stage.

Though Tuam prevailed by 12-11 in the early stages of this season's J1A League and also won their last Junior Cup showdown in a bruising 6-0 quarter-final tie in 2023, Dunmore arrive in with the superior form.

Their most recent outing was a highly impressive 34-19 J1A semi-final victory over Ballinasloe. Dunmore are also one step away from a third straight Junior Cup decider and arrive into the fixture with back-to-back away Cup victories against Buccaneers by 57-0 and Ballinrobe by 33-10.

Holders Creggs, who won the competition for the first time in 32 years, started the defence of their crown in a 60-23 rout of University of Galway in Dangan before defeating Corrib by 39-31 after being pushed all the way in their quarter-final played in Headford.

Their ambitions of winning a fourth J1A League title in-a-row remain on track after a dramatic finish to their 15-14 semi-final win in Ballina last Sunday week.

Corinthians' seconds travel to Creggs hoping to cause an upset after they defeated Monivea by 24-19 and Ballinasloe by 24-17 in Cloonacauneen en route to the last four. The club warmed up for this weekend's fixture with a 52-5 home victory over Sligo seconds in their J1B League semi-final on Saturday. Westport, who defeated Ballinrobe by 43-7, will be their opponents in the final.

Elsewhere, both J1C semi-finals went with home advantage on Sunday as Corrib defeated Loughrea 15-0 and Monivea overcame Ballina seconds 25-7.