Ireland rebound
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match hosted by the venue since Rule 42 which banned ‘foreign’ sports at the venue was officially relaxed in 2005.
Ireland played
10 Six Nations games and four Autumn internationals
2007-10 while the Aviva was being rebuilt.
Cullen started as captain in the 2009 game and current Skills Coach Sean O’Brien came on as a sub while loosehead Cian Healy — practically born in the shadow of the stadium — could become the only player to play two club rugby games there.
“It’s pretty special,” admitted Saturday’s Aviva Man of the Match Ross Byrne (pictured). “I mean look, it doesn’t happen normally. Hopefully we can get an incredible crowd and hopefully it’s another special day.”
Final
Byrne, 14 at the time, didn’t make the 2009 LeinsterMunster encounter. “I wasn’t unfortunately but I was at the final.
“I’ve been there a good bit, like I go to a few Dublin games. It’s probably one of the premier stadiums in Europe.
“Hopefully we get a great crowd. I was never on the Hill, no, more prawn sandwich brigade!”
Connacht battled away it always looked like too big of an ask to rescue this one despite having Six Nations players Bundee Aki (below) and Finlay Bealham back.
Connacht will now turn their attention to trying to rescue a knockout place in the URC, starting with the other Italian team Zebre in Galway next Saturday.
Pete Wilkins’ men got a lifeline just before the end of an opening half that lasted 52 minutes when No 8 Paul Boyle drove over after they worked the ball infield
IRELAND upset Wales with a convincing 36-5 victory at Musgrave Park for their first win of the Women’s Six Nations campaign.
Tries from Aoife Wafer, Eve Higgins, Neve Jones, Katie Corrigan and Beibhinn Parsons (pictured) saw the Irish storm to a 31-point win.
After an opening loss to France, Scott Bemand’s side followed that with a six-point defeat to Italy but bounced back with a big win over the Welsh.
Identity
“We know we were under a kind of process so it’s finally nice to just get a win. We can’t get too carried away with it, it’s the next step.
“It’s great for the girls to able to put a performance on, a winning performance and give the Irish crowd something to get behind.
“We’ve always got a performance in us.”