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Montpellier Herault v leinster november 12, 2011

Guide to Montpellier

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IntroductionMontpellier is a Mediterranean city located in southern France, it has a population of 533,000 people making it the eighth largest city in the country.

It is a popular spot during the summer given the climate and is also to home to one of the oldest universities in the world (University of Montpellier) that is said to have been established in 1160.

The city is very compact and the sights can be easily seen on foot, the main centre Place de la Comédie is also adjacent to our supporters HQ (details on following pages).

Montpellier is also a sports mad city, in addition to Montpellier Herault RC it is also home to a number of other professional sports teams; Montpellier HSC (football), Red Devils (rugby league), Agglomeration Handball (handball), the Montpellier Vipers (ice hockey) and also a water polo team.

Arriving in MontpellierBy plane: We recommend sharing a taxi off the airport rank; a one-way journey to Place de la Comédie is circa €20 for up to four people.

There is also an airport shuttle bus service operated by Herault Transport, the cost is €1.50 each way which will take you to the Place de l’Europe (tram station), from there you can take a train to Place de la Comédie (five stops).

By train: The main train station for the city is Montpellier St Roch and is located in the city centre, just 400 metres walk from Place de la Comédie.

AccommodationIf you are reading this guide and have not yet booked your accommodation we suggest checking www.accorhotels.com The main area where Leinster supporters tend to be staying is around Place de la Comédie (pictured above).

Getting around the cityMontpellier is an easy city to see on foot however the city has a hi-tech, high-speed, leave-your-car-at-home tram, it runs daily until midnight. Regular buses are also an option to see the city, they run until about 8.30pm daily.Single-journey tickets, valid for bus or tram, cost €1.40. A one-day pass/10-ticket carnet costs €3.10/10.50. Pick them up from newsagents or any tram station.

Supporters HQThe OLSC has teamed up with Nico and the team at Fitzpatrick’s Irish Bar, just off Place de la Comédie as our supporters HQ for the weekend.

Fitzpatrick’s has a number of screens showing the other Heineken Cup action across the weekend. They also serve bar snacks and will be open until 4am on Sunday morning. They will also be showing the Estonia v Ireland football game on the Friday night (KO is 8.45pm French time).

All weekend pints of Guinness will be reduced to €6 per pint and Kronenberg €5 per pint. For those supporters who want to post status updates/send tweets while in France, the OLSC has arranged free wifi access for the weekend in the supporters HQ. To avail of this enter the code 17032011 when prompted on your Smartphone.

Eating and DrinkingThere is no shortage of restaurants and cafes in Montpellier. One eatery we recommend in particular is Le Sheridan (8 Rue de la Mediterranee, Tel: + 33 4 9952 9177) which offers a mixture of items on the menu all depending on what is available at the market that day.

Official Sponsor Leinster Rugby

Official Sponsor Leinster Rugby

Top five things to see and do during your stayMontpellier Herault RC vs Leinster Rugby – need we say more!Place de la Comédie – centre for the cityPorte du Peyrou – a triumphal archJardin de Plantes – the oldest botanical gardens in FranceCathedrale St Pierre - interesting architecture in the city centre

Friday is a bank holiday and while the trams will be running and restaurants and bars will be open many shops will not. Shops will reopen on Saturday but most be closed again on Sunday.

Getting to the groundStadium address:Stade de la Mosson3116 Avenue de Heidenlberg34080, Montpellier

By tram: Take line 1 (blue) to Mosson station from Comédie – from there it is just an 800 metre walk to the stadium.

By taxi: A cab from the city centre to the ground will cost circa €35 one way.

KO is 2.30pm (local time), gates will open at 1pm and there will be food and refreshment facilities on offer – like any French ground we would recommend you get in early to soak up the (sometimes noisy) pre-match atmosphere with the home crowd.

FlagsThe flags with a white plastic pole have been cleared by the Dublin Airport Authority and should also be acceptable to pass through UK airports (for those not flying direct). The Supporters Club team will have a limited number of flags to hand out over in Montpellier however please bring what you can from home.

Leinster assigned seating areas:1. Petite Camargue 2 .Haut Languedoc

3. Gevaudan

1

2

3

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OLSC tipsWhen checking in to your accommodation be sure to take a business card and/or map from your hotel reception as these should have the street address details of your accommodation that you can show a taxi driver. If you become disorientated after dark it can be used as a reference to find your way back. It also can help when staying at a chain hotel if you forget which location you are actually staying in!

Data roaming: Unless you wish to incur a high mobile bill make sure that data roaming is switched off before you leave Dublin – our supporters HQ will have free wifi should you want it, you can access that with data roaming switched off.

Keep in touch with the OLSC

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Message from the coach

Dear Leinster Supporter, Welcome to the opening round of the Heineken Cup and our clash against Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club in Stade de la Mosson. Montpellier is a relatively new club, having being founded in 1986, but in recent years they have invested heavily in their squad and they have arguably their most competitive ever panel with lofty ambitions both in their domestic league as well as in the Heineken Cup. As Top 14 runners up last year they displayed outstanding consistency particularly at their home ground, which is a real fortress for them. With some mammoth performers, such as Francois Trin Duc and Fulgence Ouedraogo and some Mammoth sized men like Mamuku Gorgodze and Sakiusa Matadigo they will be formidable! I have no doubt that a warm welcome awaits! It is occasions such as this one where your support is so crucial to the team. Last year’s Round 3 game against ASM Clermont Auvergne was pivotal in our eventual success when a relatively young team battled valiantly in one of the true cauldrons of European rugby. Your support that bitterly cold evening made a telling contribution to the bonus point we managed to get. The tremendous support, both at home and abroad, helped give confidence and drove players to perform even when they were fatigued or under pressure. We will aim to approach Saturday’s game in a positive manner; mindful of the high calibre of opposition we are facing, but with a genuine determination to launch our defence of the Heineken Cup in a strong manner. It is a hugely exciting time in the calendar for players, management and supporters alike and I would like to thank you for your faithful following once more because it is hugely valued by everybody connected with the team. Enjoy the game and have a safe journey. Best wishes,

JOE SCHMIDTLeinster Coach Official Sponsor Leinster Rugby

Message from the OLSC committee

We are finally here; the opening game of the defence of our European title. That heart-thumping day in May seems so long ago but the boys are back on the road with it all to do once more.

We begin this weekend in the south of France as we face Montpellier Herault FC at the much larger Stade de la Mosson. While it is not the team’s home stadium it is sure to be a cauldron of noise in the true tradition of French rugby. As we are all too aware, times are tough in Ireland at the moment which means that those of us making the trip this weekend must make ourselves heard louder than ever. The team, from the backroom to the front row have said many times that vocal support is vital. Those who visited Clermont last December will know just how loud the locals can be - we have work to do!

Every supporter in Montpellier this weekend has a part to play, make sure you wear blue (including any jackets if you can), bring your flag from home if you have one (we’ll only have a limited number to give away) and most importantly sing till you are blue in the face - if we all do that then we’ll know we have given the lads the support on the road they deserve.

Aside from the rugby, Montpellier is a beautiful city so be sure to take in some of the local sights. Whether you are travelling alone, in a pair or in a group we hope to see you at Fitzpatrick’s, our supporters HQ at some point during the weekend.

C’MON LEINSTER!

OLSC committee Official Sponsor Leinster Rugby

Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

151114 BOI Leinster A4 Online Ad.indd 1 11/05/2011 16:26

Bank of Ireland is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

151114 BOI Leinster A4 Online Ad.indd 1 11/05/2011 16:26