Ashbourne maintain momentum

The huge investment Ashbourne RFC have made in upgrading their facilities paid off again on Sunday when their Leinster League Div 2 encounter with Roscrea went ahead - one of the very few club rugby games in Ireland to beat the weather. With their all-weather pitches Ashbourne have become the venue to rely on when they elements turn nasty and the club have been asked to stage a number of prestigious events in recent times from ladies Six Nations internationals to providing training facilities for the All-Blacks. The Ashbourne side showed the greater determination and verve to defeat Roscrea 27-13 on Sunday and now they lie in second place in the table six points behind Longford and one ahead of both Clane and Clondalkin. The Meath side are due to play Mullingar away in the league next weekend in a re-arranged fixture - weather permitting. While Ashbourne were dismantling the challenge of Roscrea, Shane Horgan's Leinster side were losing to Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin in the Heineken Cup. The game eventually ended 20-13 in favour of the French outfit. The sides will meet again this weekend at the Aviva Stadium and Horgan has called on the Leinster followers to get behind the team for what could be a season-defining game. It could, he added, make the difference between ultimate victory and defeat. “It is only half-time in the two games between the sides, we're down and we certainly need the win at home this weekend in the Aviva and hopefully we'll get the support,†Horgan told the Meath Chronicle on Monday. “We have such a tremendous support in the RDS, we moved to Aviva for the Munster game earlier in the season and we just hope we have the same backing we got that night when we beat them. “We need that support because there certainly was an amazing atmosphere at the Stade Marcel Michelin. I know that our supporters cannot only re-create that kind of atmosphere, they can certainly top it. “I want as many Leinster fans to come to see Leinster play as possible, I want as many people from throughout Leinster to come to the games. The more people that come to support us the tougher it is for the opposition.†Horgan's form of late suggests he has not totally given up on a recall to the Irish team although he would not be drawn on that issue adding right now he was totally focused on helping Leinster in their Heineken Cup adventures. While Leinster were short a few regulars he felt their replacements came in and did a good job. “Certainly the way our forwards and the rest of the lads put their bodies on the line you couldn't be anything but proud and some of them played on with ferocious knocks, you know how much guys want to play for Leinster, how much they want to compromise their bodies for a win when you see them playing on beyond the pain they were suffering. Seanie O'Brien, Shane Jennings and Jamie Heaslip all took big, big knocks.â€