Leinster would face race to host final

LEINSTER WOULD face a race against time if they were to host the Magners League final at the RDS because of a conflict between rugby and soccer interests in relation to the Ballsbridge venue at the end of the month. The Republic of Ireland soccer team will play internationals against Paraguay on Tuesday fortnight (7.45) at the RDS and three days later, Friday, May 28th (7.45), they will host Algeria at the same venue.

If Leinster beat Munster in Saturday’s Magners League semi-final then as number one seeds after the league stage of the tournament, they would have the right to stage the final against the winners of the clash between the Ospreys and the Glasgow Warriors at the RDS, a game scheduled for Saturday, May 29th.

Turning around a stadium in 24 hours can be done, as witnessed in an international context last year when Croke Park hosted the World Cup soccer first leg play-off between the Republic of Ireland and France on Saturday, November 16th and then 24 hours later, the Ireland rugby team draw with Australia at the same venue.

At a meeting yesterday morning Leinster officials discussed the minutiae of changing over the stadium in the 24-hour period and were happy it could be done.

However, with two soccer matches in the week of a potential Magners final, all on the same pitch, there are a number of issues. The traditional captain’s run for the rugby match normally takes place on the day before a game and part of that session is to provide the place-kickers with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with their surroundings. It would be more relevant to the preparations of the visitors for the match on Saturday fortnight.

That session could not be facilitated on Friday fortnight at the RDS because the stadium will be under the auspices of the FAI for the soccer international that night.

Obviously the captains’ runs could take place elsewhere but there will be other matters involved with readying the stadium.

The issues are conditional on Leinster beating Munster this weekend in the penultimate stage of the tournament. If the defending champions, Munster, win then they will travel to either Wales or Glasgow, depending on whether the Ospreys or the Warriors are successful in the other semi-final.

Leinster, as number one seeds from the league stage, will host the final should they reach it but if not then the home advantage passes first to the Ospreys (second) and then to Glasgow (third) if the Scots upset the odds at the Liberty Stadium this Friday night. The only side left in the final four that definitely can not host the final are Munster.

Leinster will guarantee the Magners League steering committee there will be no problem staging the final at the RDS on Saturday, May 29th.

The fee required by the GAA to stage the final at Croke Park – there isn’t a GAA match scheduled there on that Sunday – and a likely crowd of about 25,000 for a final made it an unrealistic alternative, financially.

England take on the Barbarians at Twickenham (5pm) on the Sunday, while closer to home the main counter-attraction from a television perspective is the Munster Senior Hurling quarter-final between Cork and Tipperary.

Returning to this week’s Magners semi-finals, the match officials for both matches are expected to be announced today. Welshman Nigel Owens, who refereed last year’s Heineken Cup semi-final between Leinster and Munster at Croke Park, would appear a logical choice to preside over the match or perhaps England’s Wayne Barnes.

Alain Rolland, Alan Lewis or George Clancy could be handed the game at the Liberty Stadium.

Tickets for Saturday night’s semi-final at the RDS went on sale on Sunday night and neither Leinster nor Munster is expecting to have any available for public sale. Both provinces have distributed them through the normal channels.

Munster’s allocation of a little over 4,500 is expected to be snapped up, while a Leinster spokesperson admitted they there had already been a significant take-up amongst their season ticket holders – they can buy a ticket for their assigned seat – who have until 5pm to take up an option to purchase. In the event there are tickets left over they will go on general sale from that time.