'Maybe we'll go on a boat' - Leinster scrambling for South African semi-final

SET SAIL: Leinster Head Coach Leo Cullen arrives ahead of the game against Ulster. Pic Credit: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Leinster were wasting no time in planning their route to South Africa for next weekend’s URC semi-final against the Bulls after putting paid to Ulster in the last eight at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday night.

Laptops were opened in the dressing-room examining flight and accommodation options even as Leo Cullen’s players showered and changed into their civvies. Some will depart Dublin as early as Sunday morning, others later in the day.

It remains to be seen if the squad and its support staff pitch up in Pretoria, where the altitude will be a factor at Loftus Versfeld, immediately or if they will fly in to the city late next week having based themselves elsewhere.

"A week's notice? A week until we're there playing a rugby match. It's a very unusual dynamic,” said head coach Leo Cullen.

“I don't to bore you about the dynamics of how airlines do/don't operate on the weekend, but there is multiple moving parts.

“I don't know if you've booked many trips for 45 people on a Saturday night? If anyone has any advice? I don't know (when we leave), the bags are packed. We'll be setting sail alright. Maybe we'll go on a boat!”

Leinster aren’t the first province to find themselves scrambling for seats and beds at the back end of the URC campaign. Connacht and Munster had to negotiate the same issues when facing the Stormers away in a semi-final and a final last term.

Stay in Cape Town? Go straight to Pretoria? Decisions, decisions.

“It depends what's available,” Cullen explained. “It's very tough at this time of the year, the middle of June, to travel at the best of times, so it's a little small 45-person working party. We will get out there by whatever means possible.”

The Bulls reached the last four only after a nervy seven-point win against Benetton at home earlier on Saturday and Leinster will be heartened by the efforts of some other European sides down there in the past, not least Munster who have won there.

The Bulls reached the URC final two years ago after shocking Leinster at the RDS but Cullen dismissed the notion that the province might be seeking some revenge as they face off at one of rugby’s most iconic venues.

“It's not really about owing anyone one, it's just about our own point of view. Whatever group does travel, we owe it to ourselves to put in a performance. Nobody's going to give us anything, are they? We need to deliver a big performance for ourselves.”

The game will be a preview to the meeting of Ireland and South Africa at the same venue later in the summer, as part of a two-Test series, and the Bulls will be without three of their Boks for the club game.

Canan Moodie and Marco van Staden were already out of action but flying winger Kurt-Lee Arendse has joined them on the sideline after fracturing a cheekbone in the win against Benetton. All three are doubts for the Ireland series as well.