• Coach relaxed that Aviva is venue for Champions Cup semi • ‘One of our supporters makes up for 10 of the opposition’

Scarlets’ head coach, Wayne Pivac, says the prospect of facing Leinster in Dublin holds no fears for his players and has questioned whether the Irish province will derive any huge benefit from the choice of the less-than-neutral Aviva Stadium as the venue for Saturday’s European Champions Cup semi-final.

The Welsh region secured last season’s Pro12 title in Dublin and will be roared on by up to 5,000 travelling Scarlets fans as they seek to reach the final of Europe’s elite tournament for the first time.

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“I don’t know if it will be the cauldron that some people think,” said Pivac, the New Zealander currently heading the shortlist to succeed Warren Gatland as Welsh national coach after the 2019 World Cup.

“It is a venue where we played in the final last year and we really enjoyed it. There will be plenty of support for the locals I am sure – they won’t have too far to travel – but one Scarlets supporter probably makes up for 10 of the opposition. We have worked really hard to get to the semi-final and wherever we played it was never going to bother us.

“We have a lot of players who have played at international level and for us it is an opportunity: 80 minutes away from creating history, being in our first grand final. That’s the way we are approaching it. It is for other people to decide what is neutral and what is not.”

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Of greater concern for the Scarlets coaches is how to stop Leinster’s fly-half Johnny Sexton, who has already helped steer Ireland to a Six Nations grand slam this year. Pivac would prefer Sexton to be a non-starter but is hopeful the visitors will find a way to cramp his style.

“Hopefully he gets the flu or something between now and then … he’s quality, isn’t he?” said Pivac. “It is no secret that all teams will try and put some pressure on and bring some line-speed. But he is just one player … if you focus on one player it can free up space for others.”

A fine weather forecast, however, should suit the Scarlets’ all-court, offloading style and Pivac says Leinster should be wary of opponents for whom a final appearance would revive fond memories of Llanelli’s celebrated win over the All Blacks in 1972. “Going through their squad most people would have them as favourites, rightly so because of their form in the competition,” he added. “You give them the ball and you don’t see it for a while.

“It could come down to the team that makes the least amount of mistakes. We’re going to have to be up for this game both mentally and physically. It’s going to be a huge challenge so we have to be prepared and ready to go into those trenches.”