“It’s a fucking very special day.”

Leinster scrum coach John Fogarty has brushed off talk that this weekend’s inter-provincial clash between Munster and Leinster is nothing more than a training game ahead of Europe.

Both Leo Cullen and Rassie Erasmus stated that Saturday’s tie would be seen as a trial game ahead of Europe, but Fogarty, who has played for both provinces, is having absolutely none of it.

“It’s part of preparing for Europe but I don’t agree with that at all,” says Fogarty

“There’s so much to it, it’s not just a fixture that sits in the middle of the season and prepares us to play in Europe. You want to beat your brothers more than you want to beat anyone else.

“It’s really important for us and in our preparation for the week, we’re touching on how important it that we understand our stuff, but that we’re competitive in this game so that we’re competing for everything.

“For our supporters, for ourselves as a group, for our families. It’s so important.

“This fixture still holds a special place in the hearts and minds of all of the players.

“They want to be picked to play in this game, they want to be in the Aviva and be part of it. It’s a fucking very special day.”

It does sit in front of Europe, but if the boys are thinking, ‘I need to be fit for Europe so I get picked for Ireland,’ your eye is off the ball and if your eye is off the ball in a Munster-Leinster game you’re going to get your fucking hole handed to you.”

That’s more like it. Roll on Saturday.

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[The42.ie]