Whilst they may well be up against it on the field this afternoon, Munster will be able to rely on having plenty of allies within the Ricoh Arena when they take the field just shy of 3 o'clock. Not that that's much of a surprise.
Yes, that famous Munster support has again travelled in numbers across the Irish Sea, with over 8,000 expected to be on hand in Coventry to cheer on Johann van Graan's side in their quest to reach their first European final in over a decade.
The large numbers who have journeyed by sea and air from the south of the island are in stark contrast to what is expected to be a disappointing showing from the "home" supporters, with only 4,000 Saracens fans expected to be in attendance, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite the hope that the good weather could lead to final numbers at the gate being as high as 15,000, that figure represents less than half of the Ricoh's 32,000 capacity.
It’s a smashing day for rugby today. Munster fans beginning to assemble in Solihull as the English press expects them to outnumber Saracens fans by 3:1 in Coventry today.
We’ll have full live coverage from 3pm for this crucial Champions Cup Semi Final. pic.twitter.com/TAXdiGaTFx— Live 95 (@Live95Limerick) April 20, 2019
Factors have conspired against the English side's fans making the trip to the East Midlands.
With no direct trains available between London and Coventry due to ongoing engineering works, it is believed many fans have decided to avoid congested Easter weekend motorways and settle for watching the live television broadcast.
The game was scheduled for the Coventry venue, home of Saracens' Gallagher Premiership rivals Wasps, as their own home patch of Allianz Park in North London is only fit to hold 10,000 spectators.
In terms of attendance numbers, it is believed that even this weekend's Challenge Cup fixtures will outgun the Champions Cup fixture. Clermont Auvergne are expecting 19,000 for their clash with Harlequins at Stade Marcel Michelin while La Rochelle are expecting 15,000 at the very least as they host Sale.
One stadium where space will be at a premium this weekend is the Aviva Stadium, with over 40,000 tickets sold for Leinster's clash with Toulouse tomorrow.
