Congrats Leinster great win. Played very well and imho i dont think too many teams would have beaten ye last saturday. (some inter-nationals side included).

To Ulster also fair play done very well to get there but at the end of the Day the boys in Blue had too much fire power all over the park.


And with HEC final in Dublin 2013 it's a shoe in that this will be sold-out so lets hope for another ALL-IRELAND final again.

ummm, wrote: S'true. I'm just name dropping because I was in the VIP section as well

Aaah, when you dropped Mal's name I was wondering was he relegated to the cheap seats or were you enjoying prawn sandwiches and free Heines. I guess you answered my question. Lucky he was next to instead of in front of you.

S'true. I'm just name dropping because I was in the VIP section as well

ummm, wrote: He's wasn't 'just' one of the fans, he was boozing it up in the VIP section! Looked very happy afterwards.

I agree though, was cool to see him in a Leinster shirt. Looked very genuine.

Arragh wouldn't be to bothered about seeing him go to the VIP section, that's where most of his former colleagues would have been hanging anyway (Mal, Felipe, Denis etc...) post game and the place to meet the current players afterwards to have a few words.

He's really helped their supporters club over the last couple of seasons by hosting coaches on trips down to Thomond and up to Ravenhill. He definately walks the walks as far as their supporters are concerned...

He's wasn't 'just' one of the fans, he was boozing it up in the VIP section! Looked very happy afterwards.

I agree though, was cool to see him in a Leinster shirt. Looked very genuine.

ummm, wrote: I was in the west stand, but I promise I wasn't chanting. Ended up sitting right beside Mal O'Kelly!

Unfortunately when it comes to knobs they are always the vocal minority, but I have to say for the whole day I was very lucky, as I only met 100% genuine people wearing the shirts of all 4 provinces who were there for a fun day, and all banter was taken in good spirit. I got a huge amount of love from everyone thanks to my Connacht shirt.

Jackson didn't have a great game and Pienaar looked like he was playing 9 & 10 simultaneously, I can see now how bloody good he is.

Agreed, overall a great day out and the weather gods smiled on us with a dry evening for the game....

Bumped into Contepomi, his missus and two wee un's on the way in and got speaking to Denis Hickey afterwards, both good lads. To look at Hickey now though you wouldn't guess that he was a pro rugby player. Thin as a whippet, obviously still keeps himself fit but has lost all the muscle bulk from his playing days....

Saw on the Sky highlights program yesterday Shane Byrne walking in to the ground with his Leinster jersey on. I do like to see former players coming back as supporters and being just one of the fans....

sea_point wrote: Some right young Leinster tools around the place too sadly, but that's what success brings unfortunately (why I stopped going to Munster games)...

There are always a few. My cousin was seated next to a pack of lads in tshirts saying "Irish by birth, Leinster cos I can afford it."

I was in the west stand, but I promise I wasn't chanting. Ended up sitting right beside Mal O'Kelly!

Unfortunately when it comes to knobs they are always the vocal minority, but I have to say for the whole day I was very lucky, as I only met 100% genuine people wearing the shirts of all 4 provinces who were there for a fun day, and all banter was taken in good spirit. I got a huge amount of love from everyone thanks to my Connacht shirt.

Jackson didn't have a great game and Pienaar looked like he was playing 9 & 10 simultaneously, I can see now how bloody good he is.

Borders no.2 wrote: Congrats to Leinster on their HC victory, undoubtedly the best team in the competition. Really won it against Clermont but finished the job well yesterday. Hopefully they can do the double next Sunday, I think that will be a tougher task than yesterday. Don't think it was a vintage Heineken Cup but Leinster were deserving winners. Irish winners are great for us but hopefully for the sake of the competition a couple of more viable contenders will emerge from England and France

Ulster will be dissapointed and the couple of late tries made the scoreboard look bad but they have made good progress the last couple of seasons and have laid the foundations to return to being a big club in European Club Rugby. The big issue facing Mark Anscombe coming in will be resolving their issues at half back. Their pack is very strong and they have a good sprinkling of quality in the backline. Paddy Jackson was always going to struggle, he was sheperded through the Edinburgh game but yesterday was too big an ask. Don't reckon Humphreys would have made much difference but would have been the more sensible choice I reckon. Rumours his own son Gareth may be brought with him from Auckland Blues, NOC if/when he goes back will be a squad player.

Leinster were absolutely outstanding, quicker in thought and deed and far more direct. Great occasion and good to see so many Connacht jerseys around the place (despite the odd comment received...)...

Only problem is the band-waggoner's, the one's in the West stand who tried to get an Easy, Easy chant going in the second half. Some right young Leinster tools around the place too sadly, but that's what success brings unfortunately (why I stopped going to Munster games)...

Most of the Ulster folk I was sat nearby or met (and my other half and her family who were there also) were completely magnanimous afterwards, the margin helped as it was a conclusive win not one that slipped away or was robbed from them.

iHumph should have started, should have been told "you don't deserve the slot, but you're getting 40 mins to prove us wrong". More incisive than Jackson who is till learning his trade. Ulster were far too lateral with possession and as good as Terblanche is at the back they could have really used Jarrod Payne's extra pace coming into the line. I would also have got Stevenson on for Henry much earlier and moved Ferris to open, Henry clearly wasn't 100% and Stevenson would have added some extra grunt and line-out fire-power ..

Great to see Cronin amongst the tries in a HC final.......good luck to him

One of the things that I liked about both managers in the final was that they gave the young guys a chance. That Schmidt threw on Cooney and Madigan and Humphries the likes of McAllister is good for those players development and for Ireland's. It makes a huge difference from other teams that would have kept the veterans on for the entire 80 minutes. That these teams aren't scared to give youth its run can only bode well for them and Ireland.

Congrats to Leinster, not a classic, but a great result all the same.

Congrats to Leinster on their HC victory, undoubtedly the best team in the competition. Really won it against Clermont but finished the job well yesterday. Hopefully they can do the double next Sunday, I think that will be a tougher task than yesterday. Don't think it was a vintage Heineken Cup but Leinster were deserving winners. Irish winners are great for us but hopefully for the sake of the competition a couple of more viable contenders will emerge from England and France

Ulster will be dissapointed and the couple of late tries made the scoreboard look bad but they have made good progress the last couple of seasons and have laid the foundations to return to being a big club in European Club Rugby. The big issue facing Mark Anscombe coming in will be resolving their issues at half back. Their pack is very strong and they have a good sprinkling of quality in the backline. Paddy Jackson was always going to struggle, he was sheperded through the Edinburgh game but yesterday was too big an ask. Don't reckon Humphreys would have made much difference but would have been the more sensible choice I reckon. Rumours his own son Gareth may be brought with him from Auckland Blues, NOC if/when he goes back will be a squad player.