Chance to play in Croker will add fuel to Blues’ fire

Possibility of staging key knock-out games at GAA HQ has brought a layer of intrigue to the end-of-season run-in

Thepost-SixNations,pre-Champions Cup lull can often feel like a bit of a drag, but between the drama of the URC and the Ireland women beginning a new campaign, there was enough going on already before the end-of-season run-in was given an extra shot in the arm.

Saturday’s confirmation that Croke Park is to open its doors to a potential Champions Cup semi-final in May and the URC final in June – the Aviva is unavailable due to works ahead of the

Europa League final – has added a fascinating layer of intrigue to what is already shaping up to be an exciting finish to both tournaments.

After two trophyless seasons and an ongoing six-year wait to add that elusive fifth star to their crest, Leinster were certainly not lacking motivation, yet the added carrot of playing key knockout games at Croke Park will surely add fuel to their fire.

Fifteen years on from what proved to be a seminal moment for Irish rugby, when 82,208 supporters set a world record for a club rugby attendance, Croke Park could be about to play host to a similarly special occasion.

Those of a certain vintage will never forget the changing of the guard in that 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final, as Leinster laid their Munster ghosts to rest with a stunning victory that shifted the balance of power.

There are many others, however, for whom that epic heavyweight clash is an old tale of yore – the kind that feels far removed from the current era.

For example, take Leinster’s latest pair of debutants from Saturday’s win over Zebre in Parma. Andrew Osborne (20), who marked his first professional appearance alongside his older brother Jamie (22) with a try, and Diarmuid Mangan (21).

Osborne was only five years old, Mangan had just turned six, when rugby

‘AnotherLeinsterv Munstershowdown at Croke Park would really be an exciting prospect’

was last played in Croke Park on that unforgettable day.

With so much road left to run before Leinster can even contemplate the idea of returning to GAA HQ, Leo Cullen will be driving home that message, all the while excited about the possibilities that lie ahead over the coming months.

The recent success of Munster’s games against South Africa and the Crusaders at Páirc Uí Chaoimh has prompted the powers that be to push for another game to be held at the home of Cork GAA.

It seems as though that could be approved for later in the year, with many Cork supporters hoping that Munster’s annual St Stephen’s Day derby clash with Leinster will be switched to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Mooted

For now, it’s a case of watch this space, with Nowlan Park also being mooted as a possible venue for big Leinster games next season, with the Aviva unavailable for a significant period.

While the immediate focus will be on Leinster, given they would likely have home advantage should they advance that far, the other three provinces could also find themselves playing in Croke Park.

Fresh after being humbled at home to the Lions, Connacht have some work to do to get themselves back into the URC play-off places, with Ulster just about hanging on to their top-eight spot, despite Richie Murphy’s interim tenure getting off to a losing start in Durban on Saturday.

Connacht and Ulster will both be playing in the Challenge Cup when Europe kicks back into gear next week, but the outlook is more positive for Leinster and Munster who are on course to meet in the Champions Cup semi-final, if they can manage their way through the next two difficult rounds.

Leinster must see off Leicester at the Aviva on Saturday week, then also beat the winners of the Stormers’ meeting with their old nemesis and defending champions La Rochelle.

Munster face a trickier round-of-16 clash in Northampton, with the Bulls or Lyon to come in the quarter-final.

Should results go in the provinces’ favour, another Leinster v Munster showdown at Croke Park would really be an exciting prospect.

Last year’s URC semi-final win, when Cullen paid the price for rotating his team ahead of the Champions Cup final that Leinster also ended up losing, has reignited the interpro rivalry to such an extent that Leinster will not make the same mistake again when it comes to Munster.

For all of Cullen’s side’s dominance in recent years, Munster have added to their trophy cabinet more recently, which has placed an added premium on the URC – a competition that Leinster have not won since the welcome addition of South Africa’s major teams significantly enhanced the quality of the playing field.

Cullen captained Leinster the day the landscape of Irish rugby changed, so the current head coach has a good understanding of how special it is to play in Croke Park.

With so many obstacles to overcome first, it’s unlikely that Cullen will be basing any of his upcoming team talks around the possibility of returning to Croke Park, even if Saturday’s news will not have gone unnoticed by the players, who would relish the chance to follow in some famous footsteps.

For the rest of us, the mere prospect of Leinster and Munster renewing the latest instalment of their rivalry at Croke Park on the weekend of May 4 is enough to get the juices flowing and help stave off any talk of a post-Six Nations slump.