‘We’ll be screaming out from nought to eighty’ – Northampton Saints fans relishing ‘intimidating’ Croke Park atmosphere

A “born and bred” Northampton Saints supporter said their travelling fanbase will be screaming out from “nought to eighty” despite facing a sea of blue in the historic Croke Park clash this Saturday.

Ash Williamson, who is a season ticketholder for his boyhood team, Northampton Saints, said there is belief among their fans that their team can “put it up to Leinster”.

The sides will battle it out this evening in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final at Croke Park, marking the first rugby game in 14 years at the 82,300-seater home of GAA.

While Leinster are heavy favourites, Northampton Saints’ faithful fans have been quietly brooding on the possibility of an upset, reminiscing on their sides 18-9 win over the Irish province in 2013.

Their fans are facing the largest partisan crowd in club rugby history when they take on Leinster in the European Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday, being the first British club to ever play at the venue.

Mr Williamson said its significance to Ireland and its people is not lost on the travelling support or players, who had a history lesson this Friday ahead of the game tomorrow.

“It is a privilege to go and play there and it is a privilege for our supporters too. We have got our seats in a pocket together just to create a bit of noise. I won’t shut up from nought to eighty.

“You are always up against it in games of this magnitude so you have got to be the 16th man as much as you can. I think the atmosphere will be intimidating for the boys.

“But it’s something you relish as a player and fan, so I’m sure they will be ready for it,” Mr Williamson told the Irish Independent.

While Mr Williamson will be staying in a hotel following the game, many of his fellow Northampton Saints fans, who adore their team and rugby stronghold town, will not be able to.

Dozens in their supporters Facebook group have charted their plans to travel over and back via boat or plane in the same day, due to the price of hotels in the Irish capital, which clashes with the May Bank Holiday weekend. Prices for Saturday night range from €157 to €307 for a bed in the capital.

“There wasn’t much time to prepare with knockouts and fixtures, so it wasn’t easy to plan too far in advance. It is pricey. You just have to accept if you want to stay there, that you have to pay a fair bit,” he said.

Mr Williamson also paid a pretty penny for his match tickets, which came to €75, despite some junior seats selling for €10 and cheapest adult tickets for €18.

“It depends where you want to sit. You don’t go to any European game and pay too dissimilar to that,” he said.

On what it would mean for the travelling Saints fans to cause an upset in Croke Park, Mr Williamson said it would be “massive” to beat the “big beast of Leinster”.

“We would be massively overjoyed as a fanbase and with the final being in London too, there would be the opportunity to set up a final in our own country, would be special,” he added.

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan’s exclusive take on the day’s news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.