RFU in diplomatic retreat on protocol

RUGBY/Six Nations review: The English Rugby Union will apparently be sending a written apology to their Irish counterparts for the England team's failure to adhere to customary pre-match protocol when refusing to line up as requested for the pre-match introduction to President Mary McAleese, writes Gerry Thornley.

Although IRFU officers declined to make an issue of the pre-match stand-off between the English captain, Martin Johnson, and their own officials - when the English squad refused to line-up on the side of the half-way line they were requested to do - at the post-match dinner, privately they were seething over the embarrassment caused by the perceived slight.

President McAleese did not seem unduly perturbed by the incident, despite a protracted delay during which the English captain angrily refused a request by the IRFU's Martin Murphy to move from the positions they had taken up. With the Irish players intent on retaining their position closer to the flags on the South Terrace (even Brian O'Driscoll didn't know it was a superstition until some players informed him at the time) Mrs McAleese and IRFU president Don Crowley were thus obliged to walk beyond the red carpet in taking a circuitous route to both teams.

Nevertheless, an IRFU statement yesterday confirmed that Crowley, "had written to An tUachtaráin, Mary McAleese, to apologise for the embarrassing position in which she was placed by the failure of the England team to follow established and communicated protocol during the presentation of the teams prior to Sunday's RBS Six Nations Championship match at Lansdowne Road.

"The IRFU has also written to the Rugby Football Union to express their concern and unhappiness that An tUachtaráin was placed in such an embarrassing situation. The RFU has indicated to the IRFU that they will be sending a letter of unreserved apology."

A two-page letter outlining in detail the pre-match protocol had been given to the English management on Friday, in which it was clearly stated - with an accompanying graphic - that the Irish squad would line up to the left of the half-way line facing the committee box, with the English squad to the right.

Clearly no-one in the English management bothered to read the letter of protocol, or if they did, presumably didn't communicate it to Johnson. The England manager, Clive Woodward, later reasoned that "on away grounds you can get messed around a bit, and we decided that wasn't going to happen to us today."

Fair enough, and in mitigation the English players would have been in an extreme state of pre-game anxiety, with their focus solely on their elusive Grand Slam. Furthermore, they've been both gracious losers and winners on their last two visits to Lansdowne Road.

But they might also stop and think, if only for a few minutes, what the incandescent reaction would have been if the situations had been reversed at Twickenham and, say, the dignitary in question was a member of the British monarchy.

There was also some residual anger over the English back-up team on the sidelines exchanging the match balls for some they had brought to the game and giving them to their hooker Steve Thompson on throw-ins. Cheeky alright, though it's worth noting these were balls supplied to them by the IRFU for practice during the week, and clearly Thompson, Jonny Wilkinson and co. wanted to ensure there was no change in ball pressure.

Meanwhile, Leinster chief executive Mick Dawson yesterday confirmed all 20 Leinster retail outlets had been restocked with 5,000 touch-line & terrace tickets for Leinster's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Biarritz on Saturday, 12th April at Lansdowne Road.

"We have sold over 40,000 tickets and all stand tickets are now sold. Only North Terrace tickets are available on www.leinsterrugby.ie. Over 10,000 tickets have been sold on-line." he said. "On advice from the Garda we are not selling any more school pupil tickets so the Lansdowne Road capacity will be close to 47,000 on the day."