Ticket details confirmed for URC final including price for Hill 16 standing section as Leinster set for Croke Park clash
And
2
Leinster will face the Vodacom Bulls in the URC Grand Final
Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
2
Tickets are now on sale for the game at Croke Park
Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Fans will be able to watch the mouthwatering battle from GAAHQ's iconic terrace for just €22.95 due to it being standing only.
As for elsewhere around the stadium, ticket prices range from €55.35 for the Lower Corners, and €76.60 for the Lower Cusack Stand/Hogan Stand at time of writing.
Juveniles can gain entry for as little as €12.
This Saturday's game will be the first time that Leinster will contest in a URC Grand Final.
Read More on Leinster Rugby
They won the competition while still called the Pro14 in 2021.
However, since its rebranding and expansion, they have lost in the semi-finals against the Bulls (2022 and 2024), and quarter-finals against the Sharks (2023).
Victory at
And Joe McCarthy is
Most read in Rugby Union
He told RTE: "Definitely needed that.
"It is our first URC final so it is massive for us.
Joe McCarthy sends message to Leinster critics after URC win over Glasgow
"We need fans behind us now. We are into Croke Park so it is exactly where we want to be.
"There is always pressure.
"We have never reached a URC final, disappointment this year already so we want to finish strong want the fans backing the side.
"I think the fans were great today. We need more of that
next
week."
McCarthy could not resist aiming a dig at critics of the province when asked by Jamie Heaslip what the team's motivation was.
He said: "We know everyone loves to hate Leinster. That definitely drives us on.
"We have a great fanbase and don't really care about the outside noise - what you guys say, what other fans say."
Their
Aviva
Stadium– a slight improvement on the 12,879 that attended their quarter-final win over Scarlets last weekend.
There is sure to be a bigger attendance at Croke Park for the final against the Bulls on June 14.
And the
He beamed: "It is unbelievable.
"To play in Croke Park in a URC final is the stuff you dream of as a kid. It is why you play the game.
"We want a huge crowd out at the game.
"It will be a great day hopefully and we will rip into this week."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
'At times you're thinking maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position'
TOMORROW JAMIE OSBORNE wins cap number eight in an Ireland jersey, and significantly, the meeting with Georgia [KO 6pm Irish time, Virgin Media], will mark the first time the Leinster player starts a Test game in the position many feel will be his long term home. The 23-year-old is one of the most versatile players in the Ireland camp. Across 17 appearances for Leinster in the season just gone, Osborne started games at fullback, on both wings and in both centre positions. Five of his seven Ireland caps have come in the starting team, with Osborne wearing the 15 shirt four times and starting on the right wing in the Six Nations against France. Against Georgia tomorrow, Osborne moves to outside centre, forming a new-look centre partnership with Ulster's Stuart McCloskey – the most senior member of Paul O'Connell's 33-man touring squad. With McCloskey offering experience and power at inside centre, Osborne will hope to get his hands on the ball and showcase his pace and footballing skills at 13, but he knows his role without the ball will be just as important against a powerful Georgian team. 'As a 13, you're probably a bit of a defensive leader in the team,' Osborne says. Advertisement Jamie Osborne. Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO 'You look at Garry [Ringrose], what he does for whatever team he's involved with these days, he's really combative and he leads the line. 'It's probably different from, say, being a fullback. You're close to the ball as well. There's that little bit around where you're scanning, you're talking to the 10 and stuff like that. So there are differences, but I'm enjoying each position. I'm ready.' Despite his rising stock Osborne faced a challenging year at Leinster, with the arrival of Jordie Barrett increasing the already strong competition for a place in the centre positions. In the 2023/24 season 15 of Osborne's 16 starts for the province came at centre (nine at inside centre, six at outside centre). In 2024/25, he started four games at 12, two at 13, six at fullback and three on the wing. Unsurprisingly, the Kildare native is reluctant to pick any one position as his 'favourite' – a question he's faced countless times across the season – but admits that versatility can work both for and against him, using Lions' back Elliot Daly as an example. 'Yeah, I think it's definitely a strength and it probably, sometimes it can seem a bit like a bit of a weakness at times if you're say, not selected and you're thinking 'maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position', but when you look at him (Daly) and you look at his performance last weekend, how reliable he was and how classy of an operator he is really… So I think it's definitely a strength. I suppose over time we'll see and hopefully can figure it out how to best utilise it.' That versatility helped him secure a place in Leinster and Ireland teams for key games across the campaign – featuring three times in the November internationals, once in the Six Nations, once in the Champions Cup knockouts and twice in the URC playoffs, before dropping to the bench for the URC final win over the Bulls in Croke Park. 'It was obviously challenging (to play in so many big games) but I really enjoyed it, really enjoyed the challenge. Osborne played 17 games for Leinster last season, starting 15. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'The more big games you play, the more you want to play in the big games, if you know what I mean. Once you get a first taste of a really big game, you do anything you can to get back in there and you learn a lot from the preparation in the week and you learn a lot from those games so I really enjoyed them. 'It probably builds you as a player as you're going along and getting those experiences. I think you definitely get a bit more confidence in your abilities once you're able to perform in those games.' With so many centres unavailable for this two-game Ireland tour, Osborne will be sensing opportunity. Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose are both away with the Lions, while Robbie Henshaw is nursing a knee injury. Make a statement across these two games and Osborne can have a bigger say in the selection conversation when the November internationals roll around. Georgia and Portugal might not have the blockbuster billing of a Lions tour, but Osborne is still enjoying his time in a refreshed Ireland camp. 'I suppose when you're in the squad with people with a lot more experience,you're probably looking to learn off them a lot. You're looking up to them, you're asking more questions. Whereas, maybe in this environment, I've been here a couple of years now, so it's probably about passing on a bit more knowledge than I would. 'There's a lot of excitement in the group, a lot of uncapped players so I suppose we all just want to gel together quickly and put in the best performance we can and just show how much it means to us to play for Ireland.'
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
‘They'll humble you straight away' – Billy Ryan on teaching, hurling and ambition
The ambition of Kilkenny hurling means provincial silverware is little more than a stepping stone. For Billy Ryan, the ultimate ambition stays the same. Six Leinsters in a row won't satisfy their hunger. "Look, every year when you set out your stall with Kilkenny and you're training, the ultimate goal is to win an All-Ireland,' he said. 'I know every other team are going after that as well. If you pick up a Leinster title along the way on that journey, happy days. We are happy with how the Leinster final went and we've got another one under our belt. But you nearly feel straight away afterwards that the momentum shifts to an All-Ireland semi-final and trying to get back to a final and hopefully winning that." Ryan knows the history and the legend. He is a teacher in St Patrick's De La Salle, where Brian Cody was once a principal. Eight-time All-Star Eddie Brennan is a club-mate and the player he studied growing up, trying to model himself on his explosive speed and insatiable appetite for goals. The classroom operates as a perfect counterbalance to hurling. It is another reflection of the love for the game within the county. "Yeah, it is actually fantastic. If you play well on the Sunday, they'll bring you right back down. They'll humble you straight away. I love it. I genuinely love it. 'In fairness, the class I have as well, there's a lot of lads that love the hurling. We were playing Antrim up in Belfast this year and a few of them went up to it. The support has been absolutely immense for me and I'm truly grateful for it. I have great people around me and the community as well where I'm from in Ballycallan, it's so supportive and it genuinely is fantastic to have." The 28-year-old finds respite in his work. 'It's great because you can get caught up in the hurling thing and you can nearly drive yourself demented with hurling and whatnot. I just find teaching is great in the way it resets you and you can divide the man from the player in a way when you're going back into the working environment. 'You are trying to be a role model for these children and show them the way of how to go about their day-to-day stuff. I genuinely love it. It's something that when I'm walking to work in the morning, I'm genuinely looking forward to each day." Ryan has already played in two All-Ireland finals, nabbing a goal in the 2022 decider. He scored another last season in the semi-final as Kilkenny pushed six clear of eventual champions Clare. That comeback knocked them out and is a lesson they have not forgotten with Tipperary coming down the tracks. In the Leinster final, Kilkenny were cruising before a late Galway burst. They can't afford to allow the same opportunity on Sunday. "I suppose with any semi-final, whoever you're facing, you can bet that they're going to be a top-quality team. The way we see it is that no matter what team you're playing, they're always going to have a purple patch. The challenge for us is to try and limit it. 'I think last year we didn't. Clare got a run on us and their purple patch went on for far too long. That was probably what cost us. We just couldn't get our hands on the ball or we couldn't reset. It cost us and that is something we are going to have to look at. There have been glimpses probably in the last few games as well that teams are getting purple patches on us and we're dropping the intensity. Tweaking it is probably the challenge that has been set for us."
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Osborne 'leading by actions' in elevated Ireland role
Jamie Osborne has shone with both Leinster and Ireland when opportunities have been afforded to him over the last number of years. A 2024 Test debut in the Summer tour to South Africa was one he had to wait for, having been involved in Irish squads for several years previously without getting his chance. His inclusion at full-back was a big call for Andy Farrell to make. Heading into the fortress that is Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, a then 22-year-old Osborne - who had not played full-back since November '22 in the blue of Leinster - scored a try after 34 minutes. Farrell was clear in his admiration for Osborne, who was deputising for Hugo Keenan during the first-choice 15's Olympic Sevens stint, keeping him in his starting 15 despite a narrow 27-20 first Test loss to Rassie Erasmus' Springboks. The now seven-cap international would start and finish the 25-24 win in the second Test over the Boks' and has gone on to solidify his place as a contender for matchday squads and beyond in the time since. With a number of Irish retirements, and a multitude away with the British and Lions, the 23-year-old has naturally taken on an elevated role in interim head coach Paul O'Connell's Ireland squad for their tour of Georgia and Portugal. Others, like tour captain Craig Casey have done likewise. 'There's a lot of excitement in the group, a lot of uncapped players, so we all just want to get together quickly and put in the best performance we can and just show how much it means to us to play for Ireland," Osborne said. "When you're in the squad with people with a lot more experience, you're probably looking to learn off them a lot. "You're looking up to them, you're asking more questions. Whereas, maybe in this environment, I've been here a couple of years now, so it's probably about passing on a bit more knowledge than I would. "But at the end of the day, I'd still have questions to ask other lads and I hope they'd feel comfortable to ask me questions. So it's a bit of a mix." "I've tried to lead in training on the pitch with my actions mainly and hopefully others can look up to that." The versatile back will wear 13 on his back, rather than 15, when Ireland take on Georgia in Tbilisi on Saturday (kick-off, 6pm Irish time). 'Defensively, as a 13, you're probably a bit of a defensive leader in the team. You look at Garry (Ringrose), what he does for whatever team he's involved with these days, he's really combative, and he leads the line," he said. 'It's probably different from, say, being a full-back. You're close to the ball as well. There's that little bit around where you're scanning, you're talking to the 10 and stuff like that. So there are differences, but I'm enjoying each position." Much has been said about his versatility. It's certainly a plus for a coaching setup. Whether it's a help or a hindrance for the player is another question. Osborne only sees it one way. Read More Andy Farrell ups the Lions ante with call for prodigal son Owen I think it's definitely a strength, sometimes it can seem a bit like a bit of a weakness at times if you're not selected and you're thinking 'maybe I should be a bit more specialised in a certain position'... over time we'll see and, you know, hopefully I can figure it out how to best utilise it." IRELAND: J O'Brien, T O'Brien, J Osborne, S McCloskey, J Stockdale, S Prendergast, C Casey (captain); J Boyle, G McCarthy, T Clarkson, C Izuchukwu, D Murray, R Baird, N Timoney, G Coombes. Replacements: T Stewart, M Milne, J Aungier, T Ahern, C Prendergast, B Murphy, J Crowley, C Nash.
