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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

Ronan O'Gara jokes pitch invader was not dressed like a Munster fan: 'All he was missing was the Brown Thomas bag'

Ronan O'Gara has joked that the fan who invaded the pitch at the Ricoh Arena to confront controversial Saracens player Billy Vunipola was not dressed like a Munster fan.

The individual stormed onto the pitch after Munster's Champions Cup semi-final loss and took aim at Vunipola who was booed throughout the game for liking a homophobic post made on social media by axed Australian star Israel Folau.

Munster have since distanced themselves from the fan who is not a member of their supporters' club or a season ticket holder.

And the province's former out-half has joked that the pitch invader's attire did not resemble the typical Munster fan.

Saracens' Billy Vunipola is confronted by a Munster fan after the game (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)

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O'Gara told Off the Ball: "I don't know was he a Munster fan. He was in tailored shorts and boating shoes.

"There'll have to be a steward's enquiry on that. I reckon he was a plant.

"All he was missing was the Brown Thomas bag.

"Wasn't he lucky Vunipola didn't go at him?"

O'Gara also expressed his concern over the attendance at the match with 16,000 spectators, mainly from Munster, leaving many empty seats.

Saracens’ Mike Rhodes scores his sides opening try despite Andrew Conway of Munster (©INPHO/James Crombie)

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He added: "How disappointing was the crowd? This is the semi-final of the European Cup and it looked like Super Rugby where you have stadiums half-empty.

"These are the biggest days in Europe.

"There are warning signs there. This is dangerous territory for rugby. This is a special competition but it was so disheartening to see.

"Rugby is on very dangerous ground if the European Cup is being diminished or lost because the Irish clubs are going to feel that more than anyone."

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