Heineken Cup: Dublin set for invasion of Edinburgh rugby fans

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on 09/04/2012 00:00

EDINBURGH have turned their attention to creating the biggest migration of rugby supporters across the Irish Sea after a record club attendance at Murrayfield carried them into the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

The Scots will face Ulster at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday 28 April, with a 5.45pm kick-off, after the men from Belfast stunned double Heineken Cup winners Munster yesterday, by racing into a 19-0 lead and hanging on grimly in Limerick for a 22-16 win.

Tickets for the semi-final went on sale straight after Edinburgh’s incredible 19-14 victory over Europe’s leading club side, Toulouse, on Saturday, which was witnessed by a new UK record for the Heineken Cup quarter-final of 37,881 people. Tickets are priced between £30 and £60 for the last four clash, with the Aviva boasting a 50,000 capacity, and there were reports yesterday of a brisk start to sales in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Flight prices from Edinburgh and Newcastle to Dublin were rising rapidly last night, indicating that Scots are keen to stick with Edinburgh’s European campaign and perhaps a belief that, if they can defeat Toulouse, they could now overcome Ulster and reach the final, at Twickenham next month.

Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley said: “We’re really looking forward to playing Ulster. We can take a lot of confidence both from our form on the road in this tournament and especially from our recent win over Toulouse at home. We’re confident that, if we do our jobs properly, individually and collectively, we can win this match.”

Clermont Auvergne defeated Saracens yesterday and will meet Leinster in Bordeaux in the other semi-final on Sunday 29 April.

Tickets are available at www.edinburghrugby.org and from 9am today by telephoning 0131 346 5180. Tickets will also be available from tomorrow at 9am at www.ticketmaster.ie/erc.