JOE McCARTHY reckons the La Rochelle rivalry is up there with Munster.
Leinster visit France on Sunday for the sixth meeting in the past five seasons in the Ronan O’Gara coached La Rochelle.
The first three meetings – the 2021 semi-final and 2022 and 2023 finals went La Rochelle’s way but Leinster won in the pool phase in France and a quarterfinal in Dublin last season.
And McCarthy, whose first season in the Leinster side included a cameo in that 2022 final admitted that, while familiarity does not breed contempt, it has brought a greater edge to it.
He said: “It is a proper rivalry, that’s definitely how it feels. It’s almost like a Munster, similar to that.
“The training week always feels a bit different but you always try to hold yourself to that high standard.
“You’re trying to prepare yourself as well as you can because you know if you’re not at your best physically, scrum and maul, it’s going to be a tough day.
“So there’s definitely a bit of extra edge, mainly in any Champions Cup week but with our history against La Rochelle, it’s a bit more personal.
“It’s probably the results that sting the most, getting knocked out of Europe or finals. Things like that sting so mainly just those things.”
It even goes so far as McCarthy ignores any rumours of La Rochelle injuries in the build-up, as he reckons it is all just mind games.
So he is sure Will Skelton will play, and will be “chirping” as he always does.
McCarthy smirked: “He’s always fit for the Leinster game, no matter what. You don’t even look at the injury reports or whatever!
“(He does) a lot of chirping. I think it’s good.
“I think it’s kinda funny to hear it and it brings a bit more into the game because if you’re chatting a bit of stuff in the game, you have to bring it.
“But I wouldn’t be as good as maybe chatting during the game, I focus more on my role, but I find it entertaining.
“It’s kinda funny hearing a bit of chat like that in the game. I like that in the game.”
But Leinster now visit La Rochelle with the upper hand following their two wins against them last season, including a 16-9 win in France in terrible wintery conditions 13 months ago.
McCarthy added: “It was a proper slog of a game, it was shocking weather, pouring down. So it was very satisfying getting that win. It was the first time we had beaten La Rochelle.
“It was probably a good game to start off our European campaign, get this win and we will get a bit of momentum.
“It was a great feeling after winning, (Ciaran) Frawley obviously kicked the 60-metre last-minute penalty.
“It was a nice end to it but we knew it was just the first Champions Cup game. Nothing had really been won, it was just the start of the job.”
And McCarthy insisted that Sunday is just the same, though a win will likely assure Leinster of a spot in the knockout stages with one game to spare.
He said: “Looking back on that game, I think we’re a better team now. Our squad has improved and we’ve got better.
“And obviously having Jacques(Nienaber, defence coach) here for an extra season has made a huge difference.
“In the bigger games, being physical and coming out physically on top is extremely important.
“Usually you come out the right side of the battle. If you hav a nice fancy plan, and no physicality, that rarely ever works in rugby.
“So we always want to be super physical, on the edge, pressuring teams. But we also want to keep an important part of the Leinster DNA which is attacking really well.”
