The proper French cauldrons don’t faze James Ryan.
Although Leinster lost at La Rochelle’s Stade Marcel-Deflandre in a Champions Cup semi-final, they also won a pool game there and Ryan describes it as “very cool” and a “proper rugby ground”. He has a similar regard for the Stade Jean-Dauger, where Leinster beat Bayonne in January.
Saturday will be his first visit to the Stade Marcel-Michelin, one of French rugby’s most celebrated venues, as Leinster open their Champions Cup pool campaign against Clermont.
Ryan knows exactly what to expect. “The Top 14 is such a strong league, isn’t it? The way they get the whole town and the community behind it is very cool,” he said.
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“I’ve never played them away. That’s funny, because when I was growing up I felt like Leinster were always playing Clermont away, in that 2011 and 2012 kind of era.
“I remember it was always such a tough place to go, so I can’t wait. It’s a real rugby region, a cool stadium and a nice early kick-off for us. It’s probably going to be bouncing. I can’t wait.”
By virtue of their consistency in Europe, most of Leinster’s playoff games have been in Dublin, so high-stakes trips to France have been relatively infrequent over the past decade.
However, Ryan understands what is required of Leo Cullen’s side to get the job done in hostile territory. As such an established member of the pack, he knows the challenge begins with winning the battle up front.
Dominating at set-pieces, he emphasises, is crucial, but there are other elements that must also go Leinster’s way.
“It’s big, scrum and lineout,” said the 30-year-old. “One thing about Clermont is their lineout maul is very good, very strong, so that’ll be a big one for us as a pack, going after that area of the game and trying to negate their strength there.
“The start is important. They’re a very strong side at home, they’re a very proud club, so we need to start well. And then it’s making sure we take our chances: when we do get into their 22, we have to come away with points. We can’t afford to miss those.”
Ryan insists Leinster cannot use as an excuse the fact that so many of their starters this weekend will have had only one game under their belts, whereas the Top 14 season is already a month and a half old.
“Does it matter? Not really, to be honest,” he said. “That’s the way it is. There’s probably another level in us, to be fair, but we’ve got to get up to speed pretty quickly. We’ve got to make sure we put on a proper performance.
“I know there’s always a lot of noise around the fifth star and the Champions Cup for us. The way we’re looking at this season is not so much about outcomes as about judging ourselves on our performance, because that’s something we can control.
“We know if we are at our best, then we’re going to be in the mix. I certainly think that’s the best approach. We’ll give ourselves a good shot, as opposed to looking too far ahead.”
