ALL eyes from the Irish rugby community will focus on the RDS next weekend as Leinster and Munster go head to head in the Magners league semi final. Kick off next Saturday is scheduled for 8pm where the country’s top two provinces battle it out for a place at the Magners top table. Munster, the reigning champions, will look to overcome their European cup loss and secure a spot in the inaugural final against either the Ospreys or the Warriors who face off in the other semi final next Friday night at the Liberty Stadium.
Munster, keen to hold on to the title, will battle hard against their Dublin based rivals despite losing the last game of their league campaign after a 52 metre penalty from Cardiff’s Leigh Halfpenny secured the home team’s win in injury time.
McGahan and his team credited Leinster’s season and their top of the table slot but this week has promised to give a Michael Cheika’s men and tough battle.
In other rugby news, Cork Con’s Cronan Healy secured the Cork side’s first ever league and cup double as they beat St Mary’s on a scoreline of 17-10 at Templeville Road. A similar scoreline saw Bruff fall to Lansdowne in the Division 2 final while Queen’s University beat Nenagh Ormond by a single point in the Division 3 final by 17-16.
Meanwhile, just one spot of the 24 qualifiers for the 16th Heineken Cup tournament remains and will be decided on the outcome of the final at the end of May.
The winners of both the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup earn an additional place for their nation in the following season’s Heineken Cup tournament, although both England and France are capped at a maximum of seven places.
France are guaranteed to provide the Heineken Cup champions when Biarritz Olympique and Toulouse contest the landmark 15th tournament final at Stade de France on Saturday, 22 May, so France have been awarded an additional place and will have seven teams in the 2010/11 competition.
The 24th and final place will depend on the result of the Amlin Challenge Cup final between Cardiff Blues and RC Toulon at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Sunday, 23 May.
The last spot will go to either Wales – if Cardiff Blues win – or the highest ranked team in the ERC European Rankings if Toulon win.
If the Blues win the Scarlets will qualify.
If Toulon win then 13th placed Gloucester Rugby are the highest placed club in the ERC European Rankings from the other five nations who has not already qualified and so will secure that final place in next season’s Heineken Cup.
The six Tier 1 teams – Munster, Toulouse, Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Biarritz Olympique and Cardiff Blues – will be kept apart in the draw for the six Pools of four teams each for the 2010/11 tournament.
ENGLAND (6): Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Saracens, Bath Rugby, London Wasps, London Irish
FRANCE: (7): Perpignan, RC Toulon, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Toulouse, Castres Olympique, Racing-Metro 92, Biarritz Olympique
IRELAND: (3): Leinster, Munster, Ulster Rugby
ITALY (2): Benetton Treviso, Aironi Rugby
SCOTLAND (2): Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh
WALES (3): Ospreys, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons
