James Cronin is no stranger to the challenge that is taking on Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.
The Irish international spent almost a decade playing for Munster Rugby, after rising through the ranks of the province, and played almost 150 games for the club.
After one season in France, Cronin made the move to the East Midlands ahead of the current campaign and has made 13 appearances to date for Leicester Tigers.
Ahead of the trip to Dublin, for the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final, Cronin will undoubtedly be asked what to expect from his teammates and shared his experiences of coming up against the six-time finalists and four-time winners.
“These guys have come through together from a very young age, playing for school, academy and university with UCD and Trinity College before playing for the senior team,” said Cronin.
“They know one another so well, on and off the field, and you can see that in the way they play; there is a great cohesion in their ranks and it has produced results for Leinster with that system in place.
“Just look at how many Leinster guys were on the field when they won the Grand Slam this season, it is an international team.”
Looking back on those meetings with the Dublin side while at Munster, he added: “It was always the biggest game of the season, Munster and Leinster is a big fixture for both sides whether home or away, and I don’t remember having much joy going to Dublin as a player.”
“You are coming up against a national side, the Irish national side, that was always what you knew you would be facing.”
Munster, who have a decorated history of their own in European rugby, are the baby brothers to Leinster when it comes to the Champions Cup.
As Cronin puts it, the competition is the “be-all and end-all” when it comes to the Dublin outfit.
“Everybody knows it is the be-all and end-all for Leinster, Europe is what they test themselves against,” he said.
“Just look back at how they manage their squad and rotation around Champions Cup games, guys get rested for long away trips to South Africa and the like.
“Even resting guys, they put out starting sides that are all capped players. It just shows how deep that squad runs in terms of experience.”
While the Aviva Stadium is not Leinster’s home ground, the 51,000+ venue is still very much a home away for home for the players in the side according to Cronin.
Asked about what to expect on the Test match arena, he said: “It’s always a fast game on the Aviva, which Leinster love with that Leinster brand of rugby their players talk about.”
“While it might not be their home ground for the club, it’s a home ground for so many players with their big European games played there and the majority of the squad playing at the stadium for Ireland every season.”
Looking back on his time so far in green, red and white, Cronin has found comfort in the similarities of Leicester and his former home, Munster, thanks to what he believes is how supporters of both “working class” clubs expect you to represent them on the pitch.
“I have said since arriving in Leicester that there are great similarities between Tigers and Munster,” said Cronin.
“That real working class way of doing things, the way that supporters expect you to go out and fight and scrap for everything in the shirt.
“You just have to go out and put everything into your performance, there are no excuses or short cuts at Leicester and that was the same with Munster for me that isn’t the same for other clubs.
“The way our fans want us to represent us at Tigers is all about effort, not always about that flashy style and we pride ourselves on doing that for our supporters.”
After a short spell on the sidelines through injury, Cronin returned to the Tigers starting side in the win over Edinburgh and is hoping to be selected in the No.1 shirt again for Friday to give him an opportunity against the Ireland front-row.
“It is a brilliant opportunity, personally for me against the Ireland front-row, and also to be in this competition at this stage,” he said.
“I came to Leicester to be a part of the big games and you don’t get much bigger in rugby than taking on Leinster in Dublin in a European knockout game.”
While a short lead in to make the journey from England for Leicester fans could see Friday night’s crowd a much more Irish-sounding one, Cronin let it slip that some of those native accents will in fact be “getting behind” the Tigers as bus-loads of Cork-natives are making the trip to cheer on Cronin and his teammates.
“I found out on the weekend that my home club in Cork is organising a bus of people up to Dublin for the game, to cheer on Leicester and myself, getting behind us,” Cronin said.
“That is a very special feeling to know there will be plenty cheering for us, on top of Tigers fans who travel so well and support this club.
“I guess the hard part for Tigers fans is the short time there is to get themselves over on an Easter weekend, which isn’t easy but what I have learned since coming to Leicester is that these fans find a way to be there for the team.”
While only one day into preparation for the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final, Cronin also added that you could feel the “buzz” at Oval Park ahead of the knockout fixture.
“There is definitely a good buzz about the group ahead of this game, which is great,” he said.
“Not many of our squad have played at the Aviva for Leicester Tigers or in club rugby, but that doesn’t get talked about.
“We are always just looking at what we need to do, how we need to get better in the week and then whoever we are playing, wherever that may be, that is just what it is and we will go wherever we have to get a chance to play for this club.”
