Cheering on Leinster all the way from Brussels was @rhubarbsticks & his fellow blues…
Nothing whets the appetite like a new Heineken Cup campaign and for the Brussels based Leinster fans the Old Oak was the preferred venue to watch Leinster's title defence opener against Exeter.
You might be thinking Brussels is not a hot bed of rugby. True enough, but a massive expat population and a thriving domestic rugby scene means that watching rugby can be a colourful experience. There are plenty of venues all full of local brews for thirsty rugby watchers with some even going by the names of the "Ruck 'n' Maul" and the "The 6 Nations". But no doubt about it the 6 nations competition is the pinnacle of the Brussels rugby calendar with all the rugby showing pubs packed with fans from the 6 countries. The down side is that if you are in the local to watch Leinster Dragons on a dark wet Friday night and it clashes with Atletico - Seville you may be pushed into the corner with no sound.
But enough digression and back to the game. It was a tough 80 minutes with Leinster misfiring badly, lacking the fluidity and accuracy that we have come to expect. Credit to Exeter as they played with confidence and authority but Leinster knock ons and lost possession in contact were frustrating. The tension was palpable in the Old Oak and if Exeter's last minute penalty had been nailed there wouldn't have been many complaints. Watching Clermont and Scarlets put on a quality display of attacking rugby Schmidt's men will need a massive improvement in performance if Leinster are to progress from pool 5.
So we left the pub happy to have the 4 points in the bag and with talk of away trips to support to Clermont and Exeter in the months ahead. Next week its all eyes on the Llanelli game but most of us will be in the Heysel stadium Brussels for the Saracens v Racing game. A rare opportunity to see some Heineken Cup action in our adopted home town.
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