Cheika expecting scant ‘hospitality’ at Fortress Thomond

MICHAEL CHEIKA has experienced almost everything that Irish rugby has to offer in his 18 months on these shores and his local education will be complete when he takes his Leinster team to Thomond Park for the first time today.

With the old ground due for redevelopment in the near future, the Australian will be arriving just in time to sample its famous “hospitality” but Cheika has enough experience of Munster in the bank to realise the extent of the task awaiting his side.

“They’ve got a very unique atmosphere going on down there with their public but you could be playing Munster in a park in Afghanistan and it could be a hard game.