Victory will be the sweetest revenge
Given the tempestuous meetings between the two in the Pool stages, the quarter-final between London Irish and Perpignan this coming Saturday has all the hallmarks of a grudge match.
Given the tempestuous meetings between the two in the Pool stages, the quarter-final between London Irish and Perpignan this coming Saturday has all the hallmarks of a grudge match.
When Perpignan came to Reading, the Catalans were incensed by the decisions of referee Malcolm Changleng as Irish charged to a 24-16 victory.
When the Irish headed to Languedoc-Roussillon a week later, they were bombarded with snow, abuse from the home crowd, and in Kieran Roche's case, elbows which left him with a fractured eye-socket and which saw Perry Freshwater banned for four weeks. Is revenge on the cards?
“We will get our own back if we win the match. That's all Kieran wants,” said a diplomatic Irish coach Brian Smith.
“Perpignan have made no secret in the last month that they have gone back to old school knock 'em down, drag 'em out tactics.
“It was pretty apparent to us when we played them over there. Their captain took on those tactics on Roachie and we haven't forgotten about it. We know what's coming and we're ready.
“We want to win the game, but we know sometimes you have to win the arm wrestle as well.”
The match in Perpignan was refereed by the comparatively inexperienced Carlo Damasco of Italy, but this quarter-final is to be managed by the bilingual Alain Rolland, whose credentials need no embellishing after his World Cup final appointment.
“We know how physical they are but we are really pleased with the referee appointment because we know Alain Rolland is aware of the previous situation and will have done his research,” said Smith's assistant Toby Booth.
“I'm sure he will make it very clear to all what will not be tolerated. The game's going to be tough enough without playing it with 14 players on the pitch.”
The Irish management duo were delighted with the weekend's confidence-boosting performance against Bristol, with a 28-8 win ending a three-game losing streak.
But Smith called for “another 25 percent across the board” from his team next week and added: “Bristol are a very lumpy side and so are Perpignan so in many ways it was a good dress rehearsal. We still look to have another gear or two to go up.”