Leinster to play Munster and Clermont at the Aviva

POB believe that Leinster will soon announce that the Magners League fixture against Munster and the Heineken Cup Pool match against Clermont will both be held at the new Aviva Stadium.

I have mixed opinions on moving from the RDS. I can see the positive aspect that we will have increased revenue and fans who could previously not attend will now have the opportunity to see one of the most intense derbies in club rugby and a potentially scintillating game against the French Champions. There is also the chance to see some truly competitive rugby at the Aviva stadium. Although if Leinster put 68 points without response past Munster i would lose the run of myself!

On the negative side i will have to sit down for the game and i assume the Aviva stewards will not turn the same blind eye to spectators bringing in their own cans of beer. This is a ritual of those on the terrace and has a definite positive impact on the vocal support from the home fans. I have yet to attend a game at the new stadium so i can’t really comment on the atmosphere. I will let you know what i think following the Ireland v Argentina where i will get a chance to use my Vantage ticket for the first time (I understand the irony in purchasing a Vantage ticket for football and then complaining about sitting for Leinster games!).

Au revoir Cheiks. Time to Stade and deliver.

Director of Rugby. Interesting move for Cheika. He certainly has the pedigree to achieve great things with Stade Francais. Considering that we are already facing our new coach (Schmidt) in the next round of the Heineken Cup it now seems inevitable we will face Stade.

I think Cheika has got his timing spot on with his departure. He brought the team to the pinnacle of European club rugby and is now in with a shout of repeating that feat while also well controlling the Magners League this year. He can now pave the way for a new coach to put his stamp on what is becoming once again a youthful and entertaining Leinster side. The likes of Conway and Macken should prove their value in the coming years alonside the established stars.

Thanks and best of luck Cheiks.

Schmidt happens for Leinster. KO time announced.

As soon as Leinster announced that a deal had been agreed to bring Josef Schmidt in as Head Coach next year there was an impending inevitability that his first match at the RDS would not be seen from the Leinster dugout. As fate would have it he will be part of the Clermont think tank trying to plot Leinster’s demise in this year’s Heineken Cup.

Speculation that the highly anticipated match would take place at Croke Park has been quashed by Leinster who have sensibly decided to stick with Fortress RDS. The game will take place on Friday 8th April at 8pm. A perfect time for the home support to lubricate their singing voices before kick off. Clermont Head Coach, Vern Cotter, certainly expects this to be the case, “The atmosphere will probably be unbelievable and will be a great, special occasion. Few players get the opportunity to experience such occasions. It will be a real honour for the club and something to look forward. It will be a match of huge intensity, very difficult.”

There was talk this weekend in the Sunday Independent that Leinster will look to sign Isaac Boss from Ulster. Personally i believe Leinster have adequate cover at scrum half and this will only serve to stunt the career growth of Paul O’Donohue. It will be interesting to see if Leinster add to their panel before the Quarter Final. All eight quarter-finalists may register three additional players for the knock-out stages, one of whom has to be a frontrow player. They cannot have played in this season’s Heineken or Amlin Challenge Cups, nor can they be contracted to Super 15 franchises.

London Irish may have missed out on a Quarter Final place and subsequently another trip to Dublin. This is not the case for their Number 8, Chris Hala’ufia, who has been called to an independent disciplinary session in Dublin to defend his citing for the punch he threw at Leo Cullen in the final Pool 6 game on Saturday.

Enjoy the weekend off from rugby, the serious business starts soon!