Tickets for the Heineken European Cup semi-final have changed hands for up to €850 each and hotels were nearly at capacity as rugby fever gripped the capital.

Pub and club owners are also looking forward to a bumper weekend as supporters without tickets watch the clash in watering holes around the city.

Fine Gael sports spokesman Jimmy Deenihan said no stadium in the world was big enough to satisfy the demand for Sunday’s match as bidding on internet auction sites spiralled ever higher.

“I have a real fear ticketless fans will be ripped off by unscrupulous ticket touts outside Lansdowne Road,” he said.

“A cursory glance at the internet auction site eBay highlights just how much fans are willing to pay for a ticket.

“As of lunchtime today, two tickets for the Upper East Stand were sold on the website for €600, an auction ending at 8.45 tomorrow morning for two South Terrace tickets has already reached €810 and media reports this morning highlighted bids of almost €1,800 for another set of tickets.

Posted: 04|22|06 at 11:17 am. Filed under: Auction News.