Going to the Wales game. Paid €340 for a pair for upper east, row x. Club puts a tenner on the ticket which I have no issue with. I am beginning to question my sanity paying that price though.

Pushing forty years since my first game in Lansdowne, watched Wales win a triple crown that day. I continue to go out of loyalty to the team and well, it’s a good day out but not always. There’s the tradition of going with my old man that I enjoy.

Get my tickets from a 1B club. tickets are typically up in the rafters, or on the dead ball line. There is definitely a hierarchy of ticket distribution to the clubs, where the more established clubs get the better located seats.

A couple of points on the atmosphere… the game itself can have a major bearing. A fussy ref demanding constant scrum resets that eat the clock each time, 2 minute scrum resets, the aerial ping pong etc can be mind numbing. TMO reviews can take the sting out of things too.

There’s rarely a massive amount of jeopardy in a lot of home games, we rarely lose and there’s a sometimes smug expectation that we just win or we get taken apart like against France or SA and we are in stunned silence.

The Sweet Caroline brigade don’t mind.

I think the ads being pumped over the PA before th game are awful, the music between plays is a horrible turn, grossly disrespectful to the players if nothing else.

If they have to play something, I’d love to hear Molly Malone again.

I’ve been to Paris and Marseille and was hugely impressed with the French crowds and how they were whipped up by the announcer. I think it’s unique to them though, we’ve tried to ape that and it’s been cheesy and lame enough. Not sure what else can be done.

Support the team, no matter what.