Sale Sharks heads to Dublin this weekend for the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final as the underdogs against Leinster – but full-back Joe Carpenter believes that can bring out the best in a team that has risen to the challenge of performing under the pressure of knock-out, must-win games.
The 24-year-old England international will be playing in his 14th Champions Cup game and his 81st game as a Shark and he’ll need all of that experience to thrive in a ‘hostile’ Aviva Stadium atmosphere.
“We haven’t had the season that we wanted in the Prem but the result last week against Harlequins has changed the mood massively,” he said. “Personally, it’s the first time since I joined that we haven’t been in the running for the top four in the Prem but to make a quarter final in the Champions Cup is massive for us.
“We talked about building from the Exeter game and the Bath game into that Quins game and even though we didn’t get the results in those games I felt we did build. The Quins performance wasn’t perfect, but we got the job done away from home and we’ve given ourselves another opportunity this week.
“Over the past few years we’ve thrived in must-win games when our backs are against the walls and we’re quite used to that pressure. It’s a similar pressure in knock-out games like this so we’re looking forward to it.
“We know it’ll be hostile at the Aviva and if we let them get their noses in front early it could be quite tough so it’ll be important for us to start fast.
“There is no easy route in this competition and we know how tough this one will be.”
Sharks will face a Leinster team loaded with internationals but Leeds-born Joe says Alex Sanderson’s men need to focus on their own performances and getting the basics right to give themselves the best chance at progressing to the semi-final.
“They’re a fantastic team but what worked for us last week was looking at ourselves and bringing the best out of each of us,” he said. “It’s been similar this week.
“Obviously we’ve looked for things in how they play and who their key players are but for us it’s about making sure that we get our jobs right and do our basics properly. That’s how we give ourselves the best chance of winning.
“We played against them a couple of years ago but I think it’ll be a different atmosphere at the Aviva. We played really well in that game even though we didn’t get the result. A lot of the players will be the same on Saturday and we’re preparing for the very best of them.
“We’ve looked at a few clips from when Northampton beat them last season. They’re a brilliant attacking team and that’s something we’ve been working hard on this season.
“We want to go after them in everything because the minute we sit off them and let them play, that’s when they’re dangerous. We have to be on the front foot and attack them.
“Edinburgh played well against them last week and we’ve looked at that game. But ultimately we want to be the best version of us and we want to impose our game and our structure on them.”
