Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY
Country boys versus the City boys
“A lot of my friends and people from my area have never really felt part of Leinster rugby, and it hardly helps when Naas, my club, have been given an allocation of just 30 tickets for the Heineken Cup final. Sure, I’ll probably be sending home more than that many myself”
– Geordan Murphy has a go at the D4 set and Leinster Branch ticket distribution. The Leicester Tigers sent 1,500 tickets back to the ERC. Maybe Geordan could have re-routed some of them to Naas?
“A lot of people from places like Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare and Wexford align themselves with Munster. That’s because it’s like the “country” team, whereas Leinster are the “city” boys”
– Murphy again. It would take a brave man to say that to Seán O’Brien’s face.
“I know the lads will tell you Shane (Horgan) is from Meath and Rob (Kearney) is from Cooley. But they’re Dublin boys. It will be strange playing a game of this magnitude against my native province. But I’m hoping Leicester will pick up a good bit of the Munster support.”
– Safe to say Geordan won’t be spending his twilight years back in his, eh, “native” province.
Munster fans wear red for final
EVERYONE KNOWS the Munster fans remain the best and cutest but a recent poll on Munsterfans.com hardly does them any favours.
Will you be wearing red at the final?
Wear blue: 27.8 per cent
Civies: 4.98 per cent
Sell your ticket at a cost to a Leinster/Leicester fan: 13.28 per cent
Wear red at the final: 53.94 per cent
Only the most obnoxious of Leinster supporters would wear blue to a Munster final. Then again, it is not uncommon to see the Munster jerseys at International sporting events. Sad, really.
Irish pair feature
Irish players James Downey and Neil Best feature for Northampton in tonight’s European Challenge Cup final against Bourgoin at The Stoop (7.45). Former Ulster number eight Roger Wilson is ruled out injured while Tipperary-born outhalf Barry Everitt could feature off the bench. Irish referee George Clancy adjudicates. Downey and Best will join up with the Ireland A squad for next month’s Churchill Cup in Colorado.
Leinster's spy in the camp
PERISH THE thought that there’s a Leinster rugby spy network operating in Oadby town in Leicester. Not 400 metres from the Oval ground, home of the Leicester Tigers training ground and academy, there are a number of little restaurants and shops that make up the tidy little town. Nestled in the middle of them is an eatery described as selling “fine Italian food”. The name? Cheikahs.
O'Driscoll donates Grand Slam jersey
BRIAN O’DRISCOLL has donated one of his jerseys from Ireland’s first Grand Slam since 1948 to use in a raffle to raise funds for the Blackrock Hospice and the Bray Cancer Support Centre. The jersey has been signed by the Irish squad.
The raffle is being organised by Emmet Cunningham, whose mother, Breda, died of cancer last month. “Due to the nature of her symptoms she could not be treated at home,” says Cunningham. “She was looked after in the Blackrock Hospice, an organisation we couldn’t speak more highly about.”
A website, www.briansjersey.com, has been set up with details on how to participate in the raffle. The draw for the jersey will take place on July 6th after the third Lions Test.
Heaslip again in Magners XV
JAMIE HEASLIP makes the Magners League team of the season for the third consecutive year. The Lions number eight is joined by team-mates Rocky Elsom and Brian O’Driscoll but one complaint has to be three selections for sixth-placed Cardiff with none for second-placed Edinburgh.
MAGNERS LEAGUE XV: Lee Byrne; Tommy Bowe (both Ospreys), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Lifeimi Mafi (Munster), Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Muke Philips (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Jerry Flannery (Munster), Adam Jones (Ospreys); Paul O’Connell (Munster), Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys); Rocky Elsom (Leinster), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP XV: Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Joe Maddock (Bath), Luke McAlister (Sale), Seilala Mapusua (London Irish), Mark Cueto (Sale); Stephen Myler (Northampton), Julien Dupuy (Leicester); Ceri Jones (Harlequins), Lee Mears (Bath), Carl Hayman (Newcastle); Tom Croft (Leicester), Chris Jack (Saracens); Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Steffon Armitage (London Irish), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Sale).
