Gerry Thornley: Leinster v Munster is the biggest domestic rivalry in world rugby via IrishTimesSport
Furthermore, there had been the Heineken Cup semi-final in 2006 when the Red Army invaded the old Lansdowne Road and turned the ground into a veritable sea of red when Munster beat Leinster 30-6. That had been an eye-opener for Dawson and Leinster.
This rivalry has also reimbursed the IRFU handsomely given the cost of hiring out the Aviva when fully opened is reckoned to be circa €320,000 a pop! In raising the game’s profile off the pitch and standards on the pitch, arguably nothing underpinned the sharp upturn in the fortunes of the Irish team through the Noughties and into this decade more than the Munster-Leinster rivalry. A strong domestic rivalry is usually healthy for any team sport, and rugby is no different. Irish rugby is lucky to have it.
Perhaps the goose’s golden days have passed. Perhaps we can have too much of a good thing, all the more so after all those clashes behind closed doors during the lockdowns when the interpros kept the show on the road. “I personally don’t see that now,” said Leo Cullen today when asked if the fixture had lost some of its lustre.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd again here tomorrow. Again, there’s lots on at the moment. This sequence of games is unusual. We were talking after the game last week, it’s that sequence, is it too many playoff games to have? That’s just us saying that, because we are delighted to be here. We’re not giving out about it, it’s just a comment really.
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