Investec Champions Cup semi-final
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin Date: Saturday, 4 Could Time: 17:30 BST
Protection: Reside commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Further & BBC Radio Northampton; stay textual content updates on BBC Sport web site and app
As rugby once more turns into a brief tenant on the non secular house of Gaelic Video games in Eire, each Leinster and Northampton Saints have been finding out Croke Park’s historical past in preparation for the Investec Champions Cup semi-final to be staged on the 82,300-capacity venue on Saturday.
Leinster have tended to play their Champions Cup knockout video games on the Aviva Stadium in Dublin however, with the nationwide stadium already getting ready for this month’s Uefa Europa League last, another house floor was required.
Croke Park holds the Gaelic Athletic Affiliation’s [GAA] greatest video games of the season however other sports were historically not allowed to use the stadium.
That modified in 2005 and rugby made use of the relief when the Aviva Stadium was redeveloped between 2007 and 2010, although Saturday’s contest is the primary membership sport to happen there since Leinster met Munster at this stage of Europe’s high competitors 15 years in the past.
From John Hayes’ tears towards England in 2007, to Johnny Sexton celebrating within the face of Ronan O’Gara throughout that seismic 2009 provincial derby, there have been some well-known chapters of Irish rugby historical past written throughout a brief keep on the opposite aspect of town.
Leinster coach Leo Cullen captained the province within the latter together with his squad this week being proven footage from a sport typically credited for tilting the stability of energy in Irish provincial rugby.
“It brings again a couple of reminiscences, hazy ones,” Cullen stated.
“It is an actual privilege to be right here, it is a magnificent stadium. It is iconic, not simply when it comes to sport however in Irish society. I hope we do it justice this week.”