Connacht prop Finlay Bealham admits the Aviva Stadium atmosphere on Sunday afternoon will take some getting used to when his side face Ulster behind closed doors in their first game back since March.
Due to restrictions and protocols in place to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Guinness Pro14 interprovincial fixtures this weekend will be played without spectators and Bealham acknowledges how strange that will be for the players involved.
"It's going to be a bit strange. There's no crowd, it's going to be odd but it's a challenge we're really looking forward to," said the Ireland cap.
Another challenge brought about by the absence of crowds is that teams will be able to hear each other's lineout calls and intra-team discussions more easily. That will include listeners at home, Bealham adds.
"Everyone is going to be able to hear everything through the ref's mic and they're going to be listening to us because there's no noise, so I'm sure the tall lads will have a little plan for that and probably get us in a little ball and whisper," he said.
With his head coach Andy Friend referencing how the players made plenty of use of the long hiatus to work on their bodies, Bealham was no different in that regard, also being able to rehab his ankle injury without timescale pressure.
"I got a lot more time to go in the gym and work on my fitness and I feel in really good shape at the moment and it was a really good opportunity to get rid of the niggles and improve yourself," he said.
"I feel like I'm in a way better position physically and mentally now."
Bealham's Connacht colleague Eoghan Masterson pointed to intra-team training matches in recent weeks in helping the team hone themselves for the challenge of Ulster after a long period without competitive fixtures.
From the second training match with a guest referee and having watched the English Premiership games last weekend, he expects changes at the breakdown amid new rules and interpretations.
"There's a lot of reward for jackaling teams and a lot penalties given away by both teams which isn't ideal," the back row said.
"But it will be interesting to see now this weekend if there is any adaption into how teams are interpreting them."
But he added from first view of the Premiership last week, the new interpretation has made games more stop-start, he added.
Listen to live commentary of Connacht v Ulster live on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday from 2pm. Follow the live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now app.
