A lot done, more to do

Galway football supporters, including those out-numbered by Leitrim by about two-to-one at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, will realise that it may be some time before there is a return to Croke Park glory.

But to dismiss Galway on the basis of Sunday's display is to pay scant credit to a Leitrim side who have been within a kick of a ball of beating every team in Connacht in the past few years. There is no doubt the absence through injury of Joe Bergin is a major loss to Galway, while Liam Sammon also had to deal with a lengthy casualty list going into Sunday's game.

The attention now turns to the Connacht final. Mayo, who themselves were out to the pin of their collar by Leitrim on their way to the All-Ireland final two years ago, should be the opponents. They have home advantage on Sunday against reigning champions Sligo who need to win to stay in the All-Ireland championship.

Defeat for Sligo and it is straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup. It is remarkable that there is just one chance for the Connacht champions. Dessie Dolan's language might not have been too diplomatic, but he summed up the Tommy Murphy farce pretty aptly at the weekend.

Back in harness

The defeat in the Telstra Dome to Australia finally brought the curtain down on the Irish rugby season and brought an end to Michael Bradley's term as interim coach.

As the Connacht coach made his way home, his assistant Eric Elwood was also wrapping up a long season along with forwards coach Dan McFarland with the Ireland U-20s in Wales.

But while the season finally comes to an end for them, it is back to business for their Connacht players who returned to the Sportsground on Monday to commence pre-season training.

They will know next week who they will meet in the European Challenge Cup. Connacht are the only side to play in all twelve Challenge Cup campaigns so inevitably it will be difficult to avoid sides they have already met.

Racing Metro and Mont de Marsan have yet to play-off for the final promotion spot and ECC qualification in France but Connacht have played both of these in the past.

Also in the hat will be free-spending Toulon (Connacht defeated them in 1999), Brive, and Mark McHugh's Montpellier, but there could be new opposition in Bayonne, Bourgoin or Dax.

It is a similar situation in England where Connacht have played Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester, but there could finally be a clash with London Irish and Saracens or Bristol.