Lansdowne Road is set, potentially, for the most remarkable sequence of fixtures in one seasonal run-in which the old ground has ever known, and eager to tap in to the feel-good factor which is now engulfing the Irish team, the Leinster branch yesterday began their promotional push for the province's Heineken Cup quarter-final at home to Biarritz on April 12th.
Tickets for the match officially went on sale at 20 public outlets yesterday. However, such has been the strong levels of interest through established outlets, Leinster's coach Matt Williams and chief executive Mick Dawson yesterday announced that priority booking by Leinster's clubs, schools, sponsors and season ticket holders has seen over 15,000 tickets already sold for the Biarritz match.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the public sale of tickets, by Internet (www.leinsterrugby.ie and www.irishrugby.ie) and through 20 retail outlets, Williams expressed his delight at the strong demand so far and said: "It proves what we said at the outset - Lansdowne will be a bigger fortress. We estimate to have sold 30,000 Leinster replicas by the quarter-final, which is a tremendous encouragement."
Explaining the ticketing operations, Dawson said that both the West Upper Stand and the North Terrace would be closed, creating a capacity of just over 35,000 people.
"Ticket prices are the same as in Donnybrook. Tickets went on Internet sale at 10 a.m. and are now available in all 20 shops this morning. A new €70 family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children means that, in essence, supervised children go free into the East Stand."
He added: "Extra tickets will be available at the schools' senior and junior Cup matches. Student terrace tickets will be available on or near third level colleges in Leinster."
A minimum target of 25,000 was set as justification for moving the quarter-final away from Leinster's traditional home at Donnybrook, where the capacity is barely 7,000, and the vast majority of those are terraced.
An Irish squad of 33 has been named for a two-day session at their new City West base tomorrow and Thursday in readiness for the Six Nations game against France at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week.
In the absence of the injured Leinster captain Reggie Corrigan, for whom the aforementioned Biarritz game is his earliest projected comeback date, four props have been included, namely John Hayes, Marcus Horan, Justin Fitzpatrick and the uncapped Simon Best.
Donnacha O'Callaghan has also been included while the ultra-competitive back-row area has seen Eric Miller and Simon Easterby brought in.
Others who will supplement the 22 on duty in Rome are Jeremy Staunton, David Quinlan, Gordon D'Arcy and James Topping, while Shane Horgan has also been named after being sidelined for the Rome game with a bruised thigh.
