Leinster are in the final of the Heineken Cup. They beat Munster comprehensively in Croke Park. Only an eejit would try to deny that. I’m happy for Leinster, really, I am, they have been trying to get to the final of the Heineken Cup for fourteen seasons. Last year, they couldn’t get out of their pool, so this year, being in the final, understandably is very exciting for them. I hope for the sake of the Irish players on the team (those who brought me so much happiness when they won the Grand Slam) that they win the Cup. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the Grand Slam, Triple Crown, Magners League title and Heineken Cup all in Ireland, all in one season. A clean sweep as it were.
Their fans are pissing me off slightly though. Ever so slightly. People whom I have never heard discuss rugby before now just seem keen to goad me about the fact that Leinster have made it to their FIRST final. Their first final. Munster were going for their fifth final. Their third title. People who know me would know I am an out and out Munster supporter (and have been all my life, as my father played for Munster). They know I’m not a Johnny come lately to the rugby scene. Quite frankly, I grew up hanging around Musgrave Park, playing under the stand blah blah blah. Rugby is a big sport in my house. It’s always been about club and province. The province is Munster. So I’m not about to go and support Leinster now am I? This isn’t a new phenomenon. I live in Dublin and have been consistent in turning down opportunities to go and cheer Leinster on in Donnybrook and latterly the RDS. “Just say NO!!” is simple to remember about this.
Why then, I ask myself, are people whom I had no idea in the wide earthly world were actually interested in rugby (because they never mentioned it to me or to SK before now) asking whether I am going to Edinburgh. I’m not going. I sold my tickets. The new Leinster supporters seem offended at this. That puzzles me. My tickets that I bought last year, when they went on general sale, hoping Munster would win two in a row. I am free to burn them if I wanted to. Part of me thinks that would have been a better option. One should not admit to selling Heineken Cup Final tickets I have learned, though a few seasons ago, when Munster didn’t make it to the final, and I had already bought tickets for the final, that I latterly sold to a Leicester supporter (cos Leicester were in the final) no one from Leinster took offence at this. But now they do. These Leinster (for the last five minutes) supporters then demand to know why I’m not going. “Would you not support Leinster?” they ask. In a word – No. I hope they win, but no, I won’t go to Edinburgh to cheer them on. That would make me a Meinster. They are not my team. It is not my province. I didn’t grow up in a city where I saw some of the current (and past) Leinster panel on a regular basis, be it on a bus to school, or in the Pres training ground walking home from school or college, or in college, or in pubs and night clubs around Cork. I grew up in a scene where I saw current (and past) Munster players in that situation. I’m a Corkonian. Have been. Always will be. Red is in my veins. (It’s the colour of the GAA county team as well as the provincial colours, so how could it not be, even if I’m not one who is into the GAA). So, no, I’m not going to Edinburgh. So, people of Leinster, please FRO, especially those of you who have been following rugby for five minutes, because, if I went, I’d be a Meinster. There’s no choice here. I can’t just cheer for Leinster. Yes, I hope they win. No, I won’t be shouting “C’mon Leinster”, I’ll be silently wishing them well, like any other Irish person. Even the Lunsters will be hoping that Leinster win this.
Me? I’m off to cheer for the Lions. Another team in red. But in the meantime, I’m thinking – Leinster, bring the cup back to Ireland. Cos after the Hand of Back, no Munster supporter could ever truly cheer for Leicester. Ever. To the five minute Leinster fans who know nothing and who choose to tease me for not going to Edinburgh – FRO! That’s not sour grapes, that’s where was your interest last year when Munster won their second title? That’s, don’t you know there’s a recession and Lions tickets for SA are bloody expensive? Leinster jerseys might be half price in Elvery’s, but I’m still not buying one! I’m from Munster. Do you not get that?
I want Leinster to win cos I’m Irish, not cos I support Leinster. It’s different. I have a saying. Munster is for life, not just for Christmas. Munster is for life. There is no eighty minute Edinburgh timeout where I come from.
From the Indo, comes an amusing article about Leinster fans being “furious” with Munster fans for selling tickets on the Leicester Tigers forum.
They are also apparently unhappy with the allocation of only 7,500 tickets for the final.
The scramble for tickets for the Heineken Cup Final by fans who were predicting that Leinster would lose to Munster is an indication that Leinster fans may not know how the Heineken Cup Final works. Which is understandable, it is their first final in fourteen seasons of the Heineken Cup. How it works is, if you want to go to the final and think your team has a good chance of getting to the final, you purchase your tickets when they go on general sale, which often happens the day after the previous years final.
Munster fans, who were hoping that their team would win a place in their fifth final and second sucessive final purchased tickets well in advance. I am one of those fans. I am selling my tickets to a Leinster supporter, but Leinster supporters have issues of trust, the first person I was going to sell to, treated me with contepmtuous suspicion and was unprepared to have a bank draft drawn up on my name for the ticket exchange as he didn’t trust I was really was in posession of tickets. I asked him to use pay pal and let me post them to him. He declined to do that either. This Leinster fans behaviour really pisses me off. Two years ago, I sold my final tickets to a guy in the UK, a Leicester supporter, who transferred money via pay pal, no questions aksed.
Leinster fans are suspicious of Munster supporters. I’m not surprised that many Munster supporters went to the Leicester supporters. We all know this is Leinster’s first final. Leicester on the other hand have won it a couple of times, and like Munster, they have been in several finals. There is an established pattern of ticket trade back and forth between Munster and Leicester.
To all the Leinster fans bitching, I would have to ask, “why did you not buy tickets months ago when they were on general sale?” and to all the Leinster supporters whining about Munster tickets going to Leicester, well, it’s in the interests of longevity that people are doing that. We all know the clubs with established Heineken Cup Final track records. There are established relationships. Leinster don’t have these, because it’s their first final.
The other thing that annoys me about the Leinster fans is they are all complaining that people are charging more than face value for the tickets. The people in posession of the tickets can do what they like. They are their tickets. They bought them. Some circles are referring to this as tout behaviour. That is just laughable. Many travel agents selling tickets for the final and for the Lions tour are selling tickets for many times their face value. There are similarly cash strapped Irish rugby clubs who also charge supplements for their ticket sales, so the day of “face value” on a ticket is well and truly gone. Get over it Leinster, and next year, order your tickets early on, when they are on general sale. Believe your team might get there. It’s what we Munster people do.
Eddie O’Sullivan appeared with David Humphreys on the Grand Slam Special on BBC One Northern Ireland on Wednesday night. The longer the program went on, the more open-mouthed I became. David Humphreys disagreed with much of what Eddie had to say and who could blame him. He disagreed in a very polite way however. It’s hard not to acknowledge that part of the reason that the current Irish team achieved the Grand Slam that eluded Eddie when he had many of the same players (and lets not forget the World Cup disaster), is down to a man named Declan Kidney. He, the head coach. You would also have to acknowledge the staff Declan Kidney appointed and of course the work ethic of the players. Stephen Watson tried to draw Eddie out at one stage, saying how magnanimous Declan Kidney had been in acknowledging Eddie’s contribution to building the team. Eddie was happy to take that praise, but was not inclined to return the compliment. This man is clearly still sulking about the fact that he was booted out and within his first year as head coach, Kidney had the Grand Slam title on his CV. Oh, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. You are such a baby. Even when asked about his new job as coach of the US and the fact that the USA will be playing Ireland on the 31st of May, Eddie still didn’t mention Declan Kidney. He didn’t say, “It will be great to catch up with Declan at that time”. He mentioned how he was looking forward to catching up with the Irish players, though he hoped he wouldn’t see too many of the Grand Slam team because he thought that they should be on the Lions tour, but NOTHING about Declan. Amazing. Immature. What an immature, bitter and twisted twit Eddie O’Sullivan is. Yes Eddie, it was as clear as day how you avoided mentioning his name.
