Keith Grainger Newport's chief executive has hit out at stay away fans in Touchdown, the club's official match day magazine. Grainger pointed out that while Newport's large section of travelling fans create revenue for the clubs that they visit the same can not be said of those who visit Rodney Parade.

He won't have been particularly enamoured with Leinster's paltry support, significantly boosted by the presence of the Leinster Schools side that was in action over the weekend against Leicester and the traditional fixture against the Yorkshire schools. Leinster officially asked for 100 tickets but expected to only take up 50: not including the schoolboys less than that number travelled. The crowd on the night was a staggering 10,285 so it is easy to understand Grainger's frustration.

Only 23 fans travelled from Toulouse and Newport's supremo won't be holding his breath when Newcastle hit town after Christmas. He cited Munster, Newport and Leicester as the only set-ups who bring significant numbers with them on their travels and pointed out that teams had a responsibility to encourage supporters to travel.

Quite how Leinster are going to manage this is a mystery. Victory over Newport created history with their 11th straight success eclipsing a record set under Mick Doyle yet few outside parents and officials made the journey. This is a very successful team, playing good rugby and certainly deserving more than the apathy towards foreign shores that their supporters seem to hold. It's all well and good filling Donnybrook but the absence of vocal exhortation and friendly faces away from home places an additional strain on the team.