RUGBY EUROPEAN CUP SEMI-FINALS:SARACENS HAVE satisfied the demand from season ticket holders who were given preference for Sunday week's Heineken Cup semi-final against Munster at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
All the category one tickets (£40) were snapped up immediately and yesterday the club released another tranche of their 13,500 allocation to Saracens' supporters who have purchased tickets for matches this season.
There is a maximum of four tickets per person, slightly less than the six per individual that were available to the season ticket holders.
Saracens' partner clubs were also entitled to purchase with an incentive scheme of free coach travel to the game included to the biggest buyers.
Any remaining tickets will go on general sale from Thursday morning and can be purchased from the Saracens' ticket office (+441923475222).
Munster have distributed their ticket allotment through the usually channel of clubs and schools and wouldn't be expecting any returns.
ERC have intimated there could be about 4,000 further tickets available for the match and that they would go on general sale through Ticketmaster. They also confirmed that 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the second semi-final between London Irish and Toulouse at Twickenham on Saturday week.
The Exiles are reasonably confident they alone could muster in excess of 30,000 supporters on the day but ERC have suggested they believe by just opening the lower tier at the home of English rugby, the 34,000 seats will be sufficient to accommodate those wishing to attend the match.
The referees for the two semi-finals have been announced and there is a certain symmetry to the appointments. Welsh official Nigel Owens, who was in charge of Munster's quarter-final victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm, will once again reacquaint himself with the Irish province at the penultimate stage of the tournament. It is the first time that Owens has presided over a game at this point in the competition.
The same parallel applies to London Irish, as Alain Rolland who refereed the club's quarter-final win over Perpignan, will take charge of their semi-final clash with Toulouse. It will be the fourth occasion that the Irishman, who was in charge of last year's World Cup Final, will officiate at a European Cup semi-final.
Meanwhile it seems likely that while the prognosis concerning injuries to Munster duo Ronan O'Gara and Peter Stringer is good, it is unlikely that either will play a part in this weekend's Magners League clash with the Ospreys at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.
A better indication of their fitness will be gleaned later in the week following rest, but Paul Warwick and Tomás O'Leary must be strong favourites to start at halfback for the game against the EDF champions. Fullback Denis Hurley had a couple of stitches inserted following a clash of heads but should be available for selection.
It'll be interesting to see if Ulster coach Matt Williams tunes into Sky Sports 2 tonight to cast an eye over Bath's Guinness Premiership clash with the Leicester Tigers at the Recreation Ground to cast an eye over Ian Humphreys, who starts at outhalf for the Tigers. David Humphreys' younger brother has been linked with a return to his native province.
Johne Murphy and Frank Murphy have been named among the replacements in a much changed Leicester team from the weekend, while Ireland scrumhalf Eoin Reddan returns to the Wasps team tonight for the game against the Sale Sharks.
