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Today saw the first rugby game in the new Lansdowne Road stadium (I’ll start calling it by its sponsored name when that particular insurance company pays me some money or offers me a job!) and I was lucky enough to pick up a premium level ticket.

The event was a match between Leinster & Ulster and Munster & Connacht under-20 selections. The match turned out to be a 68-0 rout for the Leinster/Ulster team with Ulster’s Craig Gilroy scoring the first try in the new stadium and Leinster’s Andrew Boyle bagging a hat trick. Prop Martin Moore, back row Mark McGuigan, centre Luke Marshall and out half Paddy Jackson in particular looked like good prospects but the day was less about the match than the stadium.

And the stadium looks superb. The clear panelling on the exterior gives it an ethereal look as it looms over the houses on Lansdowne Road and Shelbourne Road. Inside, the swoop of the roof is very striking. It’s been widely called curvilinear which, though slightly pretentious, is a good description as it rises to a peak on each side and falls down to the small North stand. That end of the stadium looks a bit silly but the transparent panels over the seats give an interesting view out over Havelock Square and beyond if the match isn’t going your way.

The view of the important business on the pitch is great too. Granted I was in the premium section with its padded seats (don’t hate me, it’s probably the last time I’ll get there!) but all the stands are close to the pitch and I’d imagine that there’ll be nothing to complain about from any of the seats; it’ll certainly be far better than with the huge gap to the pitch in Croke Park. The stewarding met with my approval too as a guy was thrown out of the South stand along with two of his vuvuzelas!

There were a couple of negatives. The first was the abomination of the Munster/Connacht jersey, looking like a bad Mayo GAA jersey (and I’ve never seen a good one). The second was the Guinness in the bars; it reminded me of pints you’d get in England, poured in one go and tasteless. Either drink the Carlsberg or bring a hip flask would be my advice!

These are just minor annoyances though and after three and a half years in exile in Croke Park, it’s good to be back home.

Filed under: General by Ciaran Ruane