Leinster and Ulster set for historic Lansdowne duel

ULSTER cannot be overtaken as Magners League leaders, even if arch-rivals Leinster pull off a victory in the last match at the old Lansdowne Road stadium on Sunday.

This particular all-Irish affair has already captured the imagination of the Irish rugby public, with 45,000 tickets sold to punters desperate to play their part in history. It’s almost sure to be a 49,000 sell-out.

Hundreds of thousands more will watch the duel on television; the Connacht-Munster game, despite its huge importance in terms of qualification for Europe next year, and Munster’s latest conquest over the boys in blue, won’t quite capture the same attention.