Race underway for fans’ tickets to glamour ties

MUNSTER and Leinster have commenced their ticket sales for next month’s glamour Heineken Cup ties.

Munster received 10,000 tickets for their semi-final against Biarritz Olympique at the 32,076 capacity Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian on May 2 while Leinster have taken 5,000 tickets for their trip to Toulouse’s Le Stadium (capacity, 40,500) on May 1 — though the champions have an option on another 5,000 tickets if desired.

The Munster Rugby Supporters Club had first access to tickets for their trip to Spain from yesterday. The province will employ the same system to disperse tickets as it has used on previous occasions — clubs in the province are next to receive an allocation, and depending on the uptake, the remainder may then be placed on sale to the public.

Tickets for the Toulouse game were made available to Leinster season ticket holders at 5pm yesterday on a first-come first-served basis. Season ticket holders will be able to purchase up to 12 tickets each for the game in the south of France through a specified Ticketmaster account and will be available until Friday, April 16.

ERC officials were unable to disclose how many tickets will be made available to the Irish province for the tie but a Leinster spokesman confirmed yesterday that they had taken up an initial 5,000 tickets with the option to receive up to the same again. Connacht have announced details of tickets for the eagerly-awaited Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Toulon.

Season ticket holders will get first option on tickets — and a €5 discount on each ticket — before they go on general sale at the Magners League game against Munster at the Sportsground next Sunday.

“We wanted to reward our season ticket holders. This should be a great occasion and we are expecting a capacity crowd,” said Connacht chief executive Gerry Kelly.

Main stand and ground tickets for the match against Toulon will be on general sale for €30 (€20 concession and €10), with a small number of enclosed stand tickets at €40. Ticket sales may dictate the capacity of the ground for the game. Currently the Sportsground can accommodate 5,000 but officials have plan to increase that to 8,000 if the demand is high enough.

Meanwhile, Byron Kelleher admits he is relishing pitting his wits against an old friend as Toulouse set up a Heineken Cup semi-final showdown with defending champions Leinster.

Kelleher will be reunited with Leinster forward’s coach Jono Gibbes ahead of their May 1 showdown following the French side’s crushing 42-16 victory over Stade Francais.

The pair have a long relationship from their Waikato and Chiefs days and played together against the 2005 Lions. Kelleher, 33, said: “Jono is a coach and he is a good, old Chiefs friend of mine. We will speak this week and try to catch up for a coffee and I’ll try and ask for Leinster’s gameplan. I watched Leinster play on Friday night and they are as good as anyone else.”

Meanwhile, Munster have named a 29-man squad for Sunday’s Magners League clash away to Connacht. The matchday 22 will be announced tomorrow.

MUNSTER (Squad v Connacht): S Deasy,S Zebo, T Gleeson, L Mafi, J de Villiers, D Barnes, R O’Gara, P Warwick, J Manning, T O’Leary,P Stringer, J Coughlan, N Ronan, P O’Mahoney,A Quinlan, D Wallace, N Williams, B Holland,D Foley, D O’Callaghan, M O’Driscoll, D Fogarty, J Flannery, D Varley, M Horan, J Hayes,J Brugnaut, T Buckley, D Ryan.