Ulster fans celebrate another score in Aironi! (Pictures from Darren Kidd|Presseye)
Well, I don’t know, but it seems there is a little bit of luck going Ulster’s way this weekend. OK, Bath didn’t do us any favours yesterday but since the match finished every result seemed to go our way to give us what is, in my opinion, our best chance to reach the final – obviously leaving aside the fact that we didn’t get a home quarter final.
Northampton away, more than likely in Milton Keynes is as good as we could have hoped for. I certainly didn’t fancy our chances if we had to travel to Toulouse or Dublin and if I had to pick one team where we stood a fair chance it would be Northampton. Their big old pack has stood then in good stead over the winter months, but come early April, and a bit of sun, Ulster may well be able to maximise the effectiveness of our silky backs.
The tantalising reward for a win is a home semi-final against Toulon or Perpignan and I have to say I’d fancy our chances against anyone but Leinster at the Aviva – but maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here!
As it was, I didn’t think I was going to get to see this match live as I was down to do a Schools Cup match in the morning and the All Ireland Cup in the afternoon but with both matches cancelled I found myself at a bit of a loose end on Saturday afternoon. Was going to tootle round to the Eagle to watch it but was informed that the Rangers match would be getting preference during the first half and as my royal blue nylon trekky bottoms were in the wash I decided to pop round to the Tennis Club to meet up with some old Larne V’s team-mates.
I must admit the crack was good and Ulster’s pretty sedate first half gave us plenty of chance to put the modern game to rights, so few were the distractions. The important thing was for Ulster to turn round in front and despite a few mistakes they managed that fairly comfortably, though to hear the constant grumblings of those around me you would have thought we were 30 down! Typical backs – they always were excitable!
The second half went pretty much as predicted with Ulster pulling away early, it wasn’t a great game but, as expected, the intensity of the game was just too much for the Italians and Ulster did what they had to do even if the bonus point ended up a bit academic in the end.
The next 26 hours were spent looking at various permutations but I must admit I was glad when Leicester bumped us to 8th cedes and Wasps’ heroics against Toulouse left us with a short jaunt across the shough to face the Saints at, according to speculation, stadium:mk Milton Keynes. Despite it’s reputation I’ve had a few good old nights out in MK including a David Bowie concert at The Bowl in ’83 and with Fanklin’s Gardens holding just over 13,000 and stadium:mk holding 22,000 there’s a fair chance we could get our hands on 8-9,000 tickets!
Roll on April!
Heineken Cup quarter-finals:
Northampton v Ulster
Leinster v Leicester
Perpignan v Toulon
Biarritz v Toulouse
Heineken Cup semi-finals:
Leinster/Leicester v Biarritz/Toulouse
Northampton/Ulster v Perpignan/Toulon
Heineken Cup 2011, Aironi Rugby v Ulster Rugby, .
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