Bundee a feather in Conn cap
The All Black has joined Ulster’s coaching team this season from Clermont who beat Ulster home and away in last season’s European Champions Cup.
He’s watched La Rochelle’s rapid rise to the top of French rugby and Sunday’s clash will be their first home game in Europe’s premier competition.
“It’s a great stadium, it’s not enormous but the stands are very close to the ground, similar to here at the Kingspan Stadium,” said Gibbes.
“It’s going to be loud. They’ve got tin hoardings and when the crowd smash them they make a hell of a racket.
“The fans get there early during the warm-up so you’ll get a feel for it. It’s not hostile, they’re just passionate and excited.
“They’ve built something pretty good, moving up from the Pro D2 to finishing top of the Top 14 last year after the round robin. I think their supporters are used to watching winning rugby.”
Gibbes (above) wants injured skipper Rory Best to be on the plane, despite failing to recover in time from a six-week injury lay-off with a hamstring injury. He insists that Ulster need their inspirational leader with them doing any job he can, his experience being so vital to the team.
“If he’s a water carrier that’ll be good to have him around the guys, that’s for sure,” added Gibbes. “It’s a big occasion, a big match so to have him around in the environment would be good.”
Best and Ulster went years without a win in France before a whole load of victories came in a flurry. After ending the drought against Biarritz in 2011, they’ve seen beaten Castres, Montpellier, Toulouse and Oyonnax all on French soil.
Gibbes saw a lot of La Rochelle during his time coaching in France and has Ulster well warned.
He added: “They are individually probably one of the most skillful, sort of x-factor teams that is in France. “They have players from one to 15 who can do all sorts of things so the threat is pretty real.
Ulster are bringing a few hundred supporters but Gibbes expects La Rochelle to make sure the visitors don’t see – or hear – much of them.
“I imagine our supporters will get the worst seats imaginable. That’s why you need your team-mates to be as tight as you can as a team – that’s all you’ve got down there.”