Collision course

LET THE phoney war begin. No sooner had the final whistle sounded at Lansdowne Road on Saturday evening then the scramble for tickets started.

The debate over the relative merits of Munster and Leinster rugby has raged for well over 100 years. That intense rivalry is now set to scale a mountainous peak with a place in the Heineken Cup final at stake.

If Ireland’s recent feat in securing a second Triple Crown in three years offered evidence of the continuing well-being of rugby on this island, the fact that two of our provincial sides have reached the penultimate stage of Europe’s premier competition offers further confirmation of the quality on offer.