DEVON DID NOT experience anything remotely like the disruptive snow that hit many areas of both Ireland and the UK, but conditions 70 miles north left Leinster grounded in Exeter after their Champions Cup win over the English champions last night.
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A six-day turnaround would have been a tight enough prospect without a further delay for Leo Cullen’s squad.
The charter flight that was due to take the squad back to Dublin from Bristol Airport at 11pm last night was cancelled as inclement weather left the aircraft unable to land.
Fortunately, rather from being left out in the cold after their 8 – 18 win in Sandy Park, the squad were able to return to the same Exeter hotel that housed them on Saturday night and the rescheduled charter flight will take them to Dublin this morning.
The delay will be an annoyance to head coach Cullen ahead of a match at the Aviva Stadium which could rubber stamp their security in the Champions Cup knock-out stages.
Of course, logistical nightmares have already become something of a theme for Leinster this season. This particular headache follows on from the troublesome tour of South Africa – where Leinster were the second team sent to face the Southern Kings and Cheetahs a little over six weeks after a second hemisphere was added to the tournament.
On top of the patchwork planning that was required for that mini-tour, Cian Healy felt the need to issue an apology after being asked to disembark an internal flight and a documentation issue forced Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park to return home after their initial approach.
And the second half of the season is still all ahead of us.
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Weather hits Leinster's travel plans to leave Cullen's men grounded in Exeter
Sean Farrell reports from Exeter
DEVON DID NOT experience anything remotely like the disruptive snow that hit many areas of both Ireland and the UK, but conditions 70 miles north left Leinster grounded in Exeter after their Champions Cup win over the English champions last night.
A six-day turnaround would have been a tight enough prospect without a further delay for Leo Cullen’s squad.
The charter flight that was due to take the squad back to Dublin from Bristol Airport at 11pm last night was cancelled as inclement weather left the aircraft unable to land.
Fortunately, rather from being left out in the cold after their 8 – 18 win in Sandy Park, the squad were able to return to the same Exeter hotel that housed them on Saturday night and the rescheduled charter flight will take them to Dublin this morning.
The delay will be an annoyance to head coach Cullen ahead of a match at the Aviva Stadium which could rubber stamp their security in the Champions Cup knock-out stages.
Of course, logistical nightmares have already become something of a theme for Leinster this season. This particular headache follows on from the troublesome tour of South Africa – where Leinster were the second team sent to face the Southern Kings and Cheetahs a little over six weeks after a second hemisphere was added to the tournament.
On top of the patchwork planning that was required for that mini-tour, Cian Healy felt the need to issue an apology after being asked to disembark an internal flight and a documentation issue forced Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park to return home after their initial approach.
And the second half of the season is still all ahead of us.
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Leinster and Munster set for inter-pro title showdown at Thomond Park
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