Aviva all the way baby!

[Russ]

Semi final venues are confirmed

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/20653.php#.UVmEGxxnqBY

Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier will stage a first Heineken Cup semi-final with the winners of the ASM Clermont Auvergne v Montpellier quarter-final meeting the winners of the Harlequins v Munster Rugby tie at the 32,000-capacity stadium in France's Languedoc region.

The first of the 2012/13 tournament semi-finals will take place on Saturday, 27 April with the second match scheduled for Sunday, 28 April at either Twickenham Stadium or the Aviva Stadium following today's (Monday, 1 April) announcement of the dates and venues of the games in the last four.
If Saracens defeat Ulster Rugby in their quarter-final, then they will meet the winners of the Toulon v Leicester Tigers at Twickenham, however, if Ulster win through, the semi-final will be played at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

The Heineken Cup semi-finals are played at venues designated by ERC and the clubs who will secure home country advantage in the last four were determined by a draw which was conducted in January following the conclusion of the tournament pool stage.

With the knockout stage of the tournament set to dominate the European rugby landscape when the four quarter-finals are decided this weekend, the road to the 2013 Heineken Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 18 May is now clearer.

Details of ticket sales for the two high-profile matches will be available on www.ercrugby.com later in the week.

Heineken Cup semi-finals
(Kick-offs local time)

Saturday, 27 April

ASM Clermont Auvergne or Montpellier v Harlequins or Munster Rugby
Stade de la Mosson (capacity : 32,000) 18.00

Sunday, 28 April

*Saracens or Ulster Rugby v Toulon or Leicester Tigers
Twickenham Stadium or Aviva Stadium 15.00

*If Saracens qualify, the semi-final will be played at Twickenham Stadium (capacity 82,000); if Ulster Rugby qualify, the semi-final will be played at the Aviva Stadium (capacity: 51,000)

Heineken Cup final - Saturday, 18 May; Aviva Stadium 17.00

Did You Know?

• Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier will host a Heineken Cup knockout game for the first time.
• The stadium staged a Heineken Cup pool match between Montpellier and Leinster Rugby in the 2011/12 season.
• Opened in 1972, and completely redeveloped for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was used for group stage matches during the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
• La Mosson is the home of French Ligue 1 football club, Montpellier HSC.
• If a semi-final is staged at Twickenham Stadium it will be the second time a last-four match in the tournament has been played at English rugby HQ. The previous occasion was in 2008 when Toulouse defeated London Irish 21-15.
• Two semi-finals have been played at Dublin's Aviva Stadium which will host this season's Heineken Cup final. Last year, Ulster Rugby defeated Edinburgh Rugby 22-19, and in 2011, Leinster Rugby got the better of Toulouse by 32-23.

[ruckover]

Sunday? That won't go down well with some if we make it through...

[big mervyn]

Sunday? That won't go down well with some if we make it through...

Do the Free Ps have a church in D4?

[Rooster]

Sunday? That won't go down well with some if we make it through...

Goes down powerful well with me though 3pm no excuses as a great time of the day to get to and from the bed pan and no need to give the Dubs a wedge to stay overnight, quick smash and grab raid and back over the Boyne to home.
Now just a small matter of a bunch of desert dwellers this weekend first.

[ruckover]

I'm not complaining either Rooster, but I know of a few who won't go to Sunday matches for obvious reasons. I wonder how much of a say UR had in this because I'm sure they won't be too happy either.

[browner]

...and easier to get extra tkts!

[Jackie Brown]

Well we now live in the 21st Century and I would be worried if Ulster Rugby had any comment to make on the matter.

Fair enough there is a strong Christian ethos in the squad but religion shouldn't come into it as far as the professional organisation that is UR are concerned.

I can't see it affecting travelling support, outside the small pool of vocal nut jobs I would say the vast majority of Ulster society wouldn't be regular church goers.

[Amiga500]

Sunday? That won't go down well with some if we make it through...

Erm - at the risk of appearing somewhat self centred....

It'll make me getting tickets so much easier.


<<drily notes - "pity they didn't have the final on a sunday too if it'd help with tickets!">>

[LeinsterLad]

Ulster supporters get upset about a Sunday kick off because they want to go to mass?? O_o

I hate Sunday kick-offs because you either have to travel home the night of the game for work on the Monday, so don't get to enjoy the night out.....or if you don't have to travel, but you have to get up for work hung-over after getting sh*t faced the night before! (unless it's a very special game and you can get Monday off).

[big mervyn]

Ulster supporters get upset about a Sunday kick off because they want to go to mass?? O_o

Nah, we'll go on Saturday night

[BR]

I can't see it affecting travelling support, outside the small pool of vocal nut jobs

I thought that WAS our travelling support.

I feel sorry for those who (hopefully) will miss out after the Thomond qf last year. I don't see why UR shouldn't have expressed a preference on behalf of their more traditional supporters, but I also don't see why ERC should listen to them ahead of Sky and sponsors.

[Moiraman]

Well we now live in the 21st Century and I would be worried if Ulster Rugby had any comment to make on the matter.

Fair enough there is a strong Christian ethos in the squad but religion shouldn't come into it as far as the professional organisation that is UR are concerned.

I can't see it affecting travelling support, outside the small pool of vocal nut jobs I would say the vast majority of Ulster society wouldn't be regular church goers.

I am an avid Ulster rugby supporter but cannot get to this match if Ulster make it through due to it being on a Sunday. I am not a vocal nut job I can assure you.

[Jackie Brown]

Well we now live in the 21st Century and I would be worried if Ulster Rugby had any comment to make on the matter.

Fair enough there is a strong Christian ethos in the squad but religion shouldn't come into it as far as the professional organisation that is UR are concerned.

I can't see it affecting travelling support, outside the small pool of vocal nut jobs I would say the vast majority of Ulster society wouldn't be regular church goers.

I am an avid Ulster rugby supporter but cannot get to this match if Ulster make it through due to it being on a Sunday. I am not a vocal nut job I can assure you.

Due to religious beliefs? That's your problem, not Ulster Rugby's or the ERC.

[BR]

Due to religious beliefs? That's your problem, not Ulster Rugby's or the ERC.

I suspect for those with such beliefs, it isn't really a problem as such (for me there's a problem, for them it's just a shame). It would however be a problem if Ulster rugby lost the ongoing support of those people (a smallish minority as they may be). UR should be looking after their customers and, like it or not, a significant number still adhere to sunday observance. I doubt UR had much sway in the matter, but the little they had should (and maybe was) applied to see if these people could be accomodated. It's not something as vital as avoiding Sunday matches at Ravenhill, but it would have done no harm to express a preference.

[big mervyn]

Due to religious beliefs? That's your problem, not Ulster Rugby's or the ERC.

I suspect for those with such beliefs, it isn't really a problem as such (for me there's a problem, for them it's just a shame). It would however be a problem if Ulster rugby lost the ongoing support of those people (a smallish minority as they may be). UR should be looking after their customers and, like it or not, a significant number still adhere to sunday observance. I doubt UR had much sway in the matter, but the little they had should (and maybe was) applied to see if these people could be accomodated. It's not something as vital as avoiding Sunday matches at Ravenhill, but it would have done no harm to express a preference.

Hard to find a holier bunch than UR's "God squad" I'd have thought. If they're all going, I'd imagine the vast majority of our church-going fans will also be able to accomodate the game. Any fixture will present problems for some fans regardless of the date/time. Suits me fine tbh though maybe we're getting a wee bit ahead of ourselves.