Connacht 23 Leinster 34
Leinster form a huddle in front of the Clan Stand at Connacht’s Dexcom Stadium. Photo: Brendan Moran / Sportsfile
The queue for the Clan Stand forms long before the gates are due to open, two hours prior to kick-off. The man standing proudly at the front declares: “This is like Christmas for us Connacht fans.”
The woman down on College Road tells us she was part of the march on Lansdowne Road that helped save her province from extinction 23 years ago almost to the day. The raw emotion writ large on her face: “That’s how far we have come.”