DONALD EAGER TO BEAVER AWAY AT BATH
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Stephen Donald has become used to picking up major awards. Go back a month or so and it was a World Cup winners medal with New Zealand while last weekend it was a Heineken Man of the Match award for steering Bath to a vital home victory over Montpellier in Pool 4.
But having tasted victory for the first time in his new club’s colours the former Waikato Chiefs outside half is now setting his sights on tackling the reigning champions Leinster next month when the Heineken Cup returns for Rounds 3 and 4 and crucial back-to-back contests.
“What is there not to get excited about playing the reigning champions with half the Irish team – I cannot wait for them to come to The Rec in the next round,” admitted Donald.
“I love the concept of the Heineken Cup and playing against different nationalities. It is a glamorous competition.
“I am loving it and it is true what they say that there are no easy games. We all have ambitions in the Heineken Cup and we knew that if we hadn’t won at the weekend we would just have been making up the numbers.
“Montpellier just kept on coming and coming in the second half and we had to hang on in the end. Learning how to win games is important and we really toughed it out.
“We stuffed it up in Glasgow and I think we showed we had learned from that defeat. Now it’s back to some English Premiership action before we meet Leinster.”
While Donald and Bath have their eyes fixed on one Irish province, 2011/2012 Heineken Cup Ambassador Raphael Ibanez was full of admiration for another after seeing Munster come back from the dead to beat Castres Olympique in Toulouse.
“We had a great night of rugby in Toulouse. Castres started strongly, they were brave and courageous, but the experience of Munster having played in the tournament for years and years made the difference,” said Ibanez.
“And how can we not mention O’Gara’s drop goal – incredible. In the end it was a well deserved victory for Munster because they had the momentum in the latter stages. The Heineken Cup is a great competition and you have to play with full intensity for the full 80 minutes and beyond.”
TWICKENHAM TICKETS SELLING FAST
More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the 17th Heineken Cup final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, 19 May, 2012 (kick off 5.00pm). This will be the fourth Heineken Cup final played at the home of English rugby and the three previous deciders – Northampton Saints in 2000 and London Wasps in 2004 and 2007 – have been won by English clubs.
Tickets for the Heineken Cup final are priced at £35, £45, £60, £75 with a limited number of Family & Friends tickets available at £100 (for 4 people).
