Heineken Cup 
/ Ralph Ellis / 26 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
O'Driscoll in action in Leinster's quarter-final win
"O’Driscoll is still hurting from losing to Toulouse in last year’s semi-final... "
Brian O'Driscoll won't be attending Westminster Abbey this Friday because he's got more important things to do: preparing for Leinster's Heineken Cup clash with Toulouse. Ralph Ellis salutes the Ireland captain's commitment.
It's the week we are all chasing the golden ticket. If you are filling out your Olympics application (it's the last chance today), then it's the athletics on Sunday August 5. That's the session with the mens' 100metres final where the category AA ones will set you back £1,450 a pair.
If you are a fan of either Stoke or Manchester City you are trying to scrape together the cash for a pass to the FA Cup final, and checking you've enough vouchers as well as a couple of hundred quid to pay for them. And of course United fans are crossing their fingers for their own journey to Wembley for a Champions League final, even if the prices will make an outing to London cost as much as the trip to Moscow a couple of years back.
Arguably the hottest ticket of the lot is the one you can't pay for: the Royal Wedding. There's no better way to show you belong among the elite. The Beckhams will be there, of course; and Sir Elton John, Guy Ritchie and Joss Stone. Even the Queen is going, I'm told!
Would anybody turn down that invite? Well, yes, actually. And that's where we come in because if you needed any convincing that it's safe to take the [1.5] for Leinster to beat Toulouse in Saturday's Heineken Cup semi-final it comes with the news that Brian O'Driscoll has turned down his invite to Westminster Abbey.
The veteran Ireland and British Lions star has given a great interview to the Guardian's Tom Jenkins today in which he reveals that his actress wife Amy Huberman will be off to London without him. "I have a captain's run on Friday and as big an honour as it was to be invited, I can't ask for team runs to be at half-six in the evening so I can go. The team ethos comes first. Amy's going as we felt there was an element of representing Ireland. I'll be at home preparing."
O'Driscoll is still hurting from losing to Toulouse in last year's semi-final because at 32 he fears losing far more than he enjoys winning. A similar instinct keeps Ryan Giggs rolling at Manchester United. O'Driscoll has lost four of five European semi-finals in his career so while youngsters like powerful prop Cian Healy have no fear of big occasions, he is only too aware that another chance might not come.
He knows this is too big an opportunity to mess up. Leinster just don't lose in Dublin. It has happened only once since Christmas 2009 and the driving force of 40,000 home fans in the Aviva Stadium should make sure it doesn't happen again.
Then, of course, there will be another golden ticket to be sought - for the final in the Millenium Stadium on May 21.
Five things you might not know about Cian Healy
1. Born October 1987 in Clontarf, Dublin, his dad Paul had been a keen rugby player who won the Leinster Schools Cup as a youngster
2. He started playing rugby aged seven, but as he grew was more outstanding at schools athletics. He was all Ireland intermediate javelin champion and won the senior shot putt and discus titles two years in a row.
3. He started a degree course at Dublin City University in physical education and biology
4. He has a passion for music and performed as the opening act in the dance arena at Ireland's biggest music festival, Oxegen, last year under the name of DJ Church
5. He's also into art, and always takes paints, a canvas and easel with him on away trips.
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