Red Army face a Munster task

IF Munster fans thought the scramble for transport, tickets and accommodation for last year’s European Rugby Cup final in Cardiff was difficult, they ain’t seen nothing yet.

The resourcefulness of the Red Army will be tested more severely than ever before on their journeys around Europe after it was confirmed that Munster must travel to Llanelli for the knockout stages of this year’s competition.

Early indications from airlines and ferry companies suggest the usual large travelling contingent will be heading for south Wales on March 30 to see Declan Kidney’s men take on the Scarlets.

All major hotels in Llanelli already have full bookings for the weekend of the match, with many fans likely to have to travel to Swansea for accommodation.

Despite the anticipated shortage of tickets, thousands of fans are still likely to cross the Irish Sea for the fixture as Munster seek to become only the second team to win back-to-back titles in the Heineken Cup.

Munster fans are being advised to book early for Irish Sea ferry crossings, especially due to the recent cancellation of the Cork to Swansea service.

Stena Line said it had already sold tickets for its Rosslare-Fishguard route for the weekend of the match.

A spokesperson for Irish Ferries encouraged fans travelling to the match to book early as it expects space on its Rosslare-Pembroke sailings on the weekend of the game will be limited.

Llanelli’s decision to keep the fixture in their home ground of Stradey Park, with its capacity of 10,800, makes it one of the smallest venues to host the Red Army at this stage of the competition.

A spokesperson for the Munster branch said yesterday that they were unlikely to get more than 2,000 tickets for the match, which would all be distributed to affiliated clubs.

“There’s not a hope in hell for anyone else looking for a ticket,” he added. The Munster branch expect to release details about the province’s exact ticket allocation next week.

Based on past experience of Munster fans’ ability to account for the majority of supporters even in “away” fixtures, Llanelli have taken deliberate steps to ensure that tickets for the quarter-final are only distributed to Scarlets supporters.

No tickets for the match are being sold online and Llanelli’s season ticket holders will be given the opportunity of purchasing a maximum of two tickets.

Any spare tickets will be given to fans who have proof of attending Llanelli’s Celtic League games..

Munster fans hoping to travel by air also have a number of options, although fares are expected to remain high given the large interest in the match.

Return flights on the Aer Arann service from Cork to Cardiff on the weekend of the quarter-final area now costing a minimum of €330 and as much as €410.

Flights from Shannon to Bristol with Ryanair are only around €190 but will involve a 150km rail or road journey to Llanelli.