It was all a bit like that heady weekend in October all over again. Two semi-finals, then in the World Cup and now in the Heineken Cup, that lifted the soul, tore at the emotions, and made you glad to be part of a sport where rival fans don't throw bricks at each other, but mix and mingle as if they were old friends when in fact they'd only just met buying a programme and a cheeseburger. It was a riveting match, if not of the highest quality, but it left you with the feeling that Wasps must be a good bet to win the Tetley Bitter Final and Munster the European Cup.
Logic dictates that Northampton's luck is going to run out sooner or later.
They may have the most immense team spirit, but another three weeks of punishment before facing the men from Limerick is surely more than any team can take. One can only presume that Pat Lam is bionic in which case anything is possible. At times of pleasure and celebration, which both the semi-finals most certainly offered the sport, it may seem a little churlish to concentrate on the size of the crowd at Reading, but it has to be an issue of concern nonetheless. Less than 16 thousand people made the journey from opposite ends of the M4, and the contingent from Northampton was clearly outnumbered by their scarlet counterparts. Llanelli's decision to lay on free transport for their fans was obviously a factor in that and the club should be congratulated for such ingenuity and also being aware of the financial constraints that their paying supporters are under.