Northampton will have to overcome an atmosphere fuelled by 34,000 people’s hatred of Henry Pollock to win at Bordeaux Begles on Sunday, says coach Phil Dowson.
The two sides meet at a sold-out Stade Chaban-Delmas in a re-run of last year’s ill-tempered Champions Cup final.
Saints lost out 28-20 in May’s Cardiff showpiece, with star back row Pollock at the centre of a final-whistle scuffle.
Bordeaux Begles’ players mocked Pollock in their post-match celebrations, while fly-half Mathieu Jalibert accused Northampton of lacking respect for their rivals.
“It’s a great stadium with 34,000 people, it’s a sell-out, everyone hates Henry Pollock – that’s going to create an exciting atmosphere,” said Dowson.
“They always go quite big at home. We’re looking forward to it and we want to relish it.
“We won’t care when they boo Pollock and neither will he.
“He likes those environments. I think he likes to measure himself in the lion’s den and that will certainly be what’s welcoming us this weekend
“We stick to what we’re good at and the game of rugby itself, the outside noise is the outside noise.”
Dowson described the Bordeaux Begles players’ confrontation with Pollock – whose 21st birthday is next week – at the final whistle of last year’s match as “out of order”.
Bordeaux Begles back row Tevita Tatafu was later pictured on the club’s social media accounts replicating the ‘pulse-check’ celebration which Pollock celebrated his semi-final try against Leinster with, while a homemade sign referencing the England back rower was brandished from the team bus during a homecoming parade the following day.
However, Dowson insists his side were not drawing motivation from that defeat.
“I think you’re always going to be disappointed after a final and they have the privilege to celebrate however they want to,” he told BBC Radio Northampton.
“I gave them kudos and credit in the post-match interview and I still would do that and we’ve got to make sure we prepare for this game and not re-analyse that one.”
Northampton’s run to last year’s final was built on famous away-day victories, beating South African side Bulls at altitude in Pretoria in the pool stages before upsetting Leinster at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
Bordeaux Begles have won seven of their eight home games this season, and start the game as favourites with the bookmakers.
However, Northampton back Tommy Freeman says his side want to modify their underdog mindset and a reputation for a style based mainly on running rugby.
“I had a conversation earlier with Ollie, our sports psychologist about the perception we give or we’re giving,” the 24-year-old England international said.
“We’ve always had the young card – we’ve got young players, promising players – and the narrative’s got to change. We are what we are and we’re physical.
“You’ve seen that over the last few weeks, how physical the forwards are.
“We get that underdog status probably a bit too much. We are trying to change the narrative so its’ ‘we’re the big dogs and this is what we’re going to do’.
“We need to puff our chests out and rip in.”
Former London Irish lock Adam Coleman moved to Bordeaux Begles in 2023 and scored a try in the win over Northampton.
“It is a much-anticipated match,” he said of the teams’ reunion.
“They are a very expansive team, they play at a high tempo and try and run you off your feet, and their set-piece is very good too.
“[Last year’s win] was an incredible experience not just for the club, but for the whole of Bordeaux. The club has been building for 20 years and to get the first star on the jersey was special.
“Obviously there was some disappointment from them. That gives them some great motivation, but it also gives us some motivation to go again.
“There was a little bit of stuff in the media but at the end of the day when the whistle goes that means nothing. There were words said, but it is irrelevant.”
