CROWDS MAKE A difference.
They are one of the variables teams make an effort to shut out and diminish the influence of.
And yet it’s a double-edged sword, because those same teams will also attempt to harness the will of their people. Or perhaps turn their rival’s supporters to a negative force and slip the rug from the home side.
Connacht and Leinster go Toulouse and Lyon this weekend and will devote a little time prior to boarding their flights to brace themselves for the brass and invective that will roll off the stands during their 80-minute shift.
Rugby doesn’t offer up half enough culture shocks, but there is nothing quite like sights, sounds and smells of a regional clash in France when the crowd invoke the espirit du clocher and the players answer the call.
“It’s the way they feel rugby. Not only the crowd. The players, the way they’re expected to perform in front of their home people,” says Felipe Contepomi, who felt that expectation while on an up-and-coming Toulon side.
“That’s what you have to avoid, giving them that belief and momentum that can change the game.
“It’s 80 minutes of trying not to let their crowd get behind them. It kind of happens here when we play in the RDS. It’s massive for us and the guys, they feel it.”
They didn’t need most of their big guns to complete a clean sweep in the pool in their title-winning season. But Contepomi and Leinster were happy enough to dig up painful memories of last season’s loss away to Toulouse before travelling to take on Top14 leaders Lyon. As a stand-out performer in clashes with Montpellier (defeat) and Castres (a draw) in 2016/17, Robbie Henshaw knows that a fanbase is a factor worth preparing for.
“You just have to get the point across early in the week that it’s different to any away game that you play in the Pro14,” says the Athlone man.
“I think it’s the mentality of the crowd, that French mentality is completely different.
“And once you get that across during the week, and every player who has experienced it (makes sure others) know what’s coming…
It’s also a bit of excitement as well to get there and to put in a performance, and come away with the win, it’s a great feeling.
“We’ve done it in the last couple of seasons, so that’s also a good part of it. So it’s all positive and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Not everyone in Henshaw’s close-knit family looks ahead to raucous and, potentially, hostile atmospheres with such relish. Last Friday week, the Ireland centre was due to make his first appearance back at The Sportsground since making the move to Leinster in 2016.
He got sick overnight in Galway, though, and had to shelve the planned prodigal son moment for another year. Even years later, he is expecting a hot atmosphere whenever the day does come.
“I was looking forward to going back and playing there. My family weren’t too excited about it, but it was a little bit frustrating not to play.”
He adds with a laugh: ”Just my mum, my dad was alright. They’re not too caught up in it, but she didn’t want anyone from Connacht giving out about me – she decided if I did play there she wouldn’t go.”
I was wondering myself whether (the reception) would be a cheer or a boo. We were just messing during the week, it was good excitement and we were looking forward to it.
“The lads down there were looking forward to it too.”
“It was frustrating (to miss out) I was in bed all day, the day of the game, down with a fever.
“Fair play to the lads, they fairly muscled up and put in a physically dominant performance.”
The home crowd’s influence was quelled that day by an imperious physicality from Leinster. And they will set out to begin with a similar level of intensity this Saturday.
