HEINEKEN CUP NEWS:BATH'S FOURTH-round Heineken Cup match against Ulster may be switched from the Recreation Ground on Saturday because of weather concerns. Snow and freezing temperatures are forecast at the weekend and Bath are frantically looking for an alternative ground with undersoil heating as part of their contingency plan.
The club has already approached Swindon and Bristol football clubs but they are unavailable. They have also approached Southampton and the Millennium Stadium, the only ground with a retractable roof. The Millennium, however, could prove to be prohibitively expensive, while the Premiership club is waiting the hear back from Southampton.
“We’ve had the covers down and will get a balloon in tomorrow. We think the pitch will be okay and are quietly confident but we are actively looking for an alternative venue,” said Bath chief executive Nick Blofeld.
“We are trying to find somewhere with undersoil heating. We have talked to Swindon and Bristol but neither of them could do it. The Millennium too but there might be an issue with cost and availability. We will carry on right to the last minute to find an alternative.”
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has included all five players who picked up knocks last week against Bath in their successful round-three pool match at Ravenhill.
International backrow Chris Henry (twisted ankle), who was replaced by Willie Faloon, hooker Nigel Brady (knee), Irish flanker Stephen Ferris (calf), Ian Humphreys (dead leg and suffering from a bug this week) and Irish winger Andrew Trimble (calf) remain in the extended squad for the return leg.
For Ulster and McLaughlin, the task is a simple one. “If we want to go to the quarter-finals then we have got to win this weekend. It’s as simple as that,” said the coach.
If Ulster beat Bath on Saturday, then a home win over Biarritz and an away win in Italy against Aironi could see them top their pool and finally book a place in the European cup knockout quarter-finals for the first time in 12 seasons.
Leinster Rugby have sold an Irish record number of tickets for a Heineken Cup pool match in Ireland as seat sales for their round-four clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening have already broken the 41,000 barrier.
That figure beats the current Irish record of 26,000 that Munster matches regularly attract to Thomond Park and it eclipses the old Leinster high mark of the 23,463 who attended the 2009 champions’ match against Cardiff Blues at Lansdowne Road in the 2003/ 2004 tournament.
Leinster have already been involved in a pool match this season that attracted almost 46,000 fans to Wembley Stadium for their round-two clash with Saracens.
Their round-six match last season against London Irish at Twickenham also drew in 37,323 fans. Advanced sales for Saturday’s Pool Two contest makes it set to become the fourth best-attended Heineken Cup pool match in the 16 seasons of the tournament.
ULSTER (squad v Bath):Forwards: T Court, D Fitzpatrick, P McAllister, B Young, BJ Botha, N Brady, A Kyriacou, T Barker, D Tuohy, J Muller, R Caldwell, W Faloon, P Wannenburg, S Ferris, C Henry, R Diack. Backs: A D'Arcy, D McIlwaine, J Smith, S Danielli, Andrew Trimble, P Wallace, N Spence, I Whitten, I Humphreys, N O'Connor, R Pienaar, P Marshall.
