THOMOND PARK

THOMOND PARK, originally uploaded by L09C.

Fortress Thomond repels Leinster - Munster 22 Leinster 5

Thomond Park
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There was a great atmosphere in Thomond Park on for the derby game between Munster and Leinster on Saturday evening. For Leinster, this was their best chance to defend their Magners League title. For Munster, it was a chance to pull away from their nearest rivals. For both teams, the most important thing was to get through the match free from injury, in advance of the Heineken Quarter finals next week-end.

Celtic Tenors & Pete St John
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I drove down to Limerick on Saturday afternoon. John and his fellow Leinster supporter, Paul travelled down with me - for them it was their first trip to Thomond. We arrived down in plenty of time. We left Dublin at 4 and were parked and inside the ground by 6.45 - very comfortable for a 7.30 kick off. The game was a complete sell-out and there was a great atmosphere in the ground as the teams warmed up on the pitch. The Celtic Tenors were there to provide the pre-match entertainment. They sang that Limerick anthem "There is an Isle" and were joined by songwriter Pete St John for a great rendition of "The Fields of Athenry". There was a strong Leinster contingent just beside where I was sitting and they were pretty vocal throughout. But the Munster fans easily made the most noise.

Munster V Leinster, Thomond Park, Uploaded by M+MD.

Leinster were the better team for much of first half. They were far superior to Munster in the breakdown. But Munster went in at half time 6-0 up with O'Gara scoring 2 penalties and Contepomi was seriously off form missing all of his kicks on goal.

That's a Second Row Forward!, Uploaded by M+MD.

D'Arcy's Try
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In the second half Munster began to get the upper hand. First with 2 more penalties and then with a great try from Keith Earls, bringing the score to 17-0. Then D'Arcy scored a well worked try. Then Shane Horgan made a second defensive error to let Barry Murphy pass him on the wing and set up an easy pass to put substitute Fogarty over for a final try. That was it, game over, with the final score 22-5.

O'Connells Line Out
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The biggest surprise of the night was Contepomi's failure to get even one kick over the bar. As an Argentinien and Leinster player each miss was gleefully applauded by the Thomond crowd! Rocky Elstrom was easily the best Leinster player but RoG was man of the match. Elstrom almost got in for a second consolation try at the end, but Stringer who had just come on as a sub appeared out of nowhere and toppled him.

That pretty much secures the Magners League for Munster. They have Scarlets Connaught and Ospreys at home and Cardif Blues away from home. Ospreys are the only real danger left in the Magners League, but they have to play both Munster and Scarlets away from home.

Bull Hayes replaced, Uploaded by M+MD.

Ronan on Form
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The competition for places on both teams for next week-end will be intense. The Munster supporters behind me were roaring at the ref to blow up full-time for nearly ten minutes at the end of the game. They were worried about an injury to Bull Hayes. Buckley replaced the Bull in the 67th minute but Buckley had to go off again, injured, after just 4 minutes. Munster had no choice but to Hayes bring back on. This problem the only weak point in the Munster set up. If Buckley is back fit for next week-end it will relieve many worried Munster fans.

It was a late drive back to Dublin but the roads are getting better and we were all home before 1pm.

Next week-end we have a very busy Easter Sunday. First up at 1.00 is the Heineken Quarter-final between Munster and Ospreys. That is followed by the Quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster in London. After the rugby is all settled we get the final day of the Masters in Augusta. Even if there is no Irishman in contention the return of Tiger will almost certainly be under discussion. We also have the final round matches of the National Football League to be settled that afternoon.

Sports Seasons

This Blog has become quite rugby centric over the past few weeks. That shouldn't be a surprise in the year that Ireland won the Grand Slam. Especially when me and my Nikon were at four of the five matches. The focus on rugby will continue I hope until the end of May as Munster try to retain the Heineken Cup. My Nikon (and me!) has tickets for that final in Murrayfield on the 24th of May.

Padraig Harrington, Uploaded by M+MD.

Tiger Woods
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Next week I won't be at the next big Sporting event - the Masters Golf at Augusta. The Irish flags will be flown by Padraig Harrington and the not wonder Rory McElroy. Tiger is of course back on the scene after a 9 month lay-off and will want to retain the Masters to show that he is really back. Phil Mickleson has come very close to stealing his No 1 spot in the World Rankings which willl give Tiger the added incentive - not that he needs one. We can look forward to more golf during the summer when Harrington will be trying to win three British Opens in a row. That is something that hasn't been done since Peter Thomson (1954-56). Unfortunately my Nikon won't get to to many of those golf events.

Then we have the All Ireland Football and Hurling championships starting in May. We will certainly get to a few of those games this summer. Kildare have had a good run in the National League and so they are setting me up to have my heart broken again this summer.

Speaking of heartbreak I have stayed very quite about Leeds. Its not that I've given up - but as they have dragged themselves back into play-off zone again I just don't want to speculate about those possibilities after our play-off heartbreak in 2 of the last 3 years. Automatic promotion looks impossible now Peterboro beat Leicester City last week-end which was probably our best chance that the gap might close.

Of course those other heartbeak kids the Irish soccer team raised our hopes with a first minute goal against Bulgaria last week-end only to play rubbish for the rest of the game and conceed a own goal in the second half for a very unsatisfactory home draw. Then last Wednesday we had almost the direct opposite outcome in Bari when Italy scored in the first 10 minutes only to be caught by a last minute goal by Robbie Keane. Another 1-1 draw - but this time away to Italy - the World Champions!

The joys and heartbreak of sport. Its just what we need to distract is in these dreadful economic times in which we find ourselves.

Teams named for Munster V Leinster match

Munster have fielded all 8 of their Irish Internationals who started against Wales in Cardiff. Leinster have named 3 out of 5 with Brian O'Driscoll and Luke Fitzgerald not even on the squad. Its a little odd - maybe Leinster have resigned themselves to a loss and are placing all their hopes on the re-match that will result if tehy can beat Harlequins in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. Of course I am assuming that Munster will beat the Ospreys! The trip to Murrayfield in May is looking even more hopeful!

Munster V Leinster this week-end

With the Heineken Cup quarter finals the following week-end, the final teams selected, for this top of the table clash, will be interesting. Munster probably have the greater depth - it was the second string Munster team who almost beat the All-Blacks last November, although they were helped at that time by the number of players not eligible to play for Ireland. This factor doesn't help the coach's dilemma this time. Leinster have reasonably depth - the Magners League performance last week was not on the basis of the strongest possible selection.

Leinster 0 Munster 18, RDS, Sept 2008, Uploaded by M+MD.

The squads have been announced. The Leinster squad of 29 now includes Brian O'Driscoll; Jamie Heaslip; Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney. The question is will they start and how long will they play. Cheika is keen to reverse the 18-0 drubbing which Munster gave Leinster at the RDS back in the Autumn. A loss for Leinster will probably close out their chances of retaining the Magners League Trophy, though there are four more games after next Saturday. However a seven point deficit is very hard to make up.

The Munster squad of 26 includes the Grand Slam. Again the question is who will start and who will finish. Ian Dowling is also back fit, he is a very welcome return.

The final 22 will probably not be named until Saturday morning.

April Fools Day in the Media

Many media outlets in particular celebrated April Fool's Day today with spoof reports and advertisements.

The Irish Times reported that the Revenue Commissioners were planning an electronic tagging system for 'high net worth' tax exiles. The system would be provided by a US firm called 'Failproof'.

Herald AM featured no fewer than three spoof stories, two on the front page and one on the back.

For sports fans, the prospect of a high-profile addition to the resolution of the Cork hurling management saga was raised by a report saying Denis Walsh was poised to add Roy Keane to his backroom team.

On the news pages, US President Barack Obama was reported to have paid a surprise overnight visit to Co Offaly on his way to the G20 summit - to the annoyance of Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

And, in a report readers might be slow to dismiss as a phoney, the paper said graduates were to face a ban on moving overseas until they completed paying back their student loans.

A report on the Australian Herald Sun's website said the symbolic 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground would be bought by 'Mekong Industries, one of the largest companies in China', and renamed the Mekong Stadium. Victoria state Tourism Minister Tim Holding said Melbourne was bidding to hold the running of the bulls when the contract the Spanish city of Pamplona has held since the 13th century expires. Mr Holding said the bulls would run down the cafe-lined streets in the centre of the city, adding a new event to sit alongside the Australian Open tennis and the Formula One Grand Prix on Melbourne's sporting calendar.

Also in Australia, more than two dozen people in Melbourne woke to find their cars wrapped in cling wrap. he cling-film bandits striking at popular shopping precincts, outside railway stations and in sought-after residential areas, tightly wrapping cars in the plastic wrap. At least 28 cars were reportedly wrapped including one vehicle in Clarendon St in South Melbourne, another on Domain Rd, South Yarra, Church St, Richmond and again at Clifton Hill railway station.

Meanwhile Microsoft has revealed its latest blockbuster title for the Xbox 360, Alpine Legend. A variation on the popular Guitar Hero games, it would let players test their yodelling skills and, for a limited time, come with a free goat.

German FFH radio announced to listeners that Chancellor Angela Merkel was pregnant at the age of 54. Ms Merkel has always said she was 'too busy' to start a family.