Leinster vs Munster | Guinness PRO14 Final 2021

GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL
PRO14
WELCOME
WHEN YOU SEE THE WORDS LEINSTER,
MUNSTER AND FINAL IN THE SAME SENTENCE IT
CONJURES UP AN OCCASION FOR THE HISTORY
BOOKS AND DESPITE THE IRISH PROVINCES
TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS, THIS IS ONLY THE
THIRD TIME IN TWO DECADES THAT THEY HAVE
MET IN OUR DECIDING GAME.
These two icons of club rugby
brought some fury and daring
to the first-ever Celtic League
Final in 2001 before some
of those very same icons,
such as Brian O’Driscoll, Paul
O’Connell, Gordon D’Arcy and
Ronan O’Gara, went head-tohead
once again in 2011.
Maybe these teams are destined
only to meet in years that
end in ‘1’ but before we talk
about this enticing match-up,
there are some very important
acknowledgements I would like
to focus on first.
Since last August, we in Italy,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales
have been very fortunate to
have been allowed by the
respective governments to
operate the Guinness PRO14.
Every week you will have seen
the players and match officials
do their level-best to perform
in the unusual environments of
the pandemic, but there are an
army of people that you do not
see that have made it possible.
At the tip of the spear has
been our Medical Advisory
Group and the medics around
the tournament. The Advisory
Group is comprised of the chief
medical officers of the five
competing unions involved in
the Guinness PRO14 – the FIR,
IRFU, SRU, SARU and WRU.
It includes Dr James Robson
(SRU), who only last weekend
was on duty for this 250th
Scotland international and Prav
Mathema (WRU), both of whom
have been part of the medical
teams on various British & Lions
tours. There has also been a
wealth of experience provided
by Dr Rod McLaughlin, the
IRFU’s medical director
for over seven years, Clint
Readhead, SA Rugby’s senior
medical manager since 2008
and Dr Vincenzo Ieracitano,
who has 10 years’ experience
as the lead medic at the FIR.
This group was also chaired
by Dr Michael Dunlop,
Edinburgh’s club doctor, and
together they have steadily
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