More rugby today. The Six Nations may be over, but the European Heineken Cup is just starting to get real interesting. Three matches today, but I was only paying attention to two[1] Leinster were playing away to Toulouse[2] last year’s winners. And Munster were in Lansdowne Rd to play Perpignan. Both matches were quarter-finals, and the winners will be playing each other in three weeks time.
Quick note for those of you who don’t know, Leinster and Munster are two provinces of Ireland[3] Leinster is counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow[4] and Munster is Clare, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford. Munster and especially have always been the heartland of Irish rugby. And as de mudder is from Limerick we always followed Munster rugby. Connacht[5] is by far and away the weakest of the provinces. Was even almost disbanded a few years back, but we’ve struggled on.
So, Leinster away against Toulouse, and as Toulouse are such a great team the odds were against the boys in blue. But they went out and more than did the job. 4 great tries. Horgan, O’Driscoll, Hickie and Jowett all scored tries, and Fillippe Contepome was fantastic at controlling the match for Leinster
In the other match Munster didn’t play too well. But in the end, mostly through the efforts of O’Connell and O’Gara, they got the job done and won by a final score of 19-10
Results which mean that there will definitely be an Irish team in the final as Munster will play Leinster in the semi-final. Which leaves me with a dilemma and a half. Who do I support? On the one hand I’ve always supported Munster, but Leinster played so well today. Leinster have Horgan, who has played so fantastically this year for Ireland, how could I ever want a team he plays for to be beaten. But O’Connell, O’Gara and Stringer all play for Munster.
Can I cheer both of them on? I’ll sing the Fields of Atherny and Molly Malone one after another.
Course, I’ll probably end up cheering on whichever side is losing, but being happy for the winners. It’ll be some rugby occasion.
Omigod – I seriously didn't know that Munster were an Irish team. I thought they were…errr..French.. *blushes in embarrassment* LOL!
:lol: I won't hold it against you. Actually, that might be taken as a compliment
Isn't Munster a province of Germany as well? Or something?
It's a French cheese. I'll let that sink in.
Two French teams losing to Irish ones? Man…
Sigh. I was just kidding about loving even your rugby posts. It's a good thing you're so damn cute. ;o)
It is NM, but that's spelt with an umlaht thingy on the u.
Biarritz are French though, right Anne? Maybe they'll beat Sale this evening.
Kelly, don't worry, no more rugby till the 22 when the semi-final is on :)
Correct. How did they do?
They won. Preventing an all England semi-final. So they'll be playing Bath the weekend of the 22nd. Exact details have yet to be finalized.