Toulouse will not see Thomond Park
Mathieu WARNIER, Media365, published on Sunday April 17, 2022 at 10:40 p.m.
Due to a concert organized at Thomond Park on the supposed dates for the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, Munster will finally receive Toulouse in Dublin.
Toulouse will finally not have to face the “Red Army” at Thomond Park. Qualified in extremis at the expense of Ulster, the reigning European champion will have to travel to Munster the weekend of May 6 to 8 as part of the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. However, the meeting cannot take place on the traditional lawn of the Irish province, located in Limerick. Thomond Park will not be available on the dates chosen by the EPCR to continue the continental competitions. Indeed, while the British singer Ed Sheeran must perform in concert in the den of Munster on Thursday and Friday before the weekend scheduled for the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. A delay which is too short to allow Thomond Park to be put back in time in rugby configuration. Forced and forced to change ground, Munster turned to the Irish capital, Dublin.
Racing 92 in the same case during the semi-finals
Indeed, while Leinster will have to travel on the same dates to Welford Road to challenge the Leicester Tigers there, the Aviva Stadium will be used to host the match between Munster and Toulouse. A decision, confirmed by the EPCR, which is obviously not unanimous among supporters of the Irish province, with the costs generated by this relocation far from the historic lands of the “Red Army” which poses a problem. A situation that could recur at the semi-final stage for Racing 92. Indeed, if the Ile-de-France club defeats Sale Sharks in the quarter-finals, the reception of La Rochelle or Montpellier cannot take place at the end of the season. Paris-La Defense Arena. On the dates scheduled for the last four, ie the weekend of May 13, 14 and 15, the Ile-de-France area is already reserved for concerts by the group Sexion d’Assaut. As a result, Racing 92 set out to find a possible replica ground, with the ambition of convincing a Ligue 1 club to rent its facilities to them. The Ciel-et-Blancs may even have to relocate a possible Top 14 barrage at home, which will take place the same weekend as Elton John’s concerts at the Paris-La Défense Arena.