Vibrant spectacle of the Heineken Cup is rugby's lesson for football
The next time Ian Wright fancies a day out at the rugby perhaps he should invite that smooth-talking Wayne Rooney along
If there was ever a week to persuade neutrals that rugby union is a more satisfying sport than football this is it. The Heineken Cup quarter-finals will spread the gospel to previously uncharted territory from Barcelona to Milton Keynes, offering as vibrant and enthralling a spectacle as European rugby can deliver. Even the Six Nations, in all its traditional glory, cannot provide quite the same kaleidescopic range of backdrops.
Will Leinster v Leicester be as good an occasion as Ireland v England in the same stadium last month? You would be unwise to bet against it. Perpignan v Toulon in the Catalan capital of Barcelona? Atmosphere-wise, it will make the Stade de France feel like a wet Sunday evening in Lowestoft. Even the Amlin Challenge Cup, once a decidedly second-tier competition, will serve up four games with a genuine edge.
A better matchday experience than football? It is, naturally, a subjective debate with strong arguments for and against. To disciples of either sport it is like comparing the relative merits of cats and dogs. Minds tend to be made up early and habits duly formed. But how interesting to hear on the radio on Saturday morning that the former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright had recently attended his first ever rugby game. His verdict? He could not believe how polite the supporters were towards each other and was positively staggered to discover that a) you could enjoy a drink while watching a Twickenham international and b) that fans are not segregated.
The X-Factor host Dermot O'Leary also told of his enjoyable visit to the Aviva Stadium for the England game last month, specifically the spontaneous applause from Irish supporters when an Englishman in their midst belted out a rousing solo version of Jerusalem. The next time Wright fancies a day out at the rugby perhaps he should invite that smooth-talking Wayne Rooney along.
But which of this week's four Heineken games would best help Wayne to escape his current angst-filled world? If he has never been to San Sebastián, home of Real Sociedad, he would be swiftly disabused of the notion that the north-west of England has the most passionate fans in Europe. The intense desire in the Basque country to see Biarritz beat the strolling players of Toulouse will ensure a contest with as much percussive forward power as any, particularly with Jean-Michel Gonzalez's team still hurting from their 41-13 defeat to Clermont at the weekend.
Or maybe he should head to the other side of Spain. Having been lucky enough to cover the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, I've always felt Heineken Cup rugby would be on fertile ground if Perpignan ever took a major home game to the Olympic Stadium. Now the blood-and-gold flag-waving fans have their wish. Jonny Wilkinson has played all around the world but this will be something else again, particularly with the Toulon president, Mourad Boudjellal, foaming at the mouth. Having criticised his players for losing at Castres, he is keen to goad them to the Top 14 title and, conceivably, the Heineken Cup as well. "I told myself: 'If I don't vex this bunch, if I don't humiliate them, they'll fall asleep,'" he said this week. "If they become champions of France by hating me, I'll be doing well."
Hmm, he sounds Wayne's type of guy in terms of using anger as a driving force. In that respect, Northampton's England contingent will also strike a chord. Ben Foden's late-night taxi altercation has demonstrated that rugby remains far from immune to off-field incidents and Saints' decline over the Six Nations period has merely upped the club's desire to finish the season as they started it. It matters not whether they are playing at Franklin's Gardens or their new temporary "home" venue, stadium:mk.
If I was Rooney, though, I'd board a plane and head for Dublin this Saturday. Leinster v Leicester offers an enticing sequel to Ireland's striking victory over a grand-slam chasing England. Will Ben Youngs and Toby Flood get their comeuppance again? Has Brian O'Driscoll got another European title in him? Will the Tigers scrum have the last laugh? Mix all the plotlines together and the stage is set, even on a packed sporting weekend, for a humdinger. A semi-final line-up of Northampton v Toulon and Leinster v Toulouse is my tentative prediction but one thing is certain: rugby's sense of self-worth will be higher by Monday morning.
Heineken Cup quarter-finals
Saturday, 9 April
3.30 Perpignan v Toulon, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona – Alain Rolland (Irl)
6.00 Leinster v Leicester, Aviva Stadium, Dublin – Nigel Owens (Wal)
Sunday, 10 April 2011
2.00 Northampton v Ulster, stadium:mk, Milton Keynes – Romain Poite (Fr)
4.30 Biarritz v Toulouse, Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastián – Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Semi-final draw:
Leinster or Leicester v Biarritz or Toulouse
Northampton or Ulster v Perpignan or Toulon
(To be played weekend of 30 April/1 May)
PROFIT WARNING
Strong words from the Sale Sharks owner, Brian Kennedy, in the current issue of Rugby Times. Kennedy says he questions his sanity "every day" having spent £15m on establishing Sale as a professional entity. "If the Premiership owners pulled out you'd have just four clubs left in England and that would put the RFU in a very funny position, wouldn't it? The whole financial dynamic of professional rugby union has to change and the RFU has to give us more financial support, otherwise the game will go bankrupt. Frankly if it wasn't for our fans and their support I'd have dropped this project years ago. The game is bust and the RFU has to do something about it." Not much room for misinterpretation there. Everyone with a stake in the English club game should heed his stark warning.
WORTH WATCHING THIS WEEK
Cian Healy (Leinster): The loosehead had a fine game for Ireland against England and now faces the ultimate challenge. Martin Castrogiovanni enjoyed a productive afternoon at Healy's expense in Rome back in February and both players will remember that particular fixture well. If Healy holds firm, Leinster will feel confident of reaching the last four.
Entrades
