SEVERAL THOUSAND supporters gathered at the RDS yesterday to welcome Heineken Cup champions Leinster home from Edinburgh.
The pitch was a sea of blue with some enthusiastic fans going so far as to sport blue hair and blue faces.
There was a surge towards the big screen when match highlights were played as fans waited. “Yes,” a man shouted, clenching his fist and reliving the moment when Brian O’Driscoll gave Leinster the lead in the seventh minute.
There was another surge by photographers when a bevy of sleek-haired well-dressed women wearing sunglasses signalled the arrival of the players’ wives and girlfriends. But there was a sigh of disappointment when Brian O’Driscoll’s fiancée, Amy Huberman, was not among them.
O’Driscoll was bound for South Africa yesterday in preparation for the Lions’ tour with his fellow Leinster players Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald,
The players came on stage just after 4pm to rapturous applause. Addressing captain Leo Cullen, compere Declan King said there was one question all fans were asking: “Where is Leinster going to go from here?” “Coppers” shouted one of the the players. “Copper Face Jacks, yeah,” replied Cullen, referring to the Harcourt Street night club.
Three young babies were thrust into the arms of Leinster’s newest hero Johnny Sexton in rapid succession by parents keen to get a photograph with the man who took the penalty that made Leinster Heineken Cup champions. He signed autographs on match programmes, flags and even on babies’ backs. When others had long gone, he was still patiently signing his name and shaking hands.
