Heineken Cup - Leinster V ASM Clermont Auvergne

[Proudleinsterman]

Better news on Strauss.
Not as bad as first thought--- possibly only a four week lay off

Great news.

[AdamK]

I know it sounds pedantic, but everyone here has some decent observations regarding the level of atmosphere in the Aviva. Why not forward these ideas (i.e seating all the STHs on one side of the stadium etc) onto the branch and OLSC emails? They may be interested, and with enough of us mailing in they may even make a point of it.

I'm not sure there is much the OLSC or Leinster Branch can do. What can they do about the people who only make their way to their seats 5-6 minutes into the game? For quite a few people at these games grabbing a beer and a hotdog is more important than being in your seat for kick-off or cheering your team onto the pitch.

The area I was in was all STHs yet was pretty much dead.

Thing is, there's what, 13k season ticket holders? In a 50k stadium? We're far too spread out amongst the day trippers. I understand people want to sit in different areas, but I really think you could do that on one side of the stadium.

Incidentally, how did you know you were in a section with all STHs?

[ror]

I was looking tables and fixtures today and all the other second place teams still have to play the Top team in their pools once more (except us). The only exception being Munster whom have to play second place Racing. This means if we get the 10 pts on offer and current the top rated teams win these head to heads Leiceter v Toulouse Baritz v Quins Ulster v Cast Toulon v Mont WE GO THROUGH I THINK... Leinster are 10/1 now

[TheBear]

I was looking tables and fixtures today and all the other second place teams still have to play the Top team in their pools once more (except us). The only exception being Munster whom have to play second place Racing. This means if we get the 10 pts on offer and current the top rated teams win these head to heads Leiceter v Toulouse Baritz v Quins Ulster v Cast Toulon v Mont WE GO THROUGH I THINK... Leinster are 10/1 now

To go through, or to win?

[ror]

Actually 16/1 on william hill to win it

[Metal]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

[Apocrypha]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

Good post. Completely agree. Many LFs on here have been pretty gracious in defeat. Your players gave it their best shot, but were beaten by a better team who wanted it more.

The majority of your fans were a disgrace though. My brother was there as an impartial observer and said the atmosphere was ok for the first 20mins, but funereal after that WHEN YOUR TEAM NEEDED YOU!

Some of the excuses on here have been hilarious - My particular favourite being from my no.1 LF, which went along the following lines:

"I couldn't sing because I was in an area I didn't recognise, with people I didn't know...mammy!!!"

[neilinboston]

To be fair, I'm only replying to this because of drunken laziness...in other words my response is meant to the support topic in general...
I watch the games in the US, generally at home at 10am with no atmosphere and no beer. The away game had my wife laughing at me for sitting on the edge of my seat, swearing like an Irishman and being hugely over animated...the home game i watched on delay (that night) with a few beers in me without knowing the score beforehand and i barely annoyed the neighbors-ill advised nudity not withstanding, prudes!
My point being, 3000 miles away the atmosphere in the Auberge (predictive text makes me to lazy to change that) was far, far superior to the Aviva.
Did we lose the game because of that though? Honestly, no. We lost the game because our team, like or supporters (as evidenced on here) didn't show up, they couldn't fathom a loss at home, at Christmas in the Heineken cup. we don't lose those matches.guess what, with an injury ravaged team,a half fit sob is not enough to drag us through when we don't have a back line worth the rabbi.
We've all gloated to some extent at the demise of Munster, our greatest rivals dethroned but if we don't find a back line next season we're ducked! Luke to center? How about Luke to fitness first?eom our ferg don't have the x factor required.

[suisse]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

Good post. Completely agree. Many LFs on here have been pretty gracious in defeat. Your players gave it their best shot, but were beaten by a better team who wanted it more.

The majority of your fans were a disgrace though. My brother was there as an impartial observer and said the atmosphere was ok for the first 20mins, but funereal after that WHEN YOUR TEAM NEEDED YOU!

Some of the excuses on here have been hilarious - My particular favourite being from my no.1 LF, which went along the following lines:

"I couldn't sing because I was in an area I didn't recognise, with people I didn't know...mammy!!!"

It's very late at home. I think your sister is waiting for you.

[Oldschool]

Double post

[Oldschool]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

Good post. Completely agree. Many LFs on here have been pretty gracious in defeat. Your players gave it their best shot, but were beaten by a better team who wanted it more.

The majority of your fans were a disgrace though. My brother was there as an impartial observer and said the atmosphere was ok for the first 20mins, but funereal after that WHEN YOUR TEAM NEEDED YOU!

Some of the excuses on here have been hilarious - My particular favourite being from my no.1 LF, which went along the following lines:

"I couldn't sing because I was in an area I didn't recognise, with people I didn't know...mammy!!!"

Have to agree with most of this, even if your brother wasn't impartial. I hope he would not have considered cheering for a foreign team over an Irish team tho!
PS - We're always gracious in defeat.

[fourthirtythree]

Some of the excuses on here have been hilarious - My particular favourite being from my no.1 LF, which went along the following lines:

"I couldn't sing because I was in an area I didn't recognise, with people I didn't know...mammy!!!"

I hope that isn't me you're on about? Firstly I never said that, I said that those around me weren't singing. I'm still pretty hoarse, and loud though I am, I can't make 40K people's noise on my own.

And secondly, if you are going to be so bitter as to hate on me because you accused somebody of illiteracy (in a post in an internet forum FFS) which had itself poor grammar and spelling and I slagged you over that and after that you got all upset and tried to accuse me of illiteracy also (except you hadn't checked a dictionary first) and got utterly pwned on the net...

You really should get out more. As it happens I enjoy your posts as they contain references to your quite unusual set of favourite things (Tom of Finland, good music) and your relentless negativity which is funny.

[nopeare]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

I have to agree with everything you said, I got a bit vocal when Clermont got their first try, I was sure there was a forward pass in front of me for it, (I haven't being able to watch it since so not certain and I haven't read the whole thread so not sure if it has been discussed, its my first time posting since) anyway that's not the point and well done to Clermont. But what really annoyed me was there was a woman at the back of the East that told me to sit down and be quiet so she can enjoy the match (everyone was standing) what makes it worse was through the match I wasn't the only one she said this to, I kept up my vocals for the match and carried on but it has actually annoyed me for the last 3 days that she was more worried about telling fans in my group and outside my group who were cheering or getting irate at barnes at times to be quiet. I know the extra money for the team is great for the Aviva matches is great, but if its people like this that are supplying it I would prefer to be without it and actually have an atmosphere in the RDS. My little rant over

[PCASEY]

We were sitting behind the goal leinster were playing to in the second half and have to say it was the best atmosphere for a game in the aviva. Was in the north stand to see Isa score that try with three leicster players hanging off him, was in upper east (I think) for the Toulouse game and Saturday topped them all. Noise at the start was great, we were close to the CA fans and every time they kicked off we tried to drown them out- obviously we all got a bit shell shocked as the game went on, but the last quarter was absolutely frantic. Would be interested to hear what it came across like on the tv,

[LeRouxIsPHat]

If we're talking about favourite Aviva moments then mine was when Toulouse had us on the rack but we managed to get down field and Darce made a break on their 22. Suddenly it felt like the entire crowd was on the pitch willing us on through phase after phase. Great stuff!

[Logorrhea]

Cian Healys last play of that match. The charge down the field, outpacing Medard, and the scrum that followed resulting in a turnover penalty to us.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Cian Healys last play of that match. The charge down the field, outpacing Medard, and the scrum that followed resulting in a turnover penalty to us.

I think everyone was disappointed (including himself) when he was then taken off but then everyone (including himself) realised that he was absolutely wrecked!

[jezzer]

Look, it's 50k people, in a big stadium. Leinster's absolute ceiling of regular fans who go to a fair few games and roar on their province is about 20k. In other words, the minority. There were 30k people or more there who don't go to games to drive on their team with their support - they go for the occasion, the love of rugby, interest in Leinster in general, a day out.

I was in a section right under the most vocal set of Montferrandais and I (with about 20 others) was shouting my head off, but largely being ignored by everyone around me. At some point you stop trying to get the crowd going because they don't want to be got going.

In RDS, Ravenhill or TP, the ratio of serious fans to casual fans is so much higher that it isn't hard to get the atmosphere going. A sh!t atmosphere in the Aviva is the price you pay for extra ticket sales.

[Apocrypha]

My two pence worth on Saturdays (lack of) atmosphere, it's easy to support your team when they're winning, and I dare say they don't need our support when they're home and dried, however when your team's behind and struggling that's when our support is needed the most, and on Saturday we were found badly wanting. To me it's not good enough to go to the match and sit in silence, that's not being a supporter, that's being an onlooker. Had an ASM fan stand up in front of us in the East Lower and cup his ears as if to say 'I can't hear you' and still no reaction from our 'support'. Not normally jealous of much in life, but I'm jealous of Clermonts fanatical support....HOME & AWAY.

Good post. Completely agree. Many LFs on here have been pretty gracious in defeat. Your players gave it their best shot, but were beaten by a better team who wanted it more.

The majority of your fans were a disgrace though. My brother was there as an impartial observer and said the atmosphere was ok for the first 20mins, but funereal after that WHEN YOUR TEAM NEEDED YOU!

Some of the excuses on here have been hilarious - My particular favourite being from my no.1 LF, which went along the following lines:

"I couldn't sing because I was in an area I didn't recognise, with people I didn't know...mammy!!!"

Have to agree with most of this, even if your brother wasn't impartial. I hope he would not have considered cheering for a foreign team over an Irish team tho!
PS - We're always gracious in defeat.

Ah no, he was very impartial. Tried to get into the festive spirit and all, by dressing up in red!

[Apocrypha]

For the record Tom, I looked for you in the Horse Show afterwards to buy you that pint. But none of the Clermont fans who were there had heard of you!

Apocrypha's Exchange of the Year Award goes to...drum roll...

Donny Brazzer's Odyssian quest for Tom of Mountfertileland on Saturday night.

Did you try in Joxer's Chocolate Starfish or Anto's Pink Flamingo?