RUGBY: The Leinster Branch are seeking legal advice with a view to preventing eBay from selling on two stand tickets at way above their asking price, having traced the tickets to a Leinster supporter. The pair of Lansdowne Road stand tickets, priced at €55 each, are being auctioned for €1,400.
"We are a conduit of the ERC in that we don't print or price the tickets but we are taking legal advice in conjunction with the IRFU," confirmed Leinster chief executive Mick Dawson yesterday, with a view to submitting a letter to eBay preventing them selling on the tickets at above face value, in explicit contradiction of the terms of sale.
The Leinster Branch were also able to trace the tickets to a Leinster supporter and made contact with him, and are considering naming him in public. However, the said supporter did not seem too perturbed by the branch's threat not to sell tickets to him ever again.
All in all, though, Dawson is reasonably satisfied that Leinster's allocation of around 21,500 have ended up in the hands of Leinster supporters. Around 7,000 each, he claims, went to the Leinster Supporters Club/season-ticket holders and the clubs.
The remainder were divided up between sponsors, corporate packages, players and team management and the branch executive, as well as the 1,100 sold last Friday night prior to the Celtic League game against Leinster, on the premise of "rewarding some of those loyal Leinster fans who support the team in the Celtic League".
Also on Good Friday, the branch afforded 1,000 supporters who had bought the three-match packages for the Heineken European Cup pool games the opportunity to purchase two tickets apiece.
"We wanted to reward those who committed to the three pool games at the RDS."
Furthermore, up to 300 were set aside for former players, "who were surprised and delighted to receive them", said Dawson.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has revealed a new strategy for New Zealand's June Tests against Ireland (two) and Argentina that could, in theory, mean the world's number-one-ranked side will not be at full strength against Eddie O'Sullivan's team.
The selectors will pick 39 players for the opening three Tests on consecutive weekends in Hamilton, Auckland and Buenos Aires. For the two Ireland Tests, 24 players will be available while another 15 will undergo conditioning work, flying to Buenos Aires on June 15th, two days before the second Test. Eleven players from the team that plays Ireland will then follow to Argentina on June 18th.
Already ruled out of those Tests is the in-form Waikato Chiefs number eight Sione Lauaki, who seems likely to require surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. Lauaki is expected to require three months' recuperation and joins the Highlanders number 10 Nick Evans and lock James Ryan, Hurricanes centre Conrad Smith and Blues loose forwards Angus Macdonald, Justin Collins and Troy Flavell, on the long-term injury list.
Another in-form player tipped for an All Blacks breakthrough this year, Blues centre Rua Tipoki, has been handed a 16-week suspension for the controversial tackle that left the Western Force's number 10 James Hilgendorf with multiple fractures to an eye socket.
