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Game-plan: TheScore.ie's (very) rough guide for travelling Heineken Cup supporters

Ulster and Leisnter fans are on the road, what can they expect?

Ulster fans

Where are they headed? They’re off to Glasgow and the couldn’t-be-any-more-Scottish-if-it pulled-a-fried-Mars-bar-from-its-spurron Scotstoun Stadium is the Warriors’ home  this season, taking up the baton from Firhill and Hughenden.

Any history there? Well kind of. The Warriors have made their new nest at this athletics stadium which was previously their training venue, but coincidentally enough, Scotstoun provided the venue the last time Ulster traveled to Glasgow for a Heineken Cup tie. Then, it was Glasgow and District, and Ulster lost the final pool game of the season 30-15.

You’ll probably find them in here: Granny Gibbs’ bar is just a hop skip and a jump away from the running track according to Google maps. According to Streetview, though, it’s just a faceless red brick house.

We’d recommend Warriors’ club-house which, they say intriguingly, will operate until “at least” 11pm.

Magic memories? In what may prove a sign of things to come, Ulster went to Firhill 19 months ago and won thanks to an inspired display from Ruan Pienaar who claimed all 22 points in a dramatic last-gasp 22-19 win.

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Nearby areas of cultural significance: Eh, this is Glasgow we’re talking about? I suppose you could take an eight-mile round-trip to see the biggest third division football stadium north of the Amazon, It’s Ibrox.

Escape route: Unless there will be a specially organised shuttle from Scotstoun a taxi is your best bet of getting the Clyde to get to the airport. Public transport will force you back into the city centre on bus 205 to get bus 500 out to where the jet planes live. Alternatively, it’s only eight miles from Scotstoun. So if you’ve packed light…

Leinster fans

Where are they headed? The flights may be landing in Cardiff and Bristol but the Leinster supporters are off to the deep south of Wales where can they rattle their tongue over more Ls than… well, we can’t think of anything with more Ls.

Any history there? Not so much in the Parc Y Scarlets, the region’s new home after the wistful old Stradley Park was torn down after 129 years of service. The new ground is located in the shadow of a shopping centre and sprawling a car park. It has about as much to do with Welsh rugby folklore as Ryan Giggs.

Still, Leinster have been here before in the Heineken Cup, and in 2009 (with a team featuring only five names who have since moved on) won 32-7. All the points came in the second half, the last of which was a Sean O’Brien try to seal a bonus-point win.

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You’ll probably find them in here: Now, this place sounds promising. The Barn. A supporters’ village which Jarrod Bromley of the Official Leinster Supporters Club says will house 1500 people nearby the ground.

Magic Memories? We’ll let Bromley take up the story here:”We played them in 2008 and it was a dirty, wet night at Stradley Park, a really horrible night in Wales – people would never call this a glamour fixture. Malcolm O’Kelly had reached a Leinster milestone for most caps. The stewards let down the ropes at the end of the game and let us storm onto the pitch to congratulate Malcolm.”

Nearby areas of cultural significance: Apparently, there’s 13 miles worth of a beautiful coastline walk… but Llanelli is also famous for its breweries. Buckley’s is your most likely stopover, but if you can muster up a few quid for a taxi, head for Felinfoel, six miles outside the town centre.

Escape route: As we said, there’s no airport handily located nearby, so keep your wits about you.

*The Leinster insight comes from Jarrod Bromley at the Official Leinster Supporter’s Club. For more information on the trip to Wales click here.

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