The race for 'All Ireland' final tickets is on as WAGs recover from nerve-racking game

Claire Murphy

TICKETS for the very first "All Ireland" Heineken Cup final have shot up to as much as €290, just 24 hours after Leinster confirmed their place in next month's Twickenham showdown with Ulster.

The majority of the official tickets have already been distributed through Leinster's and Ulster's clubs.

Season ticket holders and members of supporters' clubs could also be in with a chance to enter a lottery for tickets and a number of official websites have put tickets up for sale.

But the stampede for flights and hotel accommodation has already kicked off.

The reigning European champions booked their place in the final yesterday afternoon in a nail-biting finish.

The wives and girlfriends of the boys in blue admitted that they were on edge at the pulsating finish of the semi-final.

"Still not right after that. Well done Leinster! Amazing!" Brian O'Driscoll's wife Amy Huberman said.

Susie Amy, actress and girlfriend of Rob Kearney, said that she was so nervous that she couldn't look at one stage.

"Okay, I was a bit cowardly, I stood up and did a few things while still kind of watching! Well done Leinster! So excited for you!" she said.

And even coach to the winning The Voice singer, Bressie took time out to wish his former team mates congratulations.

"Insane character by Leinster. Bravo," the former Leinster player said.

Holly Carpenter, the girlfriend of Leinster's try scorer, Cian Healy, was unable to be at the Bordeaux stadium as she was handing over her crown as Miss Ireland.

The game on May 19 will be held in the UK capital. Flight operators have already pushed up the standard price for the weekend.

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Heathrow at 9.50am and returning at 8.50am on Sunday costs €533, compared to €239 the following weekend.

Ryanair flights into Gatwick for similar times reached €345 while Cityjet have flights from €426 and BMI schedules hit €489.

The biggest difficulty for fans will be booking a room overnight: hotel prices in London are the third most expensive in Europe and average around €200 a night.

But judging by the blue exodus to Cardiff for last year's Heineken Cup final and the Ulster army's march on Dublin last weekend, the high costs incurred will not stand in the way of hardy rugby fans.

clairemurphy@herald.ie