Sky’s the limit for Munster, Leinster

DUST settled, pool stages over, quarter-final pairings decided. In another fantastic Heineken Cup season it’s been yet another good season also for Irish rugby.

Two teams, Leinster and Munster, in the last eight, both of them having topped their pool, with Leinster seeded number one, unbeaten in their six games. Given that a transitional Ulster side, with home wins over Stade Francais (joint second favourites to win the Cup) and Gloucester, finished just a point out of second spot in their group, given also that Connacht, with home and away quarter-final wins over Grenoble, are in the final four of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup, you would imagine that international respect for Irish rugby is at unprecedented levels, that a strong case is even being made for having all four Irish provinces in next season’s Heineken Cup. Imagine on.

Featuring a whole plethora of experts from every top rugby nation, northern and southern hemisphere, the unanimous reaction to the quarter-final pairings on Sky television this weekend was that both Leinster and Munster will be beaten, with the achievement of Connacht, of Ulster, barely meriting mention.