RUGBY: MUNSTER'S WORST fears were realised when ERC confirmed that the Irish province are scheduled to play their Heineken Cup round five clash against the Sale Sharks on Friday, January 16th at Thomond Park (8.0) despite requesting to avoid that particular slot.
ERC received an official communiqué from Munster petitioning the tournament organisers in the hope of avoiding the prime Friday night kick-off time in the wake of the problems experienced when the European champions hosted Montauban on the opening weekend of the tournament.
Traffic congestion and a ticketing flaw caused severe delays on to way to the ground and in gaining access to the stadium.
On the night of the Montauban match, car journey times from Dublin and Cork were taking about four and a half and three and a half hours respectively and this coupled with a problem scanning the tickets prevented many patrons from taking their seats in good time.
ERC spokesperson John Corcoran pointed out: "We receive requests from all 24 clubs with regard to their preferences but we have to balance the needs of all concerned in trying to arrive at a fixture schedule.
"We as tournament organisers are looking to maximise the television exposure and this has to be done in conjunction with our (live) broadcast partners in Sky Sports, Canal+Sport, France 2 and Sky Italia.
"Munster's game against Sale at Thomond Park is a high profile clash and scheduling it for the Friday night, which is a prime television slot, reflects the interest in the match."
Corcoran confirmed that Sale had made no specific requests for any particular day or time and that in any case ERC largely focused on trying to accommodate the home side: this case proving the exception to any rule.
He continued: "We have a number of television slots and we have to take into consideration the best way to guarantee maximum exposure for the tournament in Ireland, the UK, France and Italy."
ERC would take direction from the Heineken Cup television rights holders who would largely dictate the order of the fixtures, relating specifically to date and time. Sky Sports have six live broadcast berths to fill over any given weekend of the competition and they consider the Friday night slot to be prime time viewing from their perspective.
The satellite broadcaster has decided to screen live two further Ireland-England clashes on the Saturday, with Ulster hosting Harlequins at Ravenhill in the early kick-off (1.35) and the likely Pool 2 deciding clash between Wasps and Leinster at Twickenham taking place in the late slot (5.35).
In between, Sky will show the match between Perpignan and the Ospreys at the Stade Aime Giral (3.35). The concluding round of matches in the pool stages take place the following weekend - the matches in the respective pools must kickoff at the same time - once again see the games involving all three Irish provinces screened live on Sky Sports.
Ulster travel to the Stade Jean Bouin (1.35) to take on Stade Français on Saturday, January 24th but it is interesting to note that Sky Sports are also scheduled to broadcast live the other match in the pool between Harlequins and the Scarlets: the round five results may dictate which game will be bumped to access via the red button rather than a main channel.
Munster make the journey to take on Montauban at the Stade Sapiac (3.35) on the same afternoon, while the third live match of the day on the satellite broadcaster will see the Ospreys host the Leicester at the Liberty Stadium.
Leinster's game with Edinburgh at the RDS on the Sunday will be broadcast live (1.0), while the potential pool decider between Bath and Toulouse at the Recreation Ground (3.0) is a fitting way to sign off the group stages of the tournament.
HEINEKEN CUP ROUNDS FIVE AND SIX
ROUND FIVE
Friday, January 16th
Pool1: Munster v Sale Sharks, Thomond Park (8.0) Sky Sports/Canal+ Sport
Clermont Auvergne v Montauban, (8.0), Stade Marcel Michelin.
Pool 2: Edinburgh v Castres Olympique, Edinburgh (7.30).
Saturday, January 17th
Pool 2:London Wasps v Leinster, Twickenham (5.35), Sky Sports/Canal+ Sport.
Pool 3:Perpignan v Ospreys, Stade Aime Giral (3.35), Sky Sports, France 2.
Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso, Welford Road (3.0).
Pool 4: Ulster v Harlequins, Ravenhill (1.35), Sky Sports.
Pool 5: Toulouse v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Ernest Wallon (1.35), Canal+
Pool 6: Calvisano v Biarritz Olympique, Centro Sportivo San Michele (1.35).
Sunday, January 18th
Pool 4: Scarlets v Stade Français Paris, Parc y Scarlets (3.0) S4C*/France 2.
Pool 5: Newport Gwent Dragons v Bath (1.0), Sky Sports.
Pool 6: Gloucester v Cardiff Blues, Kingsholm (3.0), Sky Sports.
ROUND SIX
Friday, January 23rd
Pool 6: Cardiff Blues v Rugby Calvisano, Arms Park (8.0) S4C*/Sky Sports.
Biarritz v Gloucester, Parc des Sports Aguilera (8.0), Sky Sports
Saturday, January 24th.
Pool 1: Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne (3.35).
Montauban v Munster, Stade Sapiac (3.35), Canal +/Sky Sports.
Pool 3: Ospreys v Leicester Tigers, Liberty stadium (5.35), Sky Sports.
Treviso v Perpignan, Stadio Comunale di Monigo (5.35)
Pool 4: Stade Français v Ulster, Stade Jean Bouin (1.35), France 2/Sky Sports.
Harlequins v Scarlets, The Stoop (1.35), Sky Sports.
Sunday, January 25th
Pool 2: Leinster v Edinburgh, RDS (1.0) Sky Sports.
Castres Olympique v London Wasps, Stade Pierre Antoine (1.0).
Pool 5: Bath v Toulouse, Recreation Ground (3.0), Sky Sports/France 2.
Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons, Firhill (3.0).
* Delayed highlights
