ON RUGBY:Because the bar has been set so high, were Irish interest in Europe to end this week it might seem an anti-climactic end to a disappointing campaign, writes GERRY THORNLEY

SO, MAKE or break time again. Three wins out of five in the Six Nations, and just two defeats in eight Tests, along with three Irish quarter-finalists in Europe and two contenders for the Magners League play-offs cannot be deemed a bad season. But, because the bar has been set so high – last season especially – were Irish interest in Europe to end this weekend it might seem an anti-climactic end to a disappointing campaign.

That will apply to the players as well as the supporters. Victories this weekend would go some way to soothing the disappointment of the defeat to Scotland, especially. This would even help sustain interest in the intriguing run-in to the league (including Connacht’s hard chase of Ulster for the automatic Heineken Cup place) if Leinster, Munster and Connacht could sustain their involvement in the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup for another three weeks.

Helpfully, all three secured home advantage, and much has been made of the preponderance of home wins at this stage of the Heineken Cup, with 39 of 52 quarter-finals being won by the home side. However, while there were only two away wins in the first five years of this format (ie, 18 home wins to two away wins) in the last eight seasons there have been 11 away wins – including at least one each year.

The bookies’ odds suggest the Cup will revert to type, as in 1999, 2000 and 2001, with a clean sweep for the four home sides. That said, they make the Leinster v Clermont Auvergne match at the RDS on Friday night the closest to call, with the European champions five-point favourites, while Biarritz are six-point favourites against the Ospreys, and Munster and Toulouse are eight-point favourites at home to Northampton and Stade Francais, respectively.

Munster don’t look especially well priced given they only squeezed past Northampton by three points in their final pool game, while French form could be a bit misleading. Clermont have struggled in the last three weeks, but will surely bring their A game as well as their A team to the RDS. Biarritz have recently found some form with the return of Dimitri Yachvilli, and the Cup looks their prime source of silverware now.

The same is true of Stade Francais, and Toulouse’s recent 29-0 win over the Parisians may, if anything, be misleading with regard to this one-off cup match. But if there is to be a surprise, it may be in San Sebastien, given Mike Phillips’ return for the Welsh region.

It has the makings of an epic, season-defining weekend on a par with the Six Nations, and there could be over 60 players involved in the latter tournament taking part this weekend.

Last week’s column certainly generated a fair old response, much of it angry, much of it reasoned and all of it fairly impassioned. Clearly, the increasingly bitter rivalry between a small proportion of the respective Munster and Leinster fans has even turned some true rugby fans on both sides of the provincial divide away from this fixture.

In seeking to highlight this unwelcome problem, it was a mistake to cite anecdotal evidence only from Munster supporters. For the many irate Leinster fans out there, especially those who count themselves as Irish rugby fans willing to cheer for Munster, Connacht or Ulster when their own province is not playing, genuine apologies.

As stated, it was not the intention to apportion blame, but it may have come across that way.

Furthermore, in seeking to highlight this problem, the column may have only fuelled it, which is also regrettable, and the best of luck to the many responsible supporters on both sides who are doing their damndest to ensure old customs die hard.

On the pitch it remains a healthy rivalry, and a bit of banter between rival fans is no harm. But clearly the small minority who have used this rivalry to vent their spleen come from both sides of the provincial fence. Once again, as accepted, the media are partly to blame. Indeed, Leinster were subjected to far more ribbing over the years than Munster, or anyone else for that matter, and there is no need to cite some of the adjectives regularly ascribed to them.

There’s a minority of villains in red as well as blue, and the baiting was clearly as evident at Thomond Park on Friday, especially in the booing that greeted Leo Cullen and the heckling that was afforded Jonathan Sexton.

There’s also a host of anecdotal evidence out there from Leinster fans who have been subjected to some pretty horrendous comments and invective from Munster supporters over the years.

Put another way, this column is far more aware of the, eh, “niceties” in this inter-provincial rivalry a week on.

It’s also hard to retain one’s equilibrium when on the receiving end, and often it is true rugby fans who are picked on. All of which is ironic, really, for who in their formative years ever would have said they hailed from Leinster or Munster? It’s an entirely new identity.

It’s also difficult for the vast majority who are true rugby fans to uphold some time-honoured traditions, such as the silence afforded to kickers. Many tried in Thomond Park on Friday night, but how can you force silence upon those determined to break with tradition? In truth, the silence can often be deadlier than the jeering, in that it probably spooks kickers more to have such an unusual and unnerving stillness.

A great many readers were also glad the problem had been highlighted. Some suggested there be a supporters’ code of conduct, with perhaps the relevant branches giving a lead.

Perhaps it’s naive to think that this trend can be arrested. Perhaps the horse has bolted and it’s an inevitable product of the increased success and popularity of Irish rugby and the provinces. If so, it’s a shame.

But despite this, the vast majority out there retain a desire to cheer for the other Irish provinces when their own team is not playing. So here’s to three Irish wins in Europe this weekend.