Brian's day in the Sun, Uploaded by M+MD.
We had a wonderful 30 hours in Edinburgh last week-end. When I purchased the tickets for the Heineken Cup Final last November, I had expected to go see Munster do the double. I had considered that I had 2 horses running especially after Leinster demolished Wasps in their first home game. But I really didn't expect to to wearing Blue on the 23rd of May in Edinburgh.
But Blue was the colour and rugby was their game! Leinster were almost as good against Leicester as they were against Munster 3 weeks ago. There defence was massive and even more surprising the loss of Contepomi to injury wasn't even noticed. His replacement Johnny Sexton played with supreme confidence. He dropped kicked a goal from the half way line about 20 minutes into the first half. Rocky Elapm was immense and fully deserved his man of the match award. Its hard to see how we will be able to hold on to him in the northern hemisphere after the season he has just had with Leinster. He's still young enough to contend for a place on The Wallabies and it is much easier to do this on home soil than on the other side of the world.
We had great seats 3 rows back on the Lower East Stand. We met up with Paul and Colette in a very good Italian restaurant just past Princes Street on the Murrayfield side. Colette had made the long overnight trip via Larne and Conor Simon and Matthew made the trip with them. She had stayed overnight in Glasgow and travelled over by train to Edinburgh.
After lunch we walked to Murrayfield. There were a lot of Blue jerseys quite a bit of green and White for Leicester and the odd smattering of Red Munster fans. I think they will shout for Leinster - though for some it will be hard. However you can be pretty sure they will not be supporting the English team - even if it is captained by an Irishman. They will remember Leicester as the team that took away Munster's unbeaten Heineken Cup record in the old Thomand Park in the very last game before they redeveloped the ground. Anyway Geordan Murphy is a Leinsterman!
The match was played at a very high tempo from the kick-off. Leicester were defending our side of the pitch. We had a storming run from Rampaging Rocky Elsom in the first 10 minutes and very soon afterwards Drico dropped a goal and we were 3-0 up. No unsettling early advantage to Leicester! Then the sides exchanged penalties Johnny Sexton showed no nerves and stepped up to make it 6-3. Then came the proof that Leinster were up for this. After a Leicester clearance failed to make touch, Johnny had the ball on the half way line, he had a little time, he attempted the drop goal. It seemed to hang in the air forever... It looked over to me... But its hard to tell... Referee Nigel Owens holds his arm aloft. IT'S OVER.
I read later that Sexton spoke with supreme confidence in the dressing room before the match. "It's already written", he said, "we're going to win this match and there's nothing we can do about it". I'm sure the seasoned warriors were wondering about this - but he was playing like he believed it and that kind of confidence was clear throughout the team. Drico had it; Elsom always has it; Healy had it; Fitzgerald had it; they were playing with confidence fulfilling their destiny.
Leinster dominated the first half an hour. But you can keep a team like Leicester boxxed in for ever. They got into the Leinster 22 and started to threaten the line. The Leinster defence held solid. Then Stan Wright made an early tackle on a man without the ball. Nigel said "cynical" yellow card. Leicester know how to use an opening like that and 5 minutes later just before half time they were in under the posts. 9-13 and halftime.
Second half we were still a man down and Duprey kicked a penalty 9-16. Now it was time for Leinster to stand up. This was the position we all feared. Leicester getting an advantage and then relying on their experience to hold out and win. But there were still 35 minutes to go and Leinster didn't panic. They continued what they had started in the first half. Back to 15 men again they started to dominate the game again. The forwards worked a patient set of moves close to the Leicester line culminating in a try by Jamie Heaslip which Sexton converted. 16 all and 30 minutes to go - game on. Leicester had to replace Geordan and then Duprey and the Kayser for Chuter, then White for Castro. Their scrum improved. It was close for a while with the Leicester changes. But Leinster defence was solid.
Then it came, with 10 minutes to go Leinster got a penalty in range. Sexton kicked a horrible curling ball which somehow managed to curl back between the posts and over! 19 - 16 and we started the countdown. Leinster never really doubted that they could hold on. The Leicester team was now tired and on the back foot. They had nothing left to give and when Owens blew the final whistle the stadium turned BLUE.
Some of the fans couldn't contain themselves and launched a series of one man pitch invasions. Conor had a think about it but he was well spotted and didn't make it. The early pitch invaders got off lightly and were returned to the stands. Then they began to show off sprinting between aging marshalls to the cheers of the crowd. They were rewarded by being frogmarched off the pitch and into the oblivion of the Edinburgh evening!
The presentation over the team went on a slow lap of honour. They were savouring every minute - and why not.
When they finally disappeared down the tunnel we too exited to the balmy Edinburgh evening.
Going Home Contented, Uploaded by M+MD./div>
